On Chopping

Ken Unknown Asked 16 years ago

I'm a steadfast defensive player, and as such, most of the
match I am pretty far away from the table. I feel that I am more than capable on both of my wings, but I find that a shot aimed to my center or around the indecision point seems more difficult to return effectively than it should be.

How do I chop back shots aimed towards the middle of the body? (Or should I just move to either side of the table?) I've seen players like joo se hyuk returning middle-aimed balls with enormous backspin and with relative ease, but I still can't see how to do this. Is it just predicting where the ball will go before it is hit, or is it just reaction speed and getting into a suitable position?

Alois Rosario Answered 16 years ago

Hi,

The middle ball is the hardest for most choppers.

Joo Se Hyuk makes most things look easy but it has come after countless hours of training.

One thing is the ability to see the ball early enough to react.  The other is to practice that shot a lot so that you get used to playing the ball out of the middle.  It is a matter of adjusting your bat to get to the ball.  Often you don't have enough time to move your body into perfect position so you need to compromise.  The main thing is get the bat moving in the right direction.