Backhand technique

Hi Alois,

I have been playing recreational table tennis for over 4 years and I am right-handed player.

For some strange reason, I am very comfortable in playing with my backhand for the most part. While I serve with a forehand posture, yet I immediately switch to a backhand stance and go from there. I use my looping forehand drive only as a stock shot only when the ball is placed to my extreme right-hand.

Is my technique flawed and will I be exposed if I scale up to a professional league? Please let me know your thoughts.

Regards,

Anand

Hi Anand,

Thanks for the great question. Some professional players have a stronger backhand than forehand. So your style is not necessarily flawed. A lot of people find the backhand a safer shot to play because you are positioned directly behind the ball and can watch it closely.

Is your forehand a consistent stroke? If your forehand is a little weak, then the stronger players will expose that. Another point to consider is that most people find that the footwork for playing forehands makes it easier to cover more of the table using your forehand whereas the footwork for backhand strokes makes this more difficult. This means that stronger players will be able to expose your forehand more easily.

I would recommend that people work on developing both backhands and forehands as this gives you the most options when playing.