Pushing the ball, but the ball goes high

Lionel Unknown Asked 16 years ago

What could I do to improve pushing the ball, but not let the ball go too high over the net? If I push fast, the ball is low, but may go over the table edge...

Jeff Plumb Answered 16 years ago

Hi Lionel,

Take another look at our lessons on the forehand push and backhand push. Try to visualise the stroke in your head. Then practice it as much as you can.

If the ball is going too high, then it really is a matter of adjusting your stroke. The first thing to try would be to swing the bat downwards more than you currently are and perhaps even adjusting the angle of your bat slightly by tilting the top edge away from you.

Another possibility is that your opponent has hardly put any backspin on the ball at all. Then you need to use a much flater racket during the stroke, or even consider attacking the ball with a topspin.

Let me know if these ideas help you out. Good luck.