Would you consider doing a video on How to Play Against Penholders

Table Tennis Website

Last updated 4 years ago

Karen Lai

Karen Lai Asked 5 years ago

Hi Coaches!

Love your videos. Been learning lots. Currently, lots of videos on YT from yourselves and others about all things related to Ping Pong. Yet, no one has posted a video to play against Penholders. Would you consider doing one. 

Thanks. 

Karen Lai (Canada) 


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario Answered 5 years ago

Hi Karen,

This is something we have dabbled with before.

I will put it on our list of filming ideas.


Notify me of updates
Add to Favourites
Back to Questions

Thoughts on this question

Jeff Plumb

Jeff Plumb from PingSkills Posted 4 years ago

Hi Karen,

We took your suggestion and made a video on how to play against penhold players. I hope you enjoy it.


Jamie Liu

Jamie Liu Posted 4 years ago

What about playing as a  penholder???


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 4 years ago

That will come...


D K

D K Posted 4 years ago

One thing:
How can you hold the reverse penhold in such an angle?
Whenever I try it,I have the backhand rubber rather facing forearm,being unable to turn it forward.
Or,when I try to put the backhand rubber in the same direction as if it was shakehand,I end up with my elbow facing my opponent.
Could you give some detail about your grip,finger positions etc.?
(I know that there are much more variances among  penhold users,compared to shakehanders)


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 4 years ago

You need to relax the fingers to allow the bat to turn in your fingers to face the direction you want the ball to go.


D K

D K Posted 4 years ago

But in such  case,I am unable to keep the bat in the hand (it flies away) :O


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 4 years ago

That is why you don't play penholder I guess!!  Might do some damage to your opponent...


D K

D K Posted 4 years ago

Well defending with penhold is quite hard :DDD
I think sometimes I can damage my opponent even without throwing bat....yesterday I smashed my sparring partner right into his mouth (opened)


Nigel C

Nigel C Posted 4 years ago

DK, I once did that while playing badminton - I left little squares across someone's nose. During a table tennis match I was watching, one of the opposing team took a mighty swing with his forehand and the blade of his bat came away from the handle. I ducked and the top part hit the wall where my head would have been! 


D K

D K Posted 4 years ago

Well,this is for different topic Nigel :D
Wann get into contact off-site?
Since pingskills havent developed any chatting option (any future plans,Alois,Jeff?) and I do not want to spam the threads.
Also,I noticed you react to my questions quite frequently


Nigel C

Nigel C Posted 4 years ago

Dk maybe we just need to start a separate topic for just general table tennis stories. Table tennis is very sociable and most people have some funny tales to tell. Maybe alois and Jeff can eventually put them in a book?

Dk in my league there are very few defenders and very very few who use long pips. It is always good to hear from the sorts of players I rarely face. Know your enemy :o)


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 4 years ago

Good idea Nigel.  We could do it through an Ask the Coach Question if w=one of you want to ask it I will put it up...


D K

D K Posted 4 years ago

I am now pretty confused about what is going on


Aditya Chandolu

Aditya Chandolu Posted 4 years ago

um, Alois can we do a forehand smash or backhand smash while pen-holding? and I have a problem with my account. for a past few days had sent a question to you, the next day when I open my account for your answer, I first go and see notifications, then when I go to my questions, it shows all of my answered questions but not my unanswered questions.and also when I send you the question it got sent and after 30 seconds it suddenly loaded and go back to Ask a question category and got resent to you.please fix this problem. I don't have any virus to get this sort of problem.


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 4 years ago

Hi Aditya,

I have been replying to you directly via email.  Can you check your junk emails.



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