Advantages of a Left Handed Player
Table Tennis General
Last updated 7 years ago
Carlo Unknown Asked 14 years ago
Hi Alois,
As a lefty, what do you think are the advantages of left handed people other than there are only a few left handed people that play Table Tennis.
I've also noticed when a left hander serve a sidespin serve, it's actually the reverse version of a right hander (correct me if I'm wrong) That's another advantage I think. Then why does Timo Boll use a reverse sidespin serve if it will appear as a right handed's sidespin serve?
I've also drawn to a conclusion, "Why is the world so right?"
Alois Rosario Answered 14 years ago
Hi Carlo,
I don't know why the world is so 'right', but like defenders there should be more of us lefties!!
I think the bg advantage of lefties is that players are not used to them. Apart from that there is no real advantage.
Timo Bolls reverse serve is different from a right handers normal sidespin because it is coming from a different angle and it has a different action. When we return serve we get used to the action to help us to recognise what spin is on the ball.
Thoughts on this question
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Carlo Unknown Posted 14 years ago
Carlo Unknown Posted 14 years ago
Jeff Plumb from PingSkills Posted 14 years ago
As a left hander, you would generally use your left foot to step in and reach the short balls. This is the same for short pushing and for flicking. You may sometimes want to use your right foot (being a left hander) if the ball is short and wide to your backhand. This is because if you use your left foot and the ball is wide, you would be crossing your feet over which could be a bit tricky.
The most important thing here is to feel comfortable with your footwork. If you take a look at our lesson on the backhand flick, we talk about which feet to use.Jackson Warren Unknown Posted 14 years ago
Ji-Soo Woo Posted 14 years ago
Yeah, I hate playing against lefties.
One of the shots I tend to do under pressure is a highish loop with a bit of sidespin to the backhand side. At the level of competition I play in, players tend to not have the footwork to run around it, and they generally can't smash it either with their backhand.
Of course, against lefthanded players, I suddenly realise I've just done a high loop to their forehand side instead! And then SMASH!
D'oh!
Carlo Unknown Posted 14 years ago
Jason Ferdinand Posted 7 years ago
You also can try the He Zhiwen's serve. It's quite difficult to return. You can learn it from the PingSkills's He Zhiwen's Serve video tutorial.