Table Tennis is a fast and fluid game that demands quick transition from attack to defense and vice versa. Hitting your shots is as important as returning serves and competing for the volleys. Table Tennis shots can be perfected, not by power but by technique. The ball is feather-light, so controlling the power behind the shot and delicately placing the ball at the desired position is quintessential to the game.
It’s obviously not easy to pull off every kind of shot in the Ping Pong armory, but with few basic practices, one can gradually improve and control the shots well. Here are 5 Tricks to get better at your Table Tennis shots!
The wrist is a crucial body part that helps in the placement and spin on the ball. A tight wrist or a loosened wrist, both disrupt the control on the ball. So it is necessary for you to keep your wrist firm, not tight, and flexible, not loose, in order to hit better shots.
If you just throw your hand on the ball, it is certainly going to fly everywhere. Also, you won’t get the right spin, trajectory, and placement that you desire when you hit a shot. So, it is essential to put your body in motion with your racquet and wrists. Use your head, shoulders and hips to get that extra into shots. This also helps in having better reflexes.
The forehand is the mandatory stance or position when it comes to returning serves or hitting shots. The backhand is comparatively used less because it opens up the body and takes more time to be executed. But, to improve your shots, you must use both sides of the racquet as it gives you more options to return challenging volleys. It also improves your overall skill. Most importantly, it arms you with a lethal backhand that can facilitate powerful shots.
Keeping your weight on one leg in anticipation gets you off balance once the other direction is engaged. This causes you to hit the ball out or lose control of the volley, giving the opponent an advantage. Maintain perfect balance by equally distributing your weight on both legs. This will help you hit better shots with more consistency.
If you can get the right connection of the ball on your racquet, the chances of getting a point increase manifold. A subtle touch is valued more than a powerful slam in table Tennis, after all, it’s all about placement. Many individuals try to whip the ball across the table the moment they spot it, which of course is the right way to hit an effective shot. But, when the ball is not connected properly, the whip works against you making you commit unforced errors. In order to improve your shots, ensure that your warm-up includes a good portion of just connecting well with the ball. This may seem basic, but this is also the fundamental on which great players have excelled!
Use these tricks and make them an integral part of your training regimen. It is rightly said that ‘You play like you practice’. These 5 tricks will certainly add a lot to your shots, helping you improve eventually as a player.
