Backhand, Middle, Backhand, Wide (HTPTT 2.3)

May 23, 2013 1 comment

backhand middle backhand wideDrill #3 in Level 2 of my How to Play Table Tennis series continues to use alternate backhand and forehand strokes but now incorporates a slightly more advanced movement pattern, with forehand being played both from the middle of the table and the wide forehand.

I love this drill because it keeps you constantly moving and on your toes, allows you to naturally cover the whole table (as you would in a game) and teaches the importance of getting your forehand in on any balls to the middle of the table. Personally, I think this is a great warm-up drill for advanced players to use either at the beginning of a practice session or as a knock-up at a tournament.

Today’s drill is the popular backhand, middle, backhand, wide.

The aim of the drill is to continue developing your side-step quick movement, making large and small adjustments with your feet to ensure you are in the correct position to play your shots, and to develop your ability to quickly switch between backhand and forehand strokes keeping the quality of your technique.

1 Backhand, 1 Forehand Drill (HTPTT 2.2)

May 22, 2013 1 comment

1 forehand, 1 backhand drillToday’s drill really builds on ‘2 Backhands, 2 Forehands‘ drill covered in Level 2.1. We’ll be cutting down the number of strokes played on each wing from two to one and that’ll means you’ll need to be much better at your side-step movement. If you movement isn’t up to scratch you’ll very quickly end up one step behind the ball and struggling to keep up with the rally.

If you’ve stumbled across this page by chance then let me briefly explain what’s going on. Today’s drill is part of my ‘How to Play Table Tennis‘ series, a step-by-step guide that will take you all the way from a complete beginner to a competent allround player. You might like to head over to that page and start from the beginning if you’re new to table tennis.

Back to today’s drill which is; one backhand and one forehand.

The aim of this drill is again to get you comfortable moving from side to side and making quick changes between your backhand and forehand strokes. We are also trying to improve our feeling and control of the ball.

2 Backhands, 2 Forehands Drill (HTPTT 2.1)

May 21, 2013 No comments

two backhands two forehands movementHello and welcome to the first lesson of Level 2 from my How to Play Table Tennis series.

You should now be able to play 100 forehand drives, 100 backhand drives, 100 forehand pushes and 100 backhand pushes with correct technique and without a mistake. You should also have an understanding and application of the correct table tennis grip and stance (that was all covered in level one).

Level 2 is all about regular movement drills. We’ll be combining the shots we learnt during level one with the side-step footwork to be able to cover the whole table.

Today’s drill is a simple one; two backhands and two forehands.

The aim of this drill is to become comfortable moving side-to-side and switching between backhand and forehand drive. We will play two shots before moving so that we have move time to get ourselves into the correct position and are less likely to end up one step behind the ball.

The Perks of the Blog

May 20, 2013 No comments

table tennis cufflinksA very short post today… I was recently sent a free pair of table tennis cufflinks by online retailer TiesPlanet.com. I guess that’s a “perk of the blog”.

I wouldn’t normally dedicate a post to something like this and I don’t want Expert Table Tennis to become a blog full of product recommendations and the like but after opening the package I found that I really liked the cufflinks! They look smart (rather than tacky) and would definitely act as a good conversation starter.

Some of you may know that I’m getting married in July (if you didn’t, you do now) and I might even try and get away with wearing them on the big day.

If you would like to check out the cufflinks in more detail then head over to TiesPlanet.com, where they can be bought for just £9.99.

Normal blog service will be resumed tomorrow as I begin to tackle Level 2 (regular movement) in my How to Play Table Tennis series.

See you tomorrow!

The Best Table Tennis Bat in India

May 15, 2013 Comments: 9

Best Table Tennis Bat in IndiaMy most popular post to date has been The Best Table Tennis Bat for Beginners, one of the first posts I wrote for the site. Every week I receive several comments and messages from players asking for advice regarding which bat to buy and I have seen a particular need in India.

It seems that good table tennis bats are hard to find in India (at least online) and therefore a lot of players are having to play with the cheap dead bats, produced by the big brands, and their games are suffering. I have spent a good amount of time searching through the various online retailers and hand-picked a couple of recommendations for my friends in India.

Before you buy a bat (in India or anywhere else) I strongly recommend you read my post The Best Table Tennis Bat for Beginners. I cover what not to buy in great detail and after reading that you should be well informed as to the types of things you should be looking for when buying a table tennis bat.

The bats I have chosen are available on Flipkart which seems to be a well-known and professional outfit in India (something similar to Amazon in the UK and US).

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