Backhand Flick
Nomad asked 5 years ago
Hi Tom/Dan
Thank you for your kind comments on my last article on the forehand drive.
Coming back to table tennis only last year after a 10 year absence the
backhand flick is a new stroke for me which I am keen to introduce to my game.
Having seen Dan’s demonstration I wondered if there was a slight change of grip
on the bat when executing the backhand flick. I slowed down the video action and
noticed that the position of the thumb on the blade seemed higher up the bat than
in the standard grip where the thumb usually sits almost horizontally along the blade.
When I experimented with my bat by placing my thumb further up the blade and then
putting a little pressure on both thumb and forefinger I seemed to have more
control over the turn of the blade on short, just over the net balls, especially when
the wrist turned through approximately ninety degrees. If so, is this similar to
the thumb position you would use in the grip used in the forehand backspin serve
(only with all fingers gripping the bat)?
The change of the thumb position would not be massive so I would imagine it would
be fairly simple and quick (with practice) to change back to the normal grip after
the stroke is completed. I don’t have a table available to experiment with so let
me know if I am barking up the wrong tree.
Your advice would be much appreciated.
Keep up the good work.
Alex
Tom Academy Coach answered 5 years ago
Hey Alex,
No you are not barking up the wrong tree at all, I feel the small grip change you mention here is spot on, getting the thumb slightly higher and pressing into the rubber allows the wrist to come into play more and means the thumb and index finger put more pressure on the rubber which allows for higher control just like when serving and using a similar grip as you mentioned. As you also said it’s not a big change, more like a very slight adaptation and shouldn’t feel like a big change when returning after the flick.
The backhand flick is now an absolutely key shot in modern table tennis in order to be positive early in the rally, so definitely a shot worth practising and getting confident with. When things get back to normal and you have access to a table again we’ll obviously be happy to have a look at a video and give you some feedback on this shot.
Glad you are enjoying the site! Tom
NomadThanks Tom
I look forward to trying it out and sending a video when circumstances permit.
In the meantime I will probably be in touch to ask for more advice.
Alex
No problem, yes look forward to seeing that. That’s fine, it’s great when people are really making use of coach corner!
Tom
