Position for optimal power and timing

Hi Coach!

I just wanna ask about getting into the right position to achieve the optimal stroke power and timing. With the introduction of polyball, I think a key change in table tennis is the increased dependence of players on power. Because of this, I was advised by many of my teammates to hit the ball earlier (around peak bounce) and hit the ball harder. The problem is I'm used to hitting the ball late and tend to do brushing motion, which was very effective with celluloid. Should I follow this advice? Because another problem is I don't think I have enough physical strength to do it. What I think of doing instead is to focus on my footwork to get into the right position for the ball and be able to perform the optimal stroke I wanted. Is this a better path to take?

Hi Scotch,

Managing your position to be able to play the best shot is one of the keys of the game.  Balance is vital when playing the shot.  In fact most errors in the game come from lack of balance.

If you are wanting to contact the ball earlier, then focus on this.  You can do it with sounds, listening to the bounce of the ball and getting it a little earlier or think about the hitting position in relation to the bounce and try to get the ball higher.

You don't need to change things too drastically with the poly ball.  Perhaps hitting slightly earlier willl help and slightly flatter as well but you still need to generate spin on the ball to ensure some safety with the stroke.