Samson Dubina: Inside Information

Inside Information by Coach Samson Dubina When hitting backhands, many table tennis players do a great job hitting to different locations. Because they are able to bend at the wrist, these players are easily able to contact the inside of the ball, the back of the ball, and the outside of the ball in order to hit to different locations. When hitting forehands, statistics prove that many table tennis player hit the ball cross-court very often. Why is it that the average 1200-1800 rated players hit 80% of their forehands crosscourt to hit opponent’s forehand? The reason is because they contact the outside of the ball. In order to understand how to hit the inside of the ball, I want you to go stand in your ready position behind your table tennis table. Hold a ball in your hand and extend it to your right side. Look at the ball. The side that you are seeing closest to you is the inside and the side furthest from your is the outside. Most players contact the outside of the ball and drive it crosscourt to their opponent’s forehand. In order to hit the inside of the ball, there are a few things that you must master. First, position your body so that your feet are parallel to the table. Now put your right foot back about 12-18”. Next, as the ball is approaching, rotate your shoulders back as you rotate your body back while keeping your weight equally balanced on both feet. Next, take your wrist back very very slightly so that your angle allows you to contact the inside of the ball. And finally, allow the ball to come back deeper before contacting it. Before you can perfect this forehand in a match, try to first practice it with these drills. Drill #1 Attack with your forehand down-the-line while your training partner or robot plays the ball exclusively to your forehand. Drill #2 Attack one forehand and one backhand, while making sure that every forehand is down-the-line. Drill #3 Attack with your backhand for several balls, then suddenly when the ball changes to your forehand, try to attack with a variety of placements, such as down-the-line, to the transition point, and crosscourt. For more information regarding – foot positioning, body positioning, wrist positioning, and contact point, consider checking out my new table tennis DVD. Information can be found on this link: http://www.samsondubina.com/products DVD Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VljVUh4mzGE