Video from above

Hello Alois,

Thank you for your answer! My question is about the ball position relative to the body (or the body position relative to the ball - it depends on how you put it) for all strokes at the moment of contact with the bat. In your lessons, you focus on the start and finish position of your bat, but it's not very clear where the bat should hit the ball on the bat trajectory. For example, lots of my FH and BH counterhits and topspins send the ball to the net, and I suspect that this is happening because I hit the ball when it's too close to the body or too far away from it, too much to the left or too much to the right...

Hi Konstantin,

The hitting position can be easily identified if you think about it this way.

Get someone to throw a ball to you.  Then catch it with two hands in front of you.  This position that you catch the ball is a good guide as to where you should hit a ball.  This position is the same for forehand and backhand. The only difference is that your body will be turned slightly for the forehand and straight on for the backhand.

Try this positioning out.

Hello Alois,

This is a very interesting idea, thank you! Unfortunately, I think I'm missing something here, because the area where I could catch the ball with two hands is quite large: again, it may be closer or farther from the body, more to the right or to the left... BTW, I found a video where a piece of a warm up was shot from above (the link is supposed to bring it exactly at the moment where Wang Hao plays FH topspins): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiqFxDx2WW4&feature=player_detailpage#t=330s I would never tried to catch a ball at the point where Wang Hao hits the ball. Is it because he uses the penhold grip?

Hi Konstantin,

Firstly thanks for the video link.

As a basic when you are hitting the ball slowly with good control you would hit the ball in a position where you catch the ball directly in front of your body.  The preferred position would be directly in front of you with your arms evenly balanced.  This is a good controlled hitting position.  As the ball becomes a bit faster and you want more power the swing can become bigger and the hitting zone a bit wider but it is still in a zone where you would catch the ball with two hands.

Take a look at the backhand hitting position first.  I think it would be a good basic catching spot.  For the forehand it is a little further back but he is turning his body quite fast.

What are your thoughts on this?

Hello Alois,

Thank you for the answer! I was trying to apply your advice for my backhand counterhits and I found it quite difficult to do while moving. It is easy to do when I'm standing, but it gets much more difficult when I really have to hit the ball. Anyway, I'll keep trying: maybe it'll help me with my backhands going mostly into the net.

You've brought up another interesting point: when I watch Chinese players (or any top players for that matter) executing forehand topspins, especially when they are doing multiball training, I constantly get amazed at the speed they rotate their body. Could you tell me if it's something that can only be acquired in the young age by lots of hours of practice or if it's about the correct technique and they rotate their body less than it seems?

Hi Konstantin,

They do rotate quickly.  I don't think it has to be acquired at an early age.  It is something that you can develop.  It is a matter of training and the strength, balance and speed to be able to do this effectively.  They have amazing core strength to be able to execute this.