Forehand Counterhit Accuracy

Table Tennis Strokes and Technique

Last updated 9 years ago

Mohammad El Hariri

Mohammad El Hariri Asked 12 years ago

Hi Alois and Jeff,

I don't have control on where the ball is going when playing the Forehand Counterhit. Sometimes the ball will go to the middle of my practice partner's side of the table or wide to his Forehand and sometimes in between.

I'm positive that I maintain about 90% of my stroke technique the same. My partner noticed that I hit the ball on different spots on my bat. Sometimes near the edge of the bat and sometimes in the middle. Could this be the main reason for my errors in placement?

How can I overcome this?

Thank you.


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario Answered 11 years ago

Hi Mohammad,

Hitting it on different areas of your bat will make a difference as to where the ball goes.  During your forehand hitting practice, focus on where the ball is hitting on your racket for each ball and see if it makes a difference.

Another way that you can improve your accuracy is to put a small target on the table while you are practicing.  You can just put a small piece of paper on there.  You will find by having a target on the table your mind will start to adjust your technique quite naturally to get the ball where you are aiming.

Give both of these techniques a try and let me know if it helps. 


Notify me of updates
Add to Favourites
Back to Questions

Thoughts on this question

Mohammad El Hariri

Mohammad El Hariri Posted 12 years ago

Hi Alois,

Thank you for your answer. I'll give these techniques a try in tomorrow's training session. As for the paper tip, is it randomly placed? I saw this in the trailer for "Training Secrets Revealed", is it in that exact position? Thanks again.  


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 12 years ago

Find a spot in the middle of the forehand area first, if you are aiming for consistency.  You can put it wherever you want to. Just think about what your focus is for that drill.

Mohammad El Hariri

Mohammad El Hariri Posted 12 years ago

Hi Alois,

Sorry for taking long to reply, but today was my 1st session since this question. I found the target bit distracting. I asked my training partner to focus on where my shots landed on his side of the table. That worked, and I was able to get generally 90% of my shots where I aimed to.

As for hitting the ball on different areas of my bat, I tried to listen to the sound of the ball when striking. This wasn't a big problem in my forehand counterhitting as much as the backhand counterhits.

Maybe its my wrist in the backhand, or the timing that's causing this (sometimes I hit the ball down the line).

Thank you.


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 12 years ago

Hi Mohammad,

That sounds good.  90% in the right place is a good percentage.  It may be your wrist on the backhand.  Keep it fairly straight at the start of the stroke to get more control of the direction.


Mohammad El Hariri

Mohammad El Hariri Posted 10 years ago

Thanks for the video! It's awesome!


Steve Billmire

Steve Billmire Posted 9 years ago

Hello Mohammad,

I had the same problem with my forehand counterhit. After watching Alois's video "Training Secrets Revealed" I started putting a piece of paper on other side of the table and concentrating on hitting the paper. Like you said, it is a little distracting at first but you will get use to it after a while. Also when training with another player, make sure you start off slow. Don't just start hitting the ball fast, take the time to get the ball where you want it.

To tell you the truth, that piece of paper has helped me in all my return and serve drill's. I use it all the time, in fact I will put 2 of them on the other side of the table. When I get use to where they are at, I will move them to a different area and start hitting the paper again. Before I start playing or practicing, I always bounce the ball off my bat/racket for about 5 minutes to get warmed up. Doing this helps me get a better idea of where the ball is hitting my bat/racket.

Hope this helps, I know it did for me!!! Have fun and keep practicing!!!


D K

D K Posted 9 years ago

Hello

against some opponents,I have antoher problem-while counterhitting a no spin ball,sometimes it suddenly pops out in absolutely different direction than the direction I am trying to send it to,have you any idea what causes it?



Become a free member to post a comment about this question.