Simplify for Better, Quicker Returns
Anticipating shots is obviously very important in table tennis, as it gives you that extra millisecond to react in the best way possible to your opponent’s shot.
It’s something that occupies a large portion of the way the game’s played. Another large portion is reacting to shots that you did not anticipate, or have little time to prepare for.
There are some shots that you feel lucky to just get a paddle on and even luckier to put the return in play. However, with a just a few tweaks to your game you can be doing much more with those shots.
First of all, keep in mind the harder your opponent hits it at you, the harder you can return it, with less effort.
Just like in baseball, if you get a hard fastball down the middle, it’s harder to catch up with but it takes less of a swing to knock it out of the park.
In baseball when you know a heater is coming, you choke up on the bat. Well, you can’t choke up on the paddle in table tennis, and you don’t have those seconds to predict what is coming at you.
The key is in your grip, the angle of your paddle, and the swing.
Actually, the lack of swing is a better way to put it.
If you do get a shot that you have little time to react to, the best response is more of a punch, or a flick than a swing. Also, the tendency is to back up when a hard hit is coming.
If you catch the ball on the rise and angle your paddle in such a way so that you can simply punch it back, it greatly reduces your prep time and often produces a solid return.
Adding just enough wrist flick into it will give it the necessary spin to fall into the court. This shot can really catch your opponent off guard and can also keep you in the game against a flame thrower.
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