Forehand smash
Wister asked 6 years ago
Hello hello, I’m wondering about the forehand smash
(i) Should i add a little bit of topspin in order to have better control ?
(ii) And should i only use it when i’m very close from the table ? Personally i do topspin if i’m a bit away from the table even if the ball is very high
(iii) And when my opponent lob and the ball will go even over my head, should i try to hit the ball on the rise if i’m already in position or it’s better to step back and wait it ?
Thanks 🙂
Dan Academy Coach answered 6 years ago
Hi Wister,
Great questions and something I work on quite a lot with players. I think a big common error players fall into the trap of is flat hitting to often when the ball is high. This doesn’t give your opponent much variation so they can soak up all your attacks. Variation is key!
To your questions 🙂 I think yes, definitely add some topspin especially when the ball is not that high. This will give you more accuracy and force your opponent further away from the table. Its also harder for the opponent to control the spin you put on the ball. Ideally you want to topspin until your opponent has returned weak so that the ball lands short and high on your side for you to come in and smash. If the ball lobs deep to you, take a slight step off the table, let it rise then topspin it. Stay consistent and then when you opponent has lobbed a weak ball, its there you come in for more of a flat shot to win the point.
Also when going for the topspin/smash shot aim for the opponents elbow, this tactic always works 🙂
Does this help?
WisterYes great thanks 🙂
Also when you say ‘more of a flat shot’ for a weak ball, does it means i should still do a little bit of topspin or should it be fully flat when it’s very short ?
And sometimes we see pros do a kind of jump with first the left leg up to then put all the weight into the ball. Personally i smash with my foot grounded but is it is a worthy shot to learn ? Or more an unnecessary variation ?
TomHey Wister, I thought I’d join in here and give you my input as well. Yes Dan means when he says more of a flat shot you should still maintain a small amount of topspin of safety.
As for the jump smash you mentioned this is mostly used when the ball is pretty high to generate more power in the shot, so it can definitely be useful on those types of balls but definitely not needed on every single smash.
I think like Dan said the variation, keeping a little spin and not rushing are all key elements to smashing well.
Perfect thanks for the answer, all good for me 🙂
DanHey Wister,
What Tom said is perfect. Also, if the ball comes in really lose by your opponent and lands short and high over the table with no spin you can literally hit flat straight through it. The jump smash comes in when the ball bounces high and you want to generate a lot of power. I think its definately something you can learn, but take your time like Tom said. You mentioned about keeping your right leg on the ground. You are right handed right? When you smash the ball you want to be landing your weight on your left leg, this will help you generate more power by using your weight to transfer into the ball. Heres a video on how I mean: https://tabletennisdailyacademy.com/videos/how-to-weight-transfer-effectively/
Good luck Wister, you got this!
Dan
Thanks for the additional info 🙂 It’s really nice to have a whole view on how to handle this part of the game
