Forehand block

Hi Alois and Jeff,

in some older book on table tennis I read that the best way to block is "pressing down on the ball". This struck me a bit odd, but I tried it and it seemed to work rather well - alas, I found the technique very difficult to learn. When blocking, I usually move the bat forward just a bit, or, against heavier topspin, don't move it at all. What am I to make of this pressing down business?

Many thanks and best wishes,

Andrej

Hi Andrej,

The pressing down feeling can work.  It covers the spin and gets the ball down on the table.  You still need to move the bat forward a bit as well if you want to get more pace on the ball.