Tightness of Grip

Dear Alois and Jeff,

Thanks for the wonderful work of Sharing your knowledge of THE TABLE TENNIS (God's own Game :-))...

I am impressed with your videos and the serving secrets revealed dvd gave me a better understanding of the serves. Thanks!

Can you please clarify the below doubt regarding how tight/loose we need to hold the handle while serving, receiving and while playing rally or Topspin. (Lets assume that Tight is 10 and Loose is 1)

Also, when we serve, where should the first bounce land on our side of the table for a Long or Short Serve?

CheerS to TT,
"James Bond" Thiru
00Eleven ;-)

Hi Thiru,

In general play you want to hold the bat very loosely in your hand.  If you tighten you grip, it will effect the tension in your arm and even shoulder area.  Try holding your bat loosely and then tense the grip.  See what happens to the muscles in your forearm, biceps and shoulder.  Your arm can't swing properly when your arm is tight.

Loose is best.  I often explain to beginners that you should be able to slip the bat out of your hand easily when you are holding it.  Get someone to try taking the bat out of your hand.  It should slip out easily, not be resisted.  So keep it as close to 1 as you can.

When serving, the first bounce should be clsoe to you for both short and long serves.  But experiment with this yourself and see for yourself what works.  If you are serving a slow bouncing short serve, it can land closer to the net, but other serves need to land close to you.