Have you ever had an opponent who you just can’t seem to beat? Someone who irritates you, pre-empts your every move, and leaves you with simply no idea of how to win points at all?

Losing multiple times to the same opponent creates a psychological disadvantage in your future showdowns. I will give you a personal example…

Losing 14 Times In A Row

In 2010, I lived with another table tennis player. We were good friends. We trained together. And we travelled to many tournaments together.

But… during 2010 he beat me 14 times in a row at various tournaments! It’s safe to say he was my table tennis nemesis.

After about the 5th or 6th time I was utterly defeated. Each time we played my mind was blank. I gave up before I even began. I was frustrated just for the mere fact I had been drawn to play him again and again. He had robbed me of all my chances of winning events. Even if I beat the top seeds, I would lose to him, and he would win the title.

So what did I do? Losing 14 times was at least 13 times too many. I realised I had not spent anywhere near enough time reflecting on my matches with him.

What was I doing wrong? What was he doing to beat me?

Time For Some Analysis

The answer was simple. He was a very good blocker. Very consistent. He would just stand at the other end of the table and place the ball, move me around, waiting until I was off-balance to counter-attack.

My solution up until that point had been to try and overpower him with winners. But that was his game and I was playing right into his hand. I needed to focus on what wasn’t his game. What he didn’t do well. I found two chinks in his armour…

1. His attack was nowhere near up to standard with his blocking.
2. His backhand opening was not so great.

I spent some time watching my friend play against other players who would consistently beat him. What were they doing to win points? Simple, they were pushing hard into his backhand and crossover.

• Either his weak first attack would give them a genuine opportunity to hit a winner.
• Or, if he returned the backspin ball with his own push, they cut out mistakes by focusing on consistency and controlled spin.

Focusing on consistency felt a bit counter-intuitive. After all, he was Mr Consistency. Wasn’t I just playing his game? But, in fact, consistent players outperform against wild, aggressive players because they win off their opponents mistakes.

To have a chance of winning, and finally defeating my table tennis nemesis, I would have to hit more balls on the table and take my time. Something I had been seriously failing to do.

So, after some frustration, I took a short break of a couple of weeks and prepared for the upcoming tournament.

Our 15th Encounter

I met my friend in the men’s singles final. I took off to a great start, did everything right, and lead 3-1 in games (it was a best of seven). In the 5th set, I started to revert to my old ways – trying too hard to hit winners. He won it 20-18. Well fought.

It went all the way to the 7th set. I was continuing to make the same mistakes I had before and again my mindset changed to, “OK, great. He’s going to beat me AGAIN”. He led 4-2 in the 7th set and I called a timeout.

I sat down and closed my eyes. This had to count. I had to stop and return to my game plan. I got up and went back to the table with a renewed sense of confidence. I stuck to my game plan of consistent looping and controlled spin, and I won the final set 11-5 (a 9-1 point ratio in my favour, post-timeout).

I had finally ended a 14-match losing streak by simply taking the time to watch my opponent and think about how I could win points against him. My mentality was, in the end, the big winner. Changing my mindset helped me to take my time and stick to my pre-conceived game plan.

So, I encourage you all to think deeply about the people who continue to frustrate you. Who is your table tennis nemesis? What can you do to defeat them? What do others do to succeed against them? And then make it work by having complete confidence in your assessment.

I hope this post helps you to rise up and take out someone who’s had a hold over you!

Enroll TODAY!

Table Tennis University is a revolutionary online training program created by Coach Tao Li.

Tao played table tennis professionally in China and even won a gold medal at the Chinese National Junior Championships!

Table Tennis University gives you a world-class table tennis education. Whether you want to turn pro or just beat your mates, we’ll help you get there.

It’s time to turbocharge your table tennis. Click here to enroll TODAY!

The post How To Defeat Your Table Tennis Nemesis appeared first on Table Tennis University.

I’m going to talk about the importance of taking breaks today. This is not so much for social players but for regularly competing and training players. Breaking from table tennis is sometimes necessary to keep a fresh mind and also to avoid getting tired of playing.

The main purpose of a break is to come back with a renewed passion and hunger to develop and succeed. I have two examples.

Example #1 – Negativity

In 2011, after returning from the Australian Open and having acquired a shoulder injury (and a broken carbon sheet – unknown to me for a while), I continued to soldier on.

I was hoping to continue achieving even better results. But the result was essentially catastrophic and I nosedived like there is no tomorrow.

I began losing matches against players I would never even consider having difficulty with. Still, I kept competing. More tournaments. Weekend after weekend. And the same results occurred. It was building a strong pattern of negativity over my game.

After a month or so, I had absolutely unseated my ranking position and was generally unhappy with myself for my performance.

Finally, I decided to take a break.

There was no sense in continuing to get bad results or wondering what was going on in my game. I took some time away from table tennis. Just a couple of weeks.

Having such a passion for table tennis, my withdrawal symptoms from being away fed my desire to come back better and stronger. The result was that I returned back to training, we replaced my blade (upon discovering it was broken) and I returned to simple training to make my basics watertight.

The string of results that followed were perfectly satisfactory and that helped my positive attitude to return so that I could continue moving forward.

Example #2 – Routine

When I worked in Christchurch (New Zealand) as a Table Tennis Development Officer I spent all of my time around table tennis. I worked at the stadium, out in schools, and in other venues. I did private and group coaching and I also had my own training sessions in a group and with a coach/partners.

My tournament results were great, but the Interclub League competition was starting to get the better of me. By the time it got to the evening and we had to compete in that I was simply sick of being at the stadium and I wanted to go home.

That started the illness.

After some time, I just couldn’t stand being so immersed in table tennis. I needed to get away from it.

The end result was that I finished my contract and left Christchurch, vowing not to take on a similar role while I was still concentrating on my own training. Before that, I had reduced my own training to just once per week and had tried to spend as little additional time as possible time at the stadium.

Final Thoughts

So, as you can see, sometimes taking a break is important. Important to make you realise your goals and your passion.

Personally, I can’t stay away from table tennis for long So, whenever I take a break, I always hit the ground running when I come back to it.

I believe that breaks of around two weeks are ideal. Not too long, but enough to refresh you.

Enroll TODAY!

Table Tennis University is a revolutionary online training program created by Coach Tao Li.

Tao played table tennis professionally in China and even won a gold medal at the Chinese National Junior Championships!

Table Tennis University gives you a world-class table tennis education. Whether you want to turn pro or just beat your mates, we’ll help you get there.

It’s time to turbocharge your table tennis. Click here to enroll TODAY!

The post Table Tennis Burnout and When to Take a Break appeared first on Table Tennis University.

It’s pretty impressive to be able to pull it off on the world stage. It’s even more impressive to do it during deuce in the sixth game!

But Liam is far from the first professional player to make use of this trick shot in matches. In fact, it was all the way back in 2013 we at Table Tennis University first covered how to do the “behind-the-back” shot. That was after Quentin Robinot’s shot against Kiril Barabanov during the Kuwait Open went viral!

So, you’d be wrong to think that the behind-the-back shot is a new thing. The ‘trick shot’ has been around for years and we’ve found a number of great past videos on YouTube to prove it.

• Rosskopf (vs Guoliang) in the 90’s – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H41Y0-4UReo
• Fejer-Konnerth (vs Schlager) in 2009 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3w8JNAI7ew
• Suss (vs Saive) in 2010 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RCEC4sMy0E
• Bradley Evans (our personal favourite) in 2010 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_T59Kbu2jI

The Bradley Evans one is great because of the surprise, celebration and the fact that it won him the match! And the Rosskopf one is the earliest we could find.

How to play the shot

If you would like to have a go at playing the “behind-the-back” shot then here are a few tips.

1. Practice it in training – It may seem like these players have just pulled this off as an instinct (which is partly true) but they’ve all also spent time perfecting the shot in the training hall. The fact that it went on is not a complete fluke. Also, you’ll never react in that way in a match unless you have some degree of muscle memory for the shot and your brain has it stored away somewhere as an option.
2. Keep your bat angle closed – The natural angle of your arm as you reach behind our back will give you an open bat angle. You will realise this after the first few practice attempts. We all know that hitting the ball flat with an open bat angle is going to send it flying off the end of the table so you will need to make an effort to close the bat angle in order to keep the shot on the table.
3. Rotate your body to the right – Unless the ball is played really close to your left hip (I’m writing for a right-handed player) you are going to need to rotate your body in order to reach the bat. By rotating/twisting your body to the right you bring your right shoulder left and give yourself an extra 20cm of reach.

We’ll leave you with some stills from the Robinot video.

Enroll TODAY!

Table Tennis University is a revolutionary online training program created by Coach Tao Li.

Tao played table tennis professionally in China and even won a gold medal at the Chinese National Junior Championships!

Table Tennis University gives you a world-class table tennis education. Whether you want to turn pro or just beat your mates, we’ll help you get there.

It’s time to turbocharge your table tennis. Click here to enroll TODAY!

The post How to do the “Behind-the-Back” Shot like Liam Pitchford appeared first on Table Tennis University.

Well, one vital part of any table tennis-specific fitness programme is plyometrics! Plyometrics are exercises designed especially to improve our fast and powerful movements. They are explosive, exerting maximum force over the shortest amount of time.

The end goal? To increase power, not just brute strength.

Here are a few lower-body plyometic exercises for you to try out. I’ve hand-picked ones I think are most suited to table tennis players.

1. Lateral Jump to Box

The easiest of the bunch. For this one you’ll need an exercise box or step.

• Stand to one side of it in your standard table tennis stance.
• Then bend down and jump onto the box.
• Try to land softly before stepping back off the box and repeating.

2. Box Drill with Rings

This exercise is similar to the ‘Japanese footwork’ regular drill (if you know what that is). You’re going to need some rings or some way of marking out a box on the floor.

• Start in one box in your table tennis stance, and then jump into all the rings, one at a time, either moving clockwise or anticlockwise.
• Keep your body facing forwards, as if facing the table.
• You can have the rings close together to work on speed or further apart to work on generating more powerful jumps.

3. Lateral Hurdle Jumps

We’re back to the exercise box or bench now but this is bigger movement.

• This time you need to stand beside the bench and you’ll be jumping clear over it.
• Once you land, immediately jump back over to your starting position.
• Then repeat.
• Be careful not to catch your feet on the bench on your way back but at the same time try not to tuck your legs up too high as you jump. We want to keep the movement side-to-side rather than up-and-down.

4. Zigzag Hops

If you have one of those agility ladders it’ll come in handy here, otherwise just mark out two lines roughly a foot apart.

• Start at the end and to one side of the ladder and then begin jumping up and across it in a zigzag manner.
• You can do it with both feet or you can hop on just one foot.
• You can also do it facing forwards or backwards.
• As you get better you can increase the lateral distance you are jumping to make it more like moving side-to-side across the table.

Once you understand the basic principles of plyometrics it’s easy to come up with your own exercises. In table tennis it’s particularly important to have powerful legs so you should probably focus most of your efforts on lower-body training, instead of push-ups and chin-ups etc.

Remember to go easy at first and build things up over time. It’s a good idea to warm up your muscles before starting a workout, as explosive movements can cause tears and strains if muscles are cold. Also listen to your body. If you feel a slight pain or possible injury stop training or switch to a different, less stressful exercise.

Thanks to Sport-Fitness-Advisor.com for their animated GIFs.

Enroll TODAY!

Table Tennis University is a revolutionary online training program created by Coach Tao Li.

Tao played table tennis professionally in China and even won a gold medal at the Chinese National Junior Championships!

Table Tennis University gives you a world-class table tennis education. Whether you want to turn pro or just beat your mates, we’ll help you get there.

It’s time to turbocharge your table tennis. Click here to enroll TODAY!

The post Develop Speed and Power with Plyometric Training appeared first on Table Tennis University.

We always try and ask players what their strengths are. This serves two purposes;

• Firstly it allows us to better understand their game and design drills/training around it.
• Secondly, it encourages players to think more about their own style of play and ways they can use that knowledge to their advantage.

Often players (especially young players) will reply with, “I don’t know”. Some, when pushed, will be able to hesitantly identify some strengths correctly, while others genuinely don’t know.

What are your strengths?

So, we encourage you now to think about your game and in particular your strengths. If you can’t think of anything then ask your coach or another player you play with. Remember, you don’t need to be perfect at something to call it a strength. A strength is simply an area of your game that you feel comfortable and confident performing.

Here are some examples of potential strengths to get you thinking;

• Your serves
• Your footwork
• Your power/aggressiveness
• Your touch-play
• Your 3rd ball attack
• Your reading of spin
• Your block
• Your accuracy/consistency
• Your backhand or forehand

Your strengths might be particular shots (such as your block or topspin), your style of play (aggressive or very consistent), or a game-skill specific to table tennis (such as your feeling for the ball or your ability to read spin).

What to do with this information?

Once you’ve identified your ‘weapons’, here are some things to think about;

1. Remember them, visualise them, and use them to build self-confidence.
2. Practice them in the lead up to a tournament as these are your ‘point winning’ plays.
3. Adjust your training to incorporate your strengths but also bring on your weaker areas.

When thinking about our strengths, the key message to drive home is that they should build self-confidence and help you perform better. If you’re nervous, picture your strengths. In the days before a tournament, practice your strengths and start feeling good (there’s no time to work on your weaknesses now and it’ll only knock your confidence). When you visualise yourself playing, zone in on your strongest areas.

We all have weapons! It’s your job as a serious player to make sure you know what they are.

Enroll TODAY!

Table Tennis University is a revolutionary online training program created by Coach Tao Li.

Tao played table tennis professionally in China and even won a gold medal at the Chinese National Junior Championships!

Table Tennis University gives you a world-class table tennis education. Whether you want to turn pro or just beat your mates, we’ll help you get there.

It’s time to turbocharge your table tennis. Click here to enroll TODAY!

The post What Are Your Weapons? – Identifying Your Table Tennis Strengths appeared first on Table Tennis University.

But does this “game face” we put on before playing a match actually help us play any better, or could it actually be a hindrance to our performance? In this post, we’ll be looking at the benefits of relaxing before an important game.

Before we start, we should thank Daniel Coyle, author of ‘The Talent Code’ for the inspiration for this post. We can recommend his article ‘Why Putting on Your “Game Face” is a Bad Idea’ and everything else on his blog.

Why to Relax

In the moments leading up to a big game, we really have one of two options;

1. We can relax, chat to friends, listen to music, play video games etc.
2. Or, we can visualize, focus on table tennis and hype ourselves up.

Daniel Coyle explains that practice is the time for intensity and focus, whereas competition is the time to relax and be at ease. He believes that practice is the place where we should push ourselves, fail, get frustrated, but keep fighting. It’s this kind of frustrated effort that will see us improve in the long run.

Competition, on the other hand, is not the place to be creating and improving but employing and reacting. In these situations, we don’t want tunnel vision – focussed on one part of the game. We also don’t want to be getting frustrated as we make mistakes. Instead, our mindset needs to be light, clear, broad and attentive. We need to be able to take in information from a number of sources and quickly make decisions. The last thing we need are emotions, such as frustration, distracting us.

In table tennis especially, this is really important. How often do you see players treating games as if they are practice? Trying to be perfect, getting upset and annoyed at their mistakes, and ultimately not performing to their best.

How to Relax

We imagine that in the dressing room before a big event the players are all performing secret rituals; chanting, dancing, praying etc. It might be true that some athletes like to do a certain routine and some may even have some weird and wacky superstitions but the vast majority are probably just relaxing.

We can relax in a number of different ways;

• Listening to music is an obvious one. And I don’t mean ‘Eye of the Tiger’ or other such songs, simply listening to some music that you like and chilling out.
• Chatting to friends. We could be doing this in person, on the phone, or even by text but this can be enough to take your mind off things and relax.
• Smiling instead of scowling. It’s been proven that smiling, even when we don’t feel like smiling, makes us feel happier. Try it out.
• Having a nap. Perhaps not advisable if you’re worried you might be scratched from the competition but the 10-minute nap is set to take over the business world and increase productivity. Why not before a table tennis match?

The key really is trying to take the pressure out of the situation. Most of us will admit that we perform worse under pressure. A small number of us may actually perform better under pressure, or at least have the confidence to say we do! However, I doubt many of us actually need pressure to play well. We could probably all play just as well, and in many case better, without the pressure.

Our #1 Table Tennis Relaxation Tip

So, after looking into all of this, here is our #1 tip…

How about watching your favourite table tennis player in a match on your phone before you play?

And, we don’t mean watching it, analysing it, visualizing yourself playing the strokes, and trying to pick up tips before you start. No. Instead, simply watch it.

Enjoy it as a spectator. Let the game wash over you and enjoy the atmosphere. Follow the score instead of the technique/tactics. You get what we mean. Perhaps even watch it with the sound off and chill out with some of your favourite music over the top.

Why not give that a try before your next competition and see if relaxing helps you to perform better than pumping yourself up.

Enroll TODAY!

Table Tennis University is a revolutionary online training program created by Coach Tao Li.

Tao played table tennis professionally in China and even won a gold medal at the Chinese National Junior Championships!

Table Tennis University gives you a world-class table tennis education. Whether you want to turn pro or just beat your mates, we’ll help you get there.

It’s time to turbocharge your table tennis. Click here to enroll TODAY!

The post Relax… And Win More Table Tennis Matches appeared first on Table Tennis University.

Newgy Industries is a US company that is well-known for producing high-quality table tennis robots. Newgy have their own factory in China and all their robots are exclusive to them – they aren’t sticking their logos on other Chinese robots. You can buy from Newgy robots from Megaspin and Amazon!

This post was updated in August 2019!

The Best Newgy Robo-Pong Robot

There are four Newgy Robo-Pong robots currently on sale (they seem to update their models quite regularly) and they vary significantly in price and features.

1. Newgy Robo-Pong 1040+ = $499
2. Newgy Robo-Pong 2040+ = $799
3. Newgy Robo-Pong 2055 = $999
4. Newgy Robo-Pong 3050XL = $1,999

The 1040+ and 2040+ are both “old-style” analogue table tennis robots. The 2055 is a newer digital version of the 2040+. It can remember drills and be connected to a computer. The 3050XL is the super fancy 2018 model that can be linked via Bluetooth to the Newgy app.

The 1040+ is a tabletop robot. The other three attach to the end of the table and are able to recycle the balls using the built-in net.

Which Newgy Robot Should I Buy?

I believe the answer to this question comes down to whether you are simply looking for a “cheap” robot or a “good” robot.

• If you want a cheap robot, I would recommend the Robo-Pong 1040+.
• If you’re looking for a “proper” robot, I would suggest the Robo-Pong 2055.
• Unfortunately, the Robo-Pong 3050XL has really bad reviews online, so I would steer clear of this one!

I will now quickly run through my thoughts on all four Newgy Robo-Pong robots.

Newgy Robo-Pong 1040+

The Robo-Pong 1040+ is a fairly basic robot but it can do everything you would want from a simple machine.

It doesn’t recycle balls, and this might be a deal-breaker for some. But as far as table-top robots go, this one can hold over 200 balls – so you don’t have to spend all your time collecting and refilling the robot.

The best feature of the Robo Pong 1040+ is its price. It’s very reasonably priced at $499. And you know it’ll be a decent robot as Newgy have been selling these for decades!

Buy a Robo-Pong 1040+ for…

• $499 from Megaspin.net
• $499 from Amazon.com

Newgy Robo-Pong 2040+

The Robo-Pong 2040+ robot is able to recycle balls like a “proper” robot but it is still very basic in features. It’s an old-school analogue table tennis robot. The kind I used to use 20 years ago as a kid.

In fact, I think it might be exactly the same robot they had at my club 20 years ago!

The Robo-Pong 2040+ is identical to the Robo-Pong 1040+ in features, so you’re basically paying an extra $300 just to get the ball net and ball recycling! This doesn’t really make any sense to me.

If you’re interested in the Robo-Pong 2040+ you really should spend an extra $200 and get the 2055 model instead.

You could buy a Robo-Pong 2040+ for…

• $799 from Megaspin.net
• $911.10 from Amazon.com

But you should probably buy a Robo-Pong 2055 instead!

Newgy Robo-Pong 2055

The Robo-Pong 2055 is the updated version of the 2050+ and it’s exactly what you would expect from a $1,000 table tennis robot. A really solid robot that is able to do practically everything.

It has a built-in memory that can save your favourite exercises/drills. It has the net to recycle balls. And it can give you random drills.

The Robo-Pong 2055 is much more advanced than the Robo-Pong 2040+ and really doesn’t cost that much more. That’s why I like the Robo-Pong 2050 – $999 is actually very good value!

Buy a Robo-Pong 2055 for…

• $999 from Megaspin.net
• $999 from Amazon.com

Newgy Robo-Pong 3050XL

The Robo-Pong 3050XL sounds incredible. It was designed to be as close to playing with an actual human opponent as possible.

It’s got all the top-of-the-range features you would expect; two throw wheels, drills, advanced placement options, it can serve at you, it’s controlled via the Newgy app you download onto your phone/tablet, and it looks nicer than the other Newgy models.

The only problem is… the customer reviews are all awful!

When you’re spending $2,000 on a table tennis robot you expect all of the reviews to be glowing. But they aren’t.

From the sounds of it, the 3050XL is too clever for its own good. The technology can end up having a mind of its own, sending balls straight into the net, or randomly all over the place. And once it starts going funny, it’s not easy to fix!

You could buy a Robo-Pong 3050XL for…

• $1,999 from Megaspin.net
• £1,599 from Amazon.co.uk

Or on second thoughts. Maybe don’t! If you’re thinking about spending $2,000 on a table tennis robot you’d be much better off buying a Butterfly Amicus Prime.

Buy a Butterfly Amicus Prime for…

• $2,179 from Megaspin.net

Conclusion

So there you have it. If you want to buy a Newgy Robo-Pong table tennis robot I would recommend either the 1040+ or the 2055. It really depends on your budget.

• If you are looking to save money, go for the Robo-Pong 1040+.
• If you want a modern, advanced robot at a great price, go for the Robo-Pong 2055.
• And if you want a top-of-the-range table tennis robot, you should avoid Newgy altogether and buy a Butterfly Amicus Prime instead!

You might also be interested in reading my popular article The Best Table Tennis Robots. And don’t forget to check out all of my other Table Tennis Robot Reviews as well.

The post Newgy Robo-Pong Comparison appeared first on Table Tennis University.

The following video drill demonstrates the FH/BH combo and is taken from Level 2 of our TTU online table tennis training program.

This drill might appear simple but even the top professional players will perform this kind of training at the start of a session to get their shots feeling good and their feet moving.

Here are five key points to remember…

1. Don’t change your grip

Check that you aren’t changing your grip when switching between forehand and backhand strokes. You might not even realise that you are doing this but lots of beginners do it subconsciously.

In tennis players are encouraged to have a different grip for the forehand and backhand. Unfortunately, table tennis is simply too fast a sport to be able to make any major grip changes between strokes.

Some players will raise their thumb when playing a backhand but that’s about all you can get away with. You certainly shouldn’t be rotating the angle of the racket handle in palm.

2. Side shuffle into position

You might be tempted to just stand flat footed in the middle of table and reach across to play your forehand and backhands. But don’t!

You’ll get much more out of this training drill if you continue to use the side shuffle footwork we shared last week to get yourself into the perfect position for each stroke. In the video, you see that Tao performs a side shuffle in between each and every shot he plays. This is very important.

If you are struggling to move just ask your practice partner to place the ball a little wider into the corner of the table. This will force you to move.

If your movement feels awkward and unnatural you may need to go back to shadow training and make sure you have perfected the basic side shuffle in both directions before returning to this rally drill.

3. Keep a closed racket angle

During the video, Tao mentions the all-important 45 degree racket angle. Playing your forehand and backhand drives with a closed racket angle will force you to use good technique and add some topspin to your strokes.

It is bad technique to simple ‘tap’ or ‘pat’ the back of the ball. Instead, you should always be ‘stroking’ the ball and swinging your racket with a slight upward trajectory. Sometimes new players forget this once they start thinking about combining strokes and moving their feet.

Remember… stroke it, don’t poke it!

4. Adjust the positioning of your feet

In the demonstration, Tao is playing into the backhand feed of a left-handed partner. The direction of the feed will require small changes to your foot positions.

For example, in the video Tao was able to play with his feet quite square to the table for both the forehand and backhand. However, if the feeder had been using his forehand to control the rally Tao would have needed to get his feet quite side on for the forehand drive.

It’s important to bear these small adjustments in mind otherwise you’ll find your strokes feeling awkward and you may end up making unforced errors due to poor foot placement.

5. Switch roles with your practice partner

Some players find it boring to be the ‘feeder’ and control the rally for their partner. This is a wrong way of looking at it.

When you are the feeder you actually have a very good opportunity to improve your control and accuracy. In fact, many new players find it more difficult to be the feeder than the player doing the drill. That’s why it’s important that you switch roles and have a go at doing both.

It’s also a good idea to practice controlling the rally with both your forehand and backhand. This will change the drill slightly for your partner too – giving them a new target to aim towards.

Enroll TODAY!

Table Tennis University is a revolutionary online training program created by Coach Tao Li.

Tao played table tennis professionally in China and even won a gold medal at the Chinese National Junior Championships!

Table Tennis University gives you a world-class table tennis education. Whether you want to turn pro or just beat your mates, we’ll help you get there.

It’s time to turbocharge your table tennis. Click here to enroll TODAY!

The post How to Combine Your Forehand Drive & Backhand Drive appeared first on Table Tennis University.

The following video drills are taken from Level 2 of our TTU online table tennis training program.

Drill #1

In this video, Tao demonstrates the correct footwork to use when transitioning between forehand and backhand strokes.

Drill #2

In this video, Tao demonstrates how to use good footwork to cover the whole table with just your forehand stroke.

These drills are vital for beginners and improvers to master. They also work well as a warm-up exercise for players of all abilities.

Here are five key points…

1. It’s called the “side shuffle” because you should be shuffling over the ground by using a side-step. You don’t want to be jumping up and down, as this is not efficient. Stay low and shuffle from left to right.
2. You will need to begin your backswing before you have stopped moving. Once you have stopped moving and your feet are planted, you are ready to begin the forward swing.
3. Just use one step to move across from the backhand side to the forehand side, and vice versa. Taking lots of little steps will waste time.
4. Try to get into a rhythm when doing this shadow training drill. Move, stop, hit. Move, stop, hit. Some players like to practice with a metronome to keep them on beat, or alongside music with an appropriate tempo.
5. Make sure you get your feet into the correct position. You don’t want to end up reaching for the ball on the forehand side and getting cramped up on the backhand side. Give yourself a good amount of space to play a forehand with nice technique.

Additional instruction

Once you have got the hang of the side shuffle footwork make sure you check your forehand technique.

Many players find that they stop using a good body rotation and weight transfer once they introduce the side-to-side movement. It is important that you continue to twist your torso as the forehand drive/topspin is a whole body stroke.

It can be helpful to practice in front of a mirror or maybe even to record your training on video to watch back.

Finally, don’t be surprised if you find it more difficult to move from the backhand side to the forehand side, than from the forehand side to the backhand side. In one direction, you are moving with the direction of your stroke, body rotation, and weight transfer. In the other direction, you are moving against all of these.

Good luck with your footwork training!

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