Ask The Coach Show | Table Tennis

Question 1 - 0:39 Question 2 - 2:28 My kids 7 and 13 have great fun playing table tennis and joined a local club. They train 2 times a week one and a half hours each. Sounds OK but I´m a bit concerned they fool around too much. How to balance structured and unstructured training? Marcus Question 3 - 6:12 Yesterday I found it difficult playing with a guy who is taller than me. I am more of a defensive kind of a player so when he hits the ball he has got an advantage that it bounces a lot more and he is better at pushing. What can I do against him? Rutvik T Question 4 - 7:48 When both players are in position to play can the server hit the ball in the air and catch it and then serve, or bounce the ball on the floor before a serve ie tennis style. Bryne PingSkillers Question of the Day - 9:51 How many days a week do you play?

Question 1 - 0:52 Do you know the specific hand signals for doubles? It might not be the same for everyone. But what have you used? Andrew Yuen Question 2 - 5:43 In the office we usually play doubles, and many rallies end soon due to low-quality stroke or just missing the ball. That often happens because a player does not get into a good position in time. Any ideas? Roman Sukhanov Question 3 - 8:09 What is the right finish position for the backhand sidespin serve? Kaustubh Question 4 - 10:20 Hi, can you please explain what they mean when they say he is a 1500 or a 2000 player. Ron Thomson PingSkillers Question of the Day - 15:08 What bat do you use? Links In This Episode Doubles Strategy Backhand Serve Ratings Distribution Graph Juniors and Ratings by Larry Hodges

Question 1 - 0:45 I was just on a training camp and learned to play early, mid and late forehand topspins against under and topspins. I did quite well there but I guess I still need more training for perfection. I forgot to ask when to play which kind of topspin. Michael W Question 2 - 2:28 I saw a point in the match between Timo Boll v Chun Ting Wong, where Chun Ting was serving and after two or three exchanges Timo pointed out it was a let. Do the rules allow players to do this so late in the point if the umpire has not seen it? Abhinav U Question 3 - 4:25 I am able to do some video analysis of myself playing and was wondering what are the criteria I should be looking for when trying to find weaknesses, also are there tests we can do on strokes to see how consistent we are at them? C Cc Question 4 - 7:38 Hi Alois and Jeff! I have been playing TT for the last 2 years and know the basics(topspin, block, backspin push, etc), but I struggle against opponents with similar skill but more expensive bats with better grip. Should I change my Tibhar Chila Balsa DHT? Question 5 - 9:28 The rules say that serves must be from behind the baseline, and the baseline should be considered as extending out beyond the edges of the table. On another website video it is said that you must serve from within the edge line. Can you clarify? David M PingSkillers Question of the Day - 11:18 Should you apologize for nets and edges? Links In This Episode Consistency Chart How to Choose a Table Tennis Bat

Question 1 - 0:30 I play inverted and will play against a hard bat penhold player. He has no problem hitting through chops, and various spins. What I find most difficult is returning his general shots. I hit many balls into the net. Any suggestions? Bob Van Deusen Question 2 - 2:46 There is an attacking shot in badminton called dropshot from the rear court. I haven't seen it in table tennis where one player is away from the table, slows down shortly before contact so the ball drops short. Is it possible in table tennis? Peter Habich Question 3 - 5:18 Being not a terribly strong guy, I’ve always preferred blades on the lighter side. Recently I switched to one which weighs only 5 grams less, and the difference is remarkable. I can’t be sure yet which to prefer, so what's your view on this? Andrej K Question 4 - 6:30 My issue is that I'm practicing drills mostly at the club with ITTF standard sized tables and the one at my office is one that lays on top of a billiards table, which is about 9cm higher. How I can adjust my strokes so that I can perform better? Gregory S PingSkillers Question of the Day - 9:08 Tomahawk or Pendulum? Links in this Episode Drop Shot off a Lob

Question 1 - 1:02 Hi Alois ! I have my first tournament of the season in a week and I want to practice my serves. One problem : I don't have any plastic balls. Is it bad to practice my serves with celluloid balls ? Yoan Pelletier Question 2 - 2:11 Do you and other professionals who play with shakehand, use a specific or specialized grip to serve and then quickly shift to the shakehand for the majority of the point? Do you stay with the special grip after the serve? Cole Mooney Question 3 - 3:19 I recently received advice to engage my thumb and apply pressure onto the rubber when backhand counterhitting. The advice improved my backhand but I don't know if should change especially if the rallies are transitioning BH to FH in a fast manner. Danny Ly Question 4 - 6:09 Due to studies I didn't play table tennis for 1.5 months. I played today in an interschool tournament and I lost to a player whom I used to defeat every time. What is the reason of my defeat and how can I prepare for my state tournament. Shivam Goenka Question 5 - 8:12 As a penhold player, should I hit with the other side of my bat? I tend to find that I cant have as much control as if I simply move more and use the same side of my bat. Colin Young PingSkillers Question - 10:45 What will be the effect of the new plastic balls? Links Mentioned In This Episode PingPod #35 - The New Plastic Ball Verdict

Question 1 - 0:37 Usually players follow one style, attack or defense. If I want to change mine to All Around to add some defensive strokes, when is it efficient to start? When the attack style is completely confident or it's better to study all the strokes at the same time? Olena. Question 2 - 2:55 I realize that in table tennis we use only one part of our hand (upper arm, lower arm, and wrist) so what is the time to use each part of it and can I combined them? Frendy. Question 3 - 4:23 How to reply to a player who simply sends every shot back with push and chop shots? I feel like I am playing the ball against a wall. I start to think that I have to do something to end the rally and then I make the mistake and lose the point. Len Buffey. Question 4 - 6:42 What advice can you give to changing the momentum in a match? I was recently up 2-0 in a match and lost all confidence after losing the 3rd set and continued to go downhill losing in 5. Question 5 - 10:38 Is there difference between a lob and a fish? If yes, what is it? Kaustubh Kulkarni. PingSkillers Question - 12:44 What is the easiest stroke to learn in Table Tennis?

Question 1 - 0:28 Hi Alois, I've noticed that the quality of the training some how depends on the mood and the concentration. The same strokes I perform differently and miss more with the higher concentration on the ball. What is an object and level of concentration? Olena Question 2 - 3:14 I play at a local club and have received comments that I have a good serve. However, I have noticed that almost all of my backspin serves (Pendulum) have sidespin as well. Is this taking away from the effectiveness of the backspin? Adam Question 3 - 5:32 While playing with my opponent when I tossed the ball for a serve my opponent asked me to stop as he wasn't ready then after a pause of 4 to 5 seconds I served again and again the same thing happened. Is this legal? Rutvik Thakkar Question 4 - 8:31 Hi, sometimes I see professional players immediately smash the ball when returning a serve, I was wondering in what circumstances could and should you do this. Thanks! Alan C PingSkillers Question - 11:12 Who is the best player you have ever seen?

Question 1 - 0:32 I mainly play in a local league. I have a robot at home. What would be the best preparation for my league match? Matches are played starting at 7.30. How do I warm up? You go straight at the table so any warming up must be done when you hit up. Filippo R Question 2 - 2:29 Hi Alois, Just a simple question. Is the finish position for the topspin stroke always be in front your eyebrow? Or just a matter of preference? Because i find my finish position for my topspin stroke depends on the ball that i receive. Antonius Willson Question 3 - 4:28 I've noticed you use the shakehand in your videos. I'm somewhat new to the game and find the penhold grip a bit more comfortable. Are most of the videos as shown equally relevant for penholders, or are the styles for both hands too different? Tom Adams Question 4 - 7:02 When I play several backhand topspins I bring my thumb on the rubber which helps to close the bat more but the bat rotates in the palm of my hand. If my opponent then switches to my forehand I often don't have the time to recover my grip. Any tips? Thijs G PingSkillers Question of the Day - 9:03 How long have you been playing table tennis? Please leave a comment to let us know

Question 1 - 0:38 When I go to club and play with my friends and other players , I’m better than most of them and I can beat them 3-0 or 4-0 . But when I play in a tournament with those players I feel scared even if the other player is a lot weaker than me. Ali. Question 2 – 2:27 You show how to execute different strokes, and watching and trying to repeat your moves works well for players who are almost as high as you are. I wonder what adjustments should a player do if he is seemingly lower or higher? Roman. Question 3 – 4:00 You know the backhand block executed with the wrist movement when the bat curves the ball on its side and decreases its spin and speed. I’m wondering if the same kind of stroke can be executed on the forehand side? Evgeny. Question 4 – 6:20 How to make an effective backhand serve and what about the toss should it be lower or higher? Dario. Question 5 – 9:40 Hi Alois and Jeff I tend to have a lot of difficulty with looping half long balls with backspin as they go too high over the net and my opponent can just block it or smash it down. How do i achieve a low arc when this happens? Shea.

Question 1 - 0:22 Hello, I’m trying to develop a serve that just nicks the table, is this legal? Thanks. George. Question 2 - 2:50 As I play short pimples on backhand I have recently begun to wonder if it would be good to turn my bat during a rally and hit the ball with my short pips but on my forehand side. What do you think, is it a good idea to train on that? Fredrik. Question 3 - 4:30 I saw when professional players get serves to their forehand they often move over and return it with their backhand. Should I start practicing returning serves that come to my forehand with my backhand or should I practice my forehand more? David. Question 4 - 6:24 I have an 11 year old son I am trying to teach table tennis. We practice about once a month and we have been doing that for a while but not making much progress. I feel I should teach him how to consistently bounce the ball. Can you tell me how? Fatih. Question 5 – 8:50 Hi guys, just to ask what serves did you both use in your careers? Also can you tell me what serves encourage a forehand return? Sasha.

Question 1 - 0:26 Hi Jeff and Alois, I often practice to attack backspins with a topspin using a Donic robot, but because of these exercises I tear my rubbers against the table at least twice a month. What I am doing wrong? Stanislav. Question 2 - 3:00 Against beginners when I play my full loop I miss more because it feels like their ball has nothing on it and my ball just flies into space. It's got to the point where unless the player p uts a lot of pace or spin I'm afraid to do a full forehand. Peter C. Question 3 - 6:51 I was bored waiting, so I did some wall practice, it got faster, after a few minutes I noticed my eyes were adjusting to the speed then, we played table tennis I got a winning streak of 6 matches. What other warmups are effective. Jigo. Question 4 - 9:33 Hello, I want to ask: How can I return a fast topspin stroke without blocking it? What are the options? Thanks, Tibor.

Question 1 - 0:39 Can you give me tips on the traditional pen-hold backhand topspin? I tried gripping the handle a little further from the face, curling my three fingers, and twisting the paddle so the forehand side is facing down, but to no avail. Table Tennis Guy Question 2 - 1:58 I sometimes tend to lean back when I loop or drive. I'm guessing it’s a problem with me shifting weight from right to left and instead keeping the weight on my right leg forcing me to lean back to take the shot. I'm not sure though. Justin Question 3 - 4:44 Can you say that drills are essential or are plenty of matches required to become a good table tennis player? Meet Master Question 4 - 6:52 If both sides of the blade has same rubber glued to it e.g. Xiom Vega Pro is on both sides of a blade then can they be both of same color or they should be black and red? Please guide me according to ITTF rules. Muhammad

Question 1 - 0:25 Sir, as I play table tennis, while playing too fast the ball sometimes hits my fingers and the whole game goes wrong. So how to prevent it? Rishabh Question 2 - 2:24 I was having problems with countering services with combined spin like the topspin with sidespin services. How to counter them? Pat Question 3 - 5:49 My coach told me to hold the bat differently when i am serving, but in my last competition i felt that i didn't manage to change the grip on the bat fast enough after i am serving, so when my opponent returns my serve. David Question 4 - 8:13 I am facing difficulty while countering the high returns bouncing just on the end of the table. I often play close to the table and I have an attacking style of play. I know this is an unusual weakness but can you guide me how counter these. Mukul

Question 1 How do you play deceptive shots? Do you have any tricks? Question 2 I've asked and also found a lot of information about getting a lot of spin on my serve but my serve only has a little spin on it. I’ve also tried to brush the ball finely and fast an d also the contact point is on the end of the bat. Frendy Question 3 What are the best but well priced table tennis tables to get? Adam Question 4 I have played Table tennis for about 4 years and 6 months ago my coach said that i should try short pimples on my backhand, i have become a much better player thanks to it but for some rea son i cant block with it very good when doing drills. Fredrik Question 5 Hi, I want to know that how can I play like Timo Boll. I consider him as the greatest table tennis player. Can you make a video on this topic. And I also want to know how to play with both hands like Timo Boll.

Question 1 Racket Height: Should the racquet be the same height as the ball or should it be lower than the ball? Question 2 I have a problem with my forehand, it always goes long. How can I solve this problem? Question 3 How to control my bat: My bat is ply-donic persson exclusive off, forehand rubber: donic coppa jo gold, backhand rubber: mark V but I cannot get control on ball should I change my bat? Transcript Jeff: Hi everyone, it's Jeff Plumb here from PingSkills.com and this is the ask the coach show episode 1 where we answer your table tennis questions. I've got Alois Rosario with me, welcome Alois. Alois: Hi Jeff, how are you going? Jeff: Good thank you. So the first question we've got and are going to talk about is the racket height. So should the racket be the same height as the ball or should it be lower than the ball? That's a question that we've been asked. What do you make of that question Alois? Alois: What I think we're talking about here is the racket height as you're hitting the ball so if you're going to play a topspin stroke, then the bat needs to be a little bit below the ball so that it can come up on the ball that way. If you're playing a backspin stroke then you can start a little bit above the ball and come down to generate the backspin. Maybe for a serve is what she was talking about. It's best to start either just a little bit above the ball so you can come down on it that way or behind the ball so you come flat and into the ball that way as well. So it depends on the type of spin that you are trying to produce, where the racket starts in relation to the ball. Jeff: OK. Very good. I'm just currently answering that question. I'm looking at the Google apps features here so there's a little feature on this Google hangouts Alois where you can specify which question you are currently answering so I was just a little bit distracted there.  Alois: OK. Jeff: We'll see how that goes. Alright so another question we have Alois is about a forehand problem and the question is I can't get the ball on the table while playing the forehand it always goes long and misses the table. What should I do? Alois: So the natural cure for the ball that is going long is to put a little bit more topspin on the ball so if you're hitting the ball too flat and too fast then the ball is going to tend to go out past the table. If you start to put just a little bit of topspin on the ball then the topspin is going to drag the ball down onto the table so that's probably one of the things that you can look at. The other thing is also just adjusting the angle of your bat so it could be as simple as instead of your bat being at that angle just turn it down and forward a fraction and play the same stroke that you're playing at the moment and maybe that will cure the problem. Always remember though with your forehand stroke to get that bat coming up towards that eyebrow. Jeff: OK. Good advice there. So really topspin is the key. Great now so Hela's also asked us a question about how to control, that's the title of it so he's got a bat with some rubber on it so I think a Donic Coppa JO Gold and Mark V on the backhand but he can't control the ball so his question is should he change his bat? Alois: I think he's also got an offensive blade as well there. Jeff: He does, yes it's a Donic Persson exclusive offensive. Alois: Yep, so this is a problem we often find with players and it's really natural when we start to play we want to get a good bat and it's really difficult when you're starting to work out what is a good bat. I mean you look at a bat that's $200 and think fantastic that's going to be the one for me but often when you're starting it's really important to start with a lower speed bat and a bat with a bit more control. So if you, it sounds like the bat that you've got there is j