Winning strategy

Lee Unknown Asked 16 years ago

There's one of my friends that I can never seem to beat. Our points almost always play out the same way. Both of us use backspin short serves or fast topspin serves to start the point (neither of our serves are that great). We'll hit a few pushes or short slices, then one of us will hit a topspin shot. We'll both keep hitting topspin shots until we're both a few metres behind the table, looping it back and forth on our forehands.  

The problem is, I always seem to be the one who misses first. Our topspin forehands are both our strongest shots, so we gravitate towards them. Sometimes I'll try and hit the ball flatter or even slice it back, but again I seem to miss before he does. The problem is that he takes the ball from table-height or lower, with heavy topspin and some sidespin, so it's not easy to hit anything but a topspin forehand back. Also, his shots don't go very high over the net, so I can't really smash. Any suggestions on what shots or strategies would be good in this situation?

Alois Rosario Answered 16 years ago

Hi Lee,

The thing to use here is placement and variation on speed. When players get in to a topspin to tospin rally they get carried away with the feeling and just hit the ball straight back to their opponents forehand side.

Try slowing the ball down a little sometimes, with varying mounts of spin.  Also work hard to change the angle of play.  Try to get the ball into his backhand corner even if the shot isn't as good quality, the placement will often be the winner.