Rolling the ball from one side to the other

Table Tennis Discussion

Last updated 7 years ago

Tom Dean

Tom Dean Asked 9 years ago

Hi,

How do you roll the ball from one side of the bat to the other. In your 'practicing alone' video at 02:05 you start rolling the ball from one side to the other. How do you do this? 


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario Answered 9 years ago

Hi Tom,

Aha… this is a bit of a trick.  Give it a bit more of a try and see if you can do it.  Let me know in a few days if you have worked it out.


Notify me of updates
Add to Favourites
Back to Questions

Thoughts on this question

Steve Billmire

Steve Billmire Posted 9 years ago

Yes Tom and Alois,

This is definitely a "Trick" that takes time to master. I have worked on it a few times and have only been able to do it a couple of time's. So practice, practice, practice and sooner or later you will get it.


Johan B

Johan B Posted 9 years ago

I find I can do it in one direction quite easily,from my forehand to my backhand. The ball rolls over smoothly. But backhand to forehand remains a bit bouncy on the rubber. Just keep practicing I guess :)


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 9 years ago

You are right Johan…. keep practising.


Dieter Verhofstadt

Dieter Verhofstadt Posted 9 years ago

I've been practicing this too and I found that "rolling over" is really the combination of three skills:

  1. alternate bouncing the ball on forehand and backhand
  2. throwing the ball with one bat side instead of hitting it
  3. catching a ball with the bat from up in the air

The first is a basic skill which is easy to practice.

The second skill is also not too difficult. Throw up the ball with one bat side, then let it bounce on the other.

The third requires more practice: bounce the ball high, then bring up the bat towards it and guide the ball while falling, thus "catching" it.

Bringing it all together:

  1. throw up the ball with one bat side
  2. keep the upward trajectory low
  3. follow the ball upward with your bat
  4. tilt the bat at the peak of the ball, while still following it
  5. catch the ball with the other bat side

If you do these five steps and try keeping the bat in contact with the ball, you'll eventually "roll it over".


Johan B

Johan B Posted 9 years ago

Thanks, that helped a bit!! Did a couple of completely bounceless rolls on the backhand tonight too :)


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 9 years ago

Watch the ask the Coach show in the morning #83 for a demonstration.


Tom Dean

Tom Dean Posted 9 years ago

Thanks guy really helped smile

 


Tom Dean

Tom Dean Posted 9 years ago

sorry guys not guy


Johan B

Johan B Posted 9 years ago

Still not perfect, but it's going good enough so that I can use it as meditation while I listen to the news or so :) https://vid.me/9p1G

Thanks a lot Dieter and Alois!

 

(Ideally, I'd like to be able to do it floorball style: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WxCfxYhS1c )


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 9 years ago

Hey well done Johan. That is impressive.  Floorball style make take a little longer!

I used to use this as a test for myself before I played a match as part of my warm up.  It showed me whether I was anxious or not.


Johan B

Johan B Posted 8 years ago

https://youtu.be/dXcMzNqKvdk

 


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 8 years ago

Some pretty sticky rubber there.


Dean Fitzgerald

Dean Fitzgerald Posted 7 years ago

Rubber with a high control rating helps, i spent alot of time trying to do both this and just catching the ball with no bounce etc. I bought a Ping Skills Rook and could start doing it fairly well within a day. I found it a real confidence boost and then started moving on to trying it with bats with more frisky rubber.


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 7 years ago

Good to hear you are enjoying the Rook.



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