Stopping my opponent smashing
Strategy
Diego Unknown Asked 17 years ago
I wanted to know how to mantain the ball low so that my opponent dosen't return with a smash. This has become a problem for me.
Alois Rosario Answered 17 years ago
Hi Diego,
This may sound silly but the best way to get the ball low is to aim low. Try it!
Sometimes we get too technical about things in table tennis. If you follow this advice you will start to focus on the height of the ball and you will adjust naturally.
Recommended Video
When to Use Your Best Serve in Table Tennis (Most Players Get This Wrong!)
A lot of players don’t use their best serve enough — or worse, they use it at the wrong time. In this video, Jeff and Alois break down how to make smarter decisions about when to use your strongest serve and how to adjust based on your opponent, the score, and the pressure.
✅ What you’ll learn:
- Why holding back your best serve can hurt your game
- How to recognise the right moment to use it
- What mistakes players make with serve selection
- A 3-step routine to improve your serve strategy
Your best serve should win you more than just a few points — it should help you win matches.
Watch NowThoughts on this question
Jeff Plumb from PingSkills
Posted 17 years ago
Hi Diego,
The other thing you can try to stop your opponent from smashing the ball is to impart backspin on the ball. Take a look at the backhand push and forehand push lessons. You can really only play these strokes against backspin balls but it helps to keep the ball low and the backspin makes it harder for your opponent to attack the ball. This is because the backspin grips into your opponents rubber and drags the ball down. Serving with backspin is also an effective strategy to minimize your opponents attacking opportunities.
Become a free member to post a comment about this question.