Frustrated by tall anti-spin player

Hi pingskills,

I play against a friend that is about 6 foot 6 with excellent reach both forwards and side to side.  He plays with a basic bat with pimples and his game is simply to return everything without spin and work you side to side on the table.  I am working on developing my strokes to develop more spin and speed, but my lack of consistency along with my friend constantly using a block technique to return my good attacking shots has grown frustrating.  I can't seem to make enough shots to beat him because he keeps drawing out longer rallies.  Are there any good strategies to make his block less affective or make him less comfortable returning shots?

Hi Todd,

A basic tactic would be to use more push or backspin shots to start the rally.  This will keep the ball at a a slower pace to allow you time to set up for your attacking shot.

When you play your attack, think about the direction going more to his middle.  This negates his advantage of reach and also cuts down the angles he has to work with.

Your attack should also not always be fast.  These types of players rely on your speed to get you out of position.

Give these ideas a try and see how it works.