You’ve learned all there is to know about ping pong and how it is scored and played.
You know the principles of the game and how to handle a paddle and to hit a ball. But even then, you are struggling with trying to compete with others.
It can be frustrating to try and play ping pong, what with the game being very intricate and often challenging for some people to try and play.
But it is never too late for you to improve upon your skills. You can use a few sensible points for helping you get the most out of your ping pong experience.
1. Putting Spin on the Ball
You can add spin onto a ping pong ball to help you control how the ball moves along. Spin is designed to change how the ball moves. The process can impact how the ball will either move up or down.
Topspin
Topspin is a spinning motion that causes a curve on the ball as it moves. The ball has a stronger forward motion as it is hit. This causes the ball to bounce up high when it makes an impact on the table.
For topspin, you must make contact with the ball above its surface. The ball must be hit as lightly as possible. The ball can move forward with a higher lift.
A brushing motion should be made as you hit the ball. The paddle must be moved upward during the stroking process to allow for a bit of extra flow.
Backspin
Backspin causes the ball to stop sooner. This creates a stronger rebounding motion and can make it harder for an opponent to attack the ball.
For backspin, the stroke must start below the ball. The ball should still be hit gently. The ball will move downward and forward to create the backspin.
Allow the flow of your stroke to move along as you complete the backspin. Keep the slant on the paddle as consistent as possible so the hit will stay clean. Remember that the paddle move go downward during the impact.
2. Going on the Side
You can also produce a bit of spin to allow the ball to go to one side. This would require you to add a slight curving motion on the paddle.
You can move the ping pong paddle to the left or right during the stroke. The movement helps you to control how well the ball can move and what may make it work well for a general stroke.
Note: Spin is not required during a doubles match, what with there being restrictions on what can happen in the serving process. You also need to ensure a sense of control in the match so your partner can attack the ball as needed.
3. Keep the Serve Quick
One way to improve upon your ping pong skills is to figure out how quickly you can pull off a serve. You need to complete your serve as quickly as possible so your opponent will not be likely to identify what you are doing.
Move your hand faster after you make contact with the ball. A faster motion at this point increases your chances for a better impact with the ball.
Be sure you rebound to your original position after the hit though; this is to ensure you avoid problems relating to keeping a good hit going the right way.
4. Review the Height of the Ball
Take a look at how well the ball is hit and how high up it may go. You can add a slight backswing when the ball reaches its highest point. Keep the stroke at this point quick so the opponent will not be likely to notice what you are doing.
An upward hit should be used when the ball has just bounced off of the table. This should help you leverage the natural movement of the ball.
5. Aim For the End
Look to hit the ball to where it will move towards the edge of the other side of the table. This would require your opponent to step back to successfully hit the ball.
This reduces the potential for the opponent to have a clear chance at hitting the ball all the way through, thus improving upon your chances for a point.
Try to keep the ball from bouncing too hit at this point if possible. Keeping the ball from bouncing much ensures that the opponent will not reach the ball as well.
6. Keep the Ball Near the Net
Keep the ball as close to the net as possible when hitting it towards the opponent. Keeping the height low reduces your opponent’s ability to quickly get a hit off.
It would be harder for your opponent to complete a more powerful hit when you keep the ball close down. It may also be harder for the opponent to produce enough spin, what with that person not having enough room for getting the spin ready off of the shot.
7. Use Lobs Carefully
A lob hit can be utilized if needed. But when doing so, you must be cautious with your lob. The lob should be hit to go as high over the net as possible.
In addition, the lob should be targeted to hit near the end of the table if possible. This would cause the opponent to have to go back a little further to hit the ball, thus reducing the person’s general sense of control over the ball.
8. Move Faster At the End of the Stroke
While it is important for you to be gentle when hitting the ball to add more spin, you have to move the ball as fast as possible at the end. Keeping a faster motion at the end part of the stroke ensures that the impact you make goes as gentle as possible.
9. Train Your Ability to Return To Position
Look at how well you can move back to your original position after striking the ball. You can practice this with a workout routine that focuses on you moving back and forward along the edge of a table.
Look at how well you can move back from your position and then back to that original position at the end of the stroke. You have to be capable of moving back to your old position to improve upon how well you can complete proper movements.
10. Tips For Doubles Play
A doubles match is different from a singles match in more than just the number of people competing. You have to use a few pointers for getting the most out of your doubles play efforts:
• Avoid making the serve more complicated than needed. You do not have to produce lots of spin on your serve. The key is to focus on just getting the serve to move diagonally across the net.
• Try to communicate with your partner about the serve you will complete. You can use a hand signal or other type of code if needed. This strategy allows your partner to recognize what you are doing with the ball, thus improving upon your ability to complete a hit without your partner not being prepared for the attack.
• Review how well you and your partner will respond to a hit. Allow both you and your partner to stay around the same distance from the table as possible, thus allowing for a faster response to hits while keeping the game a little more controlled.
The most important thing here is for you to work with a partner that you are compatible with. Make sure the partner is someone who can move along the court well and can work with a style of play as close to yours as possible.
11. Handedness For Doubles Play
Be cautious with how you and your partner are laid out on the ping pong table. You do not want to clash with your partner when trying to successfully complete a good hit.
The best type of doubles team is one where one player is right-handed and the other is left-handed. Such a team will not be likely to experience obstructions, what with the players using different hands for hitting the ball.
More importantly, a team with two people of the same handedness would have to require one player to move back with each stroke, which can cause some tie-ups and other frustrating points if not handled well enough.
A Final Word
Ping pong is a much more complicated game than you might think it is. Only those who understand what might come about in a ping pong match will succeed. You have to look at all the points that come with completing the right hits.
By using these points, you will find that it is not all that hard for you to play ping pong right. You will find that this game is not only fun and challenging but also much more exciting when you have the right skills. Good luck with your future ping pong matches.
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