Unforced errors after good opening ball
Sweetiele asked 6 years ago
Hey Dan and Tom!
In a practice match today, I faced a bit of a problem finishing the rally after attacking well first in the rally. I got many lose easy balls but with some spin. But when I tried to finish these balls my performing a more horizontal stroke with a closed face most of the balls went out. I remember missing at least 5 balls in 5 games. What do you think went wrong? Could it be the that the technique for playing with Hurricane is a bit different?
Tom Academy Coach answered 6 years ago
Hey!
We actually just created a training drill video for this exact problem because we know it’s a common problem players come across! You can watch it here: https://tabletennisdailyacademy.com/videos/fifth-ball-attack/
In that video we focus on the bat angle change and getting the bat higher for the next ball after a good heavy spin attack as well as adjusting the bat angle so its closed and you are contacting on top of the ball. So definitely have a watch of that video.
From personal coaching experience I would also say a key factor to stopping these mistakes on your 5th ball is the timing. Often when you get a lose easy ball as you said, players tend to rush and take the ball too early causing mistakes. So be sure to wait for the ball to take it at the top of the bounce and keep your body weight low and forward.
Give that a try and I’m sure you’ll see a difference in those shots 🙂
