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Ping pong or now famously known as table tennis, is one of the most popular and famous racquet sports around the world. You need to have 11 points to win at ping pong according to international rules. In ping pong, or table tennis, every player gets to serve twice in a row; one who scores 11 points first is the winner.
Ping Pong was primarily played across European countries and now has gained immense popularity among Asian Countries and produced the top players of the game. Playing ping pong or table tennis requires some great concentration, practice, and techniques to master the game, and in this article, we will go through the strategies or techniques that can help you win the game of ping pong.
Let’s get started.
Tactics To Win At Ping Pong-Strategies That Pros Use
If you are a freshie and have recently started liking ping pong, here are some tips and tricks to help you win. Mastering these tactics can take a little time, but once you do it, you are sure to win.
1. Learning Spin, Speed, And Control Is A Key Element
Spin is a key factor in table tennis. Starting with the game is necessary. The major thing you are required to begin the game is a ping-pong racket that can produce a lot of rotation. Strong rotation is only produced with quality rubbers and the blade. Select a material that you think can work great for your game, stay with it, and learn to get comfortable with it.
Control, speed, and spin are all linked. Control is the most important aspect of winning the game. If you lose this factor, you might also lose the game. Being uncontrollable is not an option for you. You need both speeds and spin to take charge.
If your shots are harder and faster, the spin and control you will generate will be even more since all these three aspects are interlinked. Generation of more spin will provide you with more control, which results in stimulating the speed of the ball. When you master these three factors, you can easily overpower your opponent.
2. Be Confident About Your Strokes
You must learn how to hit striking shots to get the spin and pace with control. The first thing is to know and learn about the position of the way you would hold the racket. You ought to maintain a loose hold on the racket. Sufficient pressure with the thumb and middle finger to generate the stroke.
Now, work for the right spin on the ball that will help you gain control. If you gain control, you will make things tough for your opponent. Leg-hip-lower body blend will help you in generating good strokes.
Use your strongest trajectory point for attacking strokes. This is one of the most typical and simplest yet the most efficient options. Try to remain as close to the table as possible and keep your gaze fixed on the ball coming for you, and hit the shot with full control. Most of your actions depend on your learned techniques alone.
3. Know Your Tricky Serve
The only time in the game you have full control over the ball and aren’t responding to what your opponent just did in a game of table tennis is when you are about to make a serve. That makes it incredibly significant!
It should be simple and straightforward to employ the same stroke strategy to produce a heavy backspin serve if you have perfected the heavy backspin push.
If your opponent is someone who can not tackle the heavy backspin, then none can stop you from gathering extra points.
One more category of service that is fast service can also benefit you in the game a lot. Once you crack the point where you can produce the speed to serve and at the same time control it, the game will get tough for your opponent.
However, to master a fast serve, a great amount of practice is required, which you have to do on your own to polish your skills, which will benefit you and improve your game.
4. Maintain A Good Body Posture
A good posture and how you position yourself are really important. Balance and change the positions of your body in the direction of the ball coming towards you. Your mind should be present when you strike the ball and shift instantly. You should be confident about your entire posture, which alone can be enough to dominate the other player.
5. Stay Focused On Your Game
Staying focused and determined can help you a lot in the game. You should be confident about your preparation for the game and play it relaxed. Take command of your actions and every stroke you play and do not be disappointed and lose your confidence in front of your adversary.
Losing your confidence will only benefit the opponent player, and they will try to take advantage of it by overpowering you. So, never let your opponent see your negative feelings or emotions. Do not lose hope and only focus on your game, be concentrated and celebrate your wins.
How to Get Better at Ping Pong By Yourself
Now, on a practical note, take the following steps to insanely level up your game next time you step into the court.
1. Play around with different serves
Playing ping pong does not have one cookie-cutter formula that suits all. You need to play around with different strategies. Different types of serves include pure spin, pure speed, medium, short, long, down-the-line and deep serves. If you choose the serves to the elbow, your competitor might get confused as he has to decide on the defensive serve quickly and instantly, giving you an edge.
2. Third Ball Attack Trick
It is a simple but considerable trick. Always be prepared for a repetitive attack and keep attacking, serving, playing and getting returned. This way, you can score more than your opponent resulting in your victory.
Table Tennis Tips For Advanced Players
If you are an advanced player, you must have come far away to know every possible strategy you can use to master the skill. Here are the top ten key tips advanced table tennis players use:
1. Know what spin your opponent is playing on the ball
The best part of mastering the game is to know your opponent’s move. You must know what your opponent is playing. Watch his racket closely and know his spin.
If your opponent moves the racket in such a way that it moves from low to high, the spin is topspin.
It is backspin if his racket moves high to low.
In the right sidespin, the racket moves from left to right.
In the left sidespin, the racket moves from right to left.
2. Use your racket angle to balance the spin
After making a clear judgment of the coming ball spin, you need to decide your counteraction. For example, if the ball is topspin, use your racket above the ball at the center.
Likewise, play a front face if you get a backspin shot. You can play a right-side spin by applying the shot to your left in the middle line. Also, the left-side spin should be played by moving your racket to the right side to hit the ball at its center.
3. Play with your whole body
Don’t only use your arm while playing a stroke. Like if you are playing a backstroke, try to move your whole body, including shoulders and hips, backward, and the same goes for front-hand play. Using only your arm will not transfer your body weight to the stroke resulting in less power.
4. Be responsive
Being alert and responsive is the real game. If you keep on waiting for your opponent’s move, you will miss the shot. Be ready for the upcoming shots and make a strategy accordingly.
To win the game, use the following sequence:
- Be attentive, stay ready
- Keep your balance maintained while moving to the ball
- Play the stroke
- Get back to your ready position
- Repeat until your rally ends
- Train continuously until you master the stroke
As you know, practice makes a man perfect; keep practicing a new skill with mental energy and enthusiasm. Once you learn a new skill, keep practicing until it becomes handy for you, and you automatically adopt it.
5. Get used to your own Table Tennis Racket
Always be ready with your own gear. Never use somebody’s racket before and after your game. Training yourself with your own racket makes your hand and muscles accustomed to the bat resulting in better results.
6. Master SideSpin Serves
Sidespin is such a mastery skill that it enhances the capability of tennis players. As a beginner, everyone plays sidespin, but it is the number skill top players have. It is not only the main and primary skill but is also used with other skills like top spin or back spin.
7. Play Low Strokes Over The Net
Playing high shots may give an edge to your opponent so that he can use the best angle against you. So playing as lowest as possible shots keep your opponent in an uncomfortable position where he does not get much of the space to play different angles upon you.
8. Practice, practice, practice
Practice as much as you can no matter whether you have upcoming matches or not. Practicing in private rewards you in public. You can also hire a coach or join table tennis clubs for better learning. Remember working harder on your skill is always beneficial in tournaments.
Conclusion:
Watching ping pong is all fun and entertaining, but when it comes to actually playing the game, it is not as easy as it looks on the television screens. You might think it is a game of hitting the ball with a ping-pong racket, but it is not. Playing table tennis and mastering it requires a lot of learning and employing the best suitable techniques for your game. In this article, we have explained some techniques which will help you in practicing the game and finally mastering it.
FAQs:
How can you actually win a ping-pong game?
Winning ping-pong is not very easy. You should have an ethical and proper awareness of the game before you begin practicing it. You need to learn different strategies and techniques, for instance, your body position, staying focused on your game, spin, speed, control understanding, serves and whatnot.
What is the most significant technique in ping pong?
An essential technique in a ping pong game is that players should be able to strike the ball and be consistent with it. You should have a fine knowledge of the game and should be able to tackle the attacking shots from your opponents.
What are the advanced skills in table tennis?
Backhand spin and forehand pendulum are the primary serves of advanced skill in table tennis. Different sides of paddles are used to play these serves with variable points.
What is the best table tennis strategy?
The best strategy to win table tennis is to keep the ball in your control as long as you can.