Stances

Receiving

Justin O'Toole
Justin O'Toole Asked 12 years ago

Is it better to stand closer to the table rather than far away or in between? I have noticed people that stand very faraway from the table especially defenders have trouble with other peoples serves. They generally have trouble with topspin and much more trouble with very short serves with heavy backspin-underspin.

The reason for their trouble with very short backspin-underspin serves is they are too far away and have trouble picking up the serves because they are short and have oodles of backspin. So is it better to stand up to the table on your service return and for all your other shots?


Alois Rosario
Member Badge Alois Rosario Answered 12 years ago

Hi Justin,

In general stand where you can just touch the table.  Some players feel more comfortable a little further away and some closer.  Just see what feels best for you.


Recommended Video

Judging the Length of a Serve

A really important skill in table tennis is to be able to judge if a serve will be short or long. If it's short you won't be able to take a full swing at the ball and hence will need to use either a push or a flick to return the ball. However, if it is coming long then you can make a topspin attack. In this video we give you some tips to help you judge the length of the serve and hopefully this makes you a better returner.

Watch Now

No comments yet!


Become a free member to post a comment about this question.