Footwork

christian larsson Asked 14 years ago

Hi, I'm from sweden. I've been playing for five years, but I still can't get my feet going. It's not that I'm slow and lazy, but I don't have the basic movement in tabletennis. How can I practice this at home? Thank you!!

Jeff Plumb Answered 14 years ago

Hi Chris,

The main points to remember are to keep your feet wide apart and bend your knees to get down low. This will provide you with a very good stable base from which to play your strokes. It allows you to be well balanced. From this position you can also push off with either foot to move to the ball quickly.

Once you are comfortable with that position you can practice using the side step to move to your right and then back again to your left.

Then once you are comfortable with the movement you can try and move to your right, play a shadow forehand and then move back to your left and play a shadow backhand. This is a great way to practice your footwork away from the table.

Good luck and remember to stick with it. These skills can take a long time to develop.