Mid-Length Topspins When I get short balls, I like to flick them, and when balls are long I topspin them; however, mid-length balls are difficult. They are too long to flick, but just enough over the table so that I can't lower my bat. I generally automatically prepare for a long stroke, but then at the last second recognise that it will not be long, and awkwardly lunge forward with a weak return. Passive or defensive players generally have more half-length balls than aggressive players, so I tend to struggle against their returns, especially if it is backspin. The main question ..read more

Welcome to another ask the coach show where we answer your table tennis questions. If you have a table tennis question then head over the PingSkills website and ask away. We love talking about table tennis. I hope you enjoy this week’s show.   Serve Selection  How to select the serve to use in different situations ? When do we use long serve? When do we use backhand serve? Which serve should should be use at 9-10 ?   Rubber Thickness I noticed that when I was playing with (two different) 2 mm thick rubbers on FH side, almost all my topspins was landing to the tabl ..read more

We answer 4 excellent questions in today’s show that will hopefully help you in your table tennis journey. One listener also correctly identified our current who am I athlete and wins either one hour of online coaching or one month’s free premium membership. We also give our tip of the week and round out the show with some OMG facts.   Pendulum Topspin Serve I can do under spin, side spin pendulum serve, but unable to figure out how to do top spin serve. Saw a few videos but not sure what am i missing. Please share some tips and/or videos to help learn it.    Ball Dents In New R ..read more

Today we discuss how Alois used short pimples on his backhand for a year. We answer questions about receiving, the service rule, and the playing styles of Mima Ito and Vladimir Samsonov. We hope you enjoy the show.     Thoughts Before Receiving In A Match Since the server has so many different options for a serve, what should the receiver be thinking of before the point begins?   The Wall What is the plan of Vladimir Samsonov's playing style?   Mima Ito Playing Style  I like to play close to the table. So I’d like to play like Mima Ito who is currently ranked third in ..read more

In today’s episode Alois tells us about the best match he has ever seen. Jeff tells 3 funny jokes that he heard on the radio and we give you our tip of the week. Of course we also answer your table tennis questions as the name of the show suggests!   Backhand Sidespin Loop  How do you do a backhand sidespin loop?   Head Heavy Rackets  Are head-heavy, handle-heavy, or balanced bats better for any specific playing styles, or is it just purely a matter of preference?   Serving Low How do I serve low and close to the net?   What About A Dry Run Because of Corona there ..read more

The Chinese New Year was on the 1st of February. Jeff was born in the year of the tiger and Alois in the year of the dragon. We discuss lots of topics including what you can learn from the recent Australian Open tennis tournament. We of course answer your table tennis questions just as the name of the show suggests. Make sure to visit our website if you have a table tennis question of your own to ask.     Running Training  When training table tennis, do we need to do some running for stamina as a complementary training? For the case when we can only play table tennis twice ..read more

Have you ever heard of the show Guiding Light? It came up in today’s episode as part of our OMG Facts section. If so, let us know if it is something we need to watch! As usual we have a tip of the week for you, a terrible joke from Jeff, and we answer 4 of your table tennis questions.   Practicing BH Topspin vs. Backspin Before learning FH topspin vs backspin I learnt topspin vs block. I did many FH practices vs block. I have never did practices FH topspin vs backspin. I automatically started to feel how to do FH topspin vs backspin. I tried to learn BH topspin vs backspin analogically bu ..read more

As usual, we discuss your table tennis questions. Hitting The Top Of The Net I find myself hitting the top of the net a lot and usually the result is the ball goes off the table and I lose the point. Very frustrating. I see a lot of players hit the net and it usually falls on the table. I think mine go out because I hit harder than they do. What do you recommend to rectify this?  Heavy Topspin Hi, I'm having a problem blocking heavy topspin. It never used be problem but now I seem to be blocking too early or too late, the ball flying off the table or straight into net. When I practice aga ..read more

We hope you're all having a great holidays and that you will enjoy our latest episode. Let Serve Erwin - What happens if the opponent serves and hits the net and for some obscure reason the receiver hit the ball before it bounces on the table? It seems the ball was going to be ON the table. Serves with Short and Long Pimples Rodrigo - What are the forehand serves with short pips ox and backhand serves with long pips ox? Touch Block Dan - I would like to ask, how to deal the "touch" block? I played against a player who, when I used offensive stroke, just gently touched the ball ..read more

Having forgotten to include the tip of the week last week, we double up and also throw in some more jokes. Of course we also answer your table tennis questions. I hope you enjoy the show. Tournament Entry Kajal - I don't go in any of the tt academy and classes I just learn tt at home. Now, I want to starts with  tournaments from district level. May I know how to participate for it? Grip Changes Between Sides Andy - is it possible to use SAME grip for fh and bh and continue to grow my game? Keeping a Rubber After Purchase Kenneth - After we purchase a rubber in a package, is it ok to keep ..read more