Tactics on playing an opponent in a wheelchair

Strategy

Alena  Fallon
Alena Fallon Asked 1 year ago

Hi Alois. 

What are some of the tactics to use against a wheelchair opponent serve, ball placement and coping with the fast ball return.

Thanks for your help 

Cheers Alena 


Alois Rosario
Member Badge Alois Rosario Answered 1 year ago

Hi Alena, 

The first thing to note is that you are not allowed to serve wider than the side lines of the table.  After that you can place the ball wherever you like.  Try to serve fast and to the corners of the table.  The other area is in their crossover point which for a wheelchair player tends to be more towards their forehand side.  Players in a wheelchair tend to be able to cover the middle of the table well with their backhand however more towards their forehand side it can be awkward.  IN the rally try to play the ball wider which is difficult to reach.

As they take the ball early off the table in general you need to be prepared for that early trajectory of the ball.


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 Now

Thoughts on this question


Jasper Low

Jasper Low Posted 1 year ago

That makes me wonder, What can tactics do wheelchair players have against able bodied players? 


Alois Rosario

Member Badge Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 1 year ago

The main thing is to stop them getting angles by keeping the ball deep on the table.


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