Breaking Longstanding Bad Footwork Habits
Footwork
Lou Rowan Asked 11 years ago
Many of us older average players came to the "real" game after decades of "garage" table tennis, and don't move naturally the way kids who learned skills from the beginning do. In the heat of games we continue the lunging, off-balance stuff--even though we don't want to. It's a little like a hesitant ballroom dancer, who just can't catch the beat and get going. What can I do to "unstick" legs unaccustomed to bouncing sideways and facing the ball?
Thanks,
Lou Rowan
Jeff Plumb Answered 11 years ago
Great question Lou. We find that many players find the sideways shuffle a strange way to move. The key is start very slowly and simply. In fact to start learning the correct movement, you can have a training partner throw you a ball to one position and then after you hit the ball back they wait for you to make the correct movement to a new position, and then throw another ball. Practicing this over and over will help you get accustomed to the movement.
As you get more comfortable with the movement, you can then have your training partner hit the ball to you, and eventually you can get faster and faster. Of course all of this takes a lot of time to get right. It's easy to write the steps down but the real key is putting in the time.
We've filmed a video response which elaborates on some of these points. Let me know what you think and if it helps.
Recommended Video
Breaking Longstanding Bad Footwork Habits
If you have developed some bad habits with your footwork then watch here to see the best way to get this area of your game right.
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Jon Ferguson Posted 11 years ago
I am in my early '50's, with an old injury to my right knee.
I switched to long pimples on b/h some years ago, in order to slow the game down, through chopping the ball.
I find that has given me an edge in my game, as long as I don't move too far from the table, and has reduced the pressure on my footwork.
Ujjal Chatterjee Posted 11 years ago
Good footwork is the key to good Table Tennis. Your video is well explained and undoubtedly it will help the coaches to improve the footwork of the trainees. Yes, it will take time but once it comes into natural flow, the game will improve.
Thanks & regards.
Ricky G Posted 11 years ago
Abdusalam Green Posted 11 years ago
I really liked the tip to think about moving your legs first THEN the stroke... Simple but effective... Thanks
Arthur Rentz Posted 11 years ago
I think this is very good, but my game is mostly played as doubles. how can you move across the table like this and not get in your partners way?
You both have to move together to stay out of each others way.
Ronald Taylor Posted 11 years ago
I noticed Jeff's right foot turned fully parallel to the table end line when the pace was increased and skitter (like a bar is between knees) vs shufle (left moving fully to right then right to right) step was done. I thought the right foot was to be half a foot further back than the left (right-hander) and nearly perpendicular to the table end line. If parallel, seems to put more stress on right inside knee but I see this right foot position in lots of top level video play. What is the reason?
Ron
Ahmed Anter Posted 11 years ago
How can I beat a player with a fantom rubber?
mat huang Posted 11 years ago
Very good video answer! I have the same problem and i'm a junior... But Alois, in match situation you don't always get time to move your feet and then your arm because it is very fast. Shouldn't you make your backswing WHILE moving?
Can it be, Alois, that we older players tend to stand erect rather than bend down with feet well spread out and hence experience difficulty in moving correctly and in time? This often results in getting ourselves hopelessly locked up. Since I am practicing footwork with my partner/trainer, I find bending down helps quite a lot and we can easily complete the semi-circle around the table. By the way, my next tourney is on 26/7 August. Let's see how I fare this time. Your video like all your explanations is of invaluable assistance in improving one's game. Thanks.
Ardak . Posted 11 years ago
Thank you, coaches! Very helpfull and usefull information,video.
Linda Odom Posted 9 years ago
great info thanks!
Michael Wadick Posted 9 years ago
It is a great video and very helpful. I'd also love to see one moving from side to side for backhand and forehand where your feet (hopefully I know this much :)) are a bit different.
thanks
Mick
Kaustubh Kulkarni Posted 9 years ago
Great explanation. I always move my hand towards the ball first. From today I shall try to move legs first as described in the video.
jamsheed nakhkoob Posted 9 years ago
thanks very useful
Richard Lieberman Posted 9 years ago
It seems that Jeff always initiates with his right foot; whether he is moving left or right. Am I seeing things?
Johannes Tan Posted 9 years ago
Great explanation with leg movement fist, then hitting the ball second, thanks! But how to determine whether to move the legs to the left and still hit an inside-out forehand *or* simply stand in the middle and hit a cross-table backhand? In a real game, doesn't the cross-table backhand save time and energy? Sorry if this is a foolish question, but I'm new in table tennis and am just trying to understand it from the lawn tennis perspective.
MD SHAKEB Posted 8 years ago
I too have bad footwork and working hard to improve it, I believe that your suggestion to move legs first then strike the ball will help me, I will practise in this way, Thanks a lot guys for your priceless suggestions
You're welcome @MD Shakeb. Let me know if your footwork improves after you get more opportunities to practice this.
martinand bernard Posted 8 years ago
without the bat ,a basket in front of your body, you move to catch the balls into, the basket don't move, only with the footwork
kathy mckelvey Posted 8 years ago
Good. Footwork and balance is important I'm trying to hit the ball while moving which does not work when I miss. do iI Need to be stationary when I return the ball?
Kurt Zasadil Posted 8 years ago
Besides the great advice given by J and A, I love my robot (newgy 2050) for drilling footwork. I warm up with two balls to backhand at deep backhand and center. Then the same drill for forehand. These two use small steps. With the robot and the catch net, I don't worry about the ball so much as to make sure I'm moving my feet to set-up well instead of reaching. I go back to the backhand box but I turn for the forehand attack. When I'm good and warmed up (already tired), I go to the king, the Falkenberg or deep backhand, center forehand, deep forehand drill. When done multiball style, it will expose any and all lack of set-up, footwork or balance. Hey Jeff and Alois, how about a video on how to get the most out of the falkenberg?