Offensive push
Strokes
mat huang Asked 12 years ago
Hi alois,
I know that you alway insist push is a defensive stroke, but I find putting more spin and doing in a finer and quicker contact and aiming for the corner could win some easy points.
Pls tell me how to do it, and how to defend it.
Alois Rosario Answered 12 years ago
Hi Mat,
A push can be an attacking stroke when played fast with good spin. To do it bring your hand through faster and really brush under the ball on contact. In training put some targets on the table in the corners and aim for them.
To defend it you need to step back a little to give yourself more time and then make the Forehand Topspin Off Backspin stroke.
Recommended Video
Footwork Basics
Good footwork is the foundation of a strong table tennis game. In this video, we break down the essential steps to move efficiently and stay balanced during rallies.
✅ Key Footwork Tips You'll Learn:
- ✔️ How to bend your knees and position your feet correctly
- ✔️ The shuffle step—jumping while keeping your feet the same width apart
- ✔️ A simple step-by-step drill to improve movement and positioning
- ✔️ How to progress from single-ball drills to faster multi-ball exercises
By jumping into position and stopping, you ensure a stable base before playing each shot—leading to better accuracy and control.
Watch NowThoughts on this question
Become a free member to post a comment about this question.
mat huang Posted 12 years ago
Thanks Alois
Tim Pan Posted 12 years ago
Yeah, I found that out as well... sometimes, when I really wanted to put some backspin on the ball, the ball flew long and fast across the table.
Ilia Minkin Posted 9 years ago
Hi Alois,
How to prevent my opponents from pushing fast? Is it really possible?
Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 9 years ago
Ilia, if you push it to difficult positions an keep them off balance then it will be harder for them to push fast and accurately.
Ilia Minkin Posted 9 years ago
Thank you, Alois. But how about the serve? I notice that skillful long pimple defenders push my backspin serves very aggressively. The resulting nospin ball is lightning fast and I often lose the point outright. Serving topspin is not an option since they will attack it strongly.
Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 9 years ago
If you serve longer it will give you more time to see the return. If you serve with topspin it is harder for them to attack the ball because the ball will come off their racket with backspin and float.
Ilia Minkin Posted 9 years ago
Hi Alois,
If I play an attacker, is it possible to prevent an offensive push by serving short? If make the serve really low and tight, can it still be pushed fast?
Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 9 years ago
Hi Ilia,
It is possible to push even a really short and low ball fast. However, if you are in good position the fast push shouldn't give you too many problems.
Ilia Minkin Posted 9 years ago
> However, if you are in good position the fast push shouldn't give you too many problems.
Often it does :(
Ilia Minkin Posted 9 years ago
So what is the best solution if I struggle to get to fast pushes? Play lots of serve-and-attack and receive-and-attack drills until it gets better?
Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 9 years ago
Yes, I think the best thing is to practice that combination. However, one other option is to serve a little longer, Half Long so the second bounce is still on the table but the first bounce is a little further from the net. This will mean that they are hitting the push from a little further away from you and therefore will give you more time.
Ilia Minkin Posted 9 years ago
Thank you, Alois!