Winning over Others

Hi,

I have a friend who always plays table tennis with me. Whatever type of serve or shot I play, like backspin serve, forehand smash or sidespin block, he is able to block very well. He is short and thus not so good in smashing. But he controls the ball on the table  very well. I found out that he is weak at backhand, as he struggles playing backhand shots. So I kept smashing on his backhand but still he is able to block those. Even though he doesn't hold the racquet properly in the backhand, he wins points. The game always reaches to the deuce, and then he wins. What can I do in order to win with him? Also, my finger position on the bat, changes when I try to smash, which doesn't maintain a good angle. How to overcome this? By what ways can I practice table tennis alone?

Hi Chimney,

When you are playing against this player, instead of trying to smash, think about variation.  If you always hit the ball fast, he will get used to it.  Think about playing one ball fast and one ball slower.  It may sound strange, but the slower one will probably give him more trouble.

To change your finger position, in training, you can put a little piece of paper or small object under your forefinger and try to keep it there during the rally.  If you move your finger the object will slip off.  This will draw your attention to when the finger is moving.