One of the most basic and important aspect of your table tennis game is a neutral bat position. Until the ball is approaching, you should not be taking a back swing.
Based on your shot, your opponent’s positioning, your opponent’s bat angle, and your opponent’s timing, you can adjust quickly with your feet, but don’t take your hand back until you notice the incoming ball or even until the ball crosses the net.
How will this benefit you? There are a few ways this will help you
Benefits
- You will have a smoother transition between backhand and forehand.
- You will have good balance to be able to move to the ball.
- You will be able to adjust your shot selection based on the incoming ball
- You will be able to adjust the length of your swing based on the speed of the incoming ball.
- You will be able to adjust the height of your racket based on the height of the incoming ball.
Recommended books
Table tennis tactics for thinkers
Learn table tennis tactics from USATT Certified National Coach and Hall of Famer Larry Hodges. Includes tactics against different styles, grips, and surfaces as well as tactical and strategic thinking. The book opens with this: “Tactics isn’t about finding complex strategies to defeat an opponent. Tactics is about sifting through all the zillions of possible tactics and finding a few simple ones that work.” The book then explores the tactical and strategic development needed to have the specific tactical tools needed in any given match – your “tactical toolbox.”
