Playing against a blocker
Strategy
Collin Hill Asked 12 years ago
Hey Alois & Jeff, I have trouble playing against a blocker that just keeps blocking my forehand and backhand attacks... He keeps blocking to my forehand corner and backhand and over and over again until I just fail and put the ball either into the net or off the end of the table... How should I score points effectively?... Also whenever I push the ball short and low over the net somehow he just flicks it to one of the corners and im out of place for returning that (since im thinking hes going to push it low and short like I just did)..... Any suggestions? Thanks :)
Alois Rosario Answered 12 years ago
Hi Collin,
When playing against a good blocker try to vary the spin and speed of your shots. They usually rely on the other player making a mistake and not so much on hitting winners.
Often playing slower is better until you get the opportunity to play a strong ball away as a winner.
We do have a lesson under the Match Strategy course in a lesson titled Playing A Blocker.
Recommended Video
When to Use Your Best Serve in Table Tennis (Most Players Get This Wrong!)
A lot of players don’t use their best serve enough — or worse, they use it at the wrong time. In this video, Jeff and Alois break down how to make smarter decisions about when to use your strongest serve and how to adjust based on your opponent, the score, and the pressure.
✅ What you’ll learn:
- Why holding back your best serve can hurt your game
- How to recognise the right moment to use it
- What mistakes players make with serve selection
- A 3-step routine to improve your serve strategy
Your best serve should win you more than just a few points — it should help you win matches.
Watch NowThoughts on this question
Become a free member to post a comment about this question.
Collin Hill Posted 12 years ago
Thanks again as always Alois! Your soooooo right that the defender just waits for me to make a mistake... Lol.... I'll try to add more speed and spin varations! Also I'm not a premium member yet so I can't watch that video but I might sign up soon! Thank you guys so much for what you do here!!! You and Jeff are a real inspiration for me to keep practicing!!! Thank You. :-)
Thanks Collin, always nice to be appreciated.