How to push long and hard?

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In my opinion, long pushes can be as important as short pushes for non-pro players. A long, fast and hard push can create trouble to the opponent, even if he can attack it, the loop cannot be too strong, gives you an opportunity to block it easily or counter attack.

Normally, I only push long when I receive short serves with no-spin or light underspin or light sidespin. When I try to push long, sometimes the pushes are not long enough, sometimes they are not fast enough, sometimes they go off the table, and I don't know exactly what I do wrong, I just have little feeling with this shot.

Can you guys give me advices how to do this shot properly? Should I use wrist? Or only forearm? Or what else to notice? Timing? Contact point on the racket? Contact point on the ball? How to push long and fast down the line?

Please share your thoughts. Thank you in advance.

P.S. Just to clarify, I'm not a beginner, I've played table tennis for more than 10 years, long push is just one of my weakest skills.
 
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In my opinion, long pushes can be as important as short pushes for non-pro players. A long, fast and hard push can create trouble to the opponent, even if he can attack it, the loop cannot be too strong, gives you an opportunity to block it easily or counter attack.

Normally, I only push long when I receive short serves with no-spin or light underspin or light sidespin. When I try to push long, sometimes the pushes are not long enough, sometimes they are not fast enough, sometimes they go off the table, and I don't know exactly what I do wrong, I just have little feeling with this shot.

Can you guys give me advices how to do this shot properly? Should I use wrist? Or only forearm? Or what else to notice? Timing? Contact point on the racket? Contact point on the ball? How to push long and fast down the line?

Please share your thoughts. Thank you in advance.



P.S. Just to clarify, I'm not a beginner, I've played table tennis for more than 10 years, long push is just one of my weakest skills.

All of the above, contact point on the paddle should be as away from the handle as possible. It would be better if you show us a video with your mistakes, otherwise we cannot help you much.

My tip would be to aim at the endline of the table. The paddle angle should not be too open. Not to "open" (vertical to the table) and not to "close" (horizontal to the table).

The key in long pushes is that they have to be fast and force the opponent on a crappy stroke as you said or take them out of position.

So I suggest you mainly focus your practice on speed and placement first and after you can make easily fast long pushes with speed and placement, then start experimenting with spin.

Fast long pushes are mostly forearm action in my opinion but that does not mean you cannot add spin and speed with wrist action also. Besides there is always the choice of using the incoming spin against the opponent which can be done by paddle angle,wrist and forearm action,phase of the incoming bounce (right after bounce, top of the bounce, falling stage) etc etc

Speed and placement are your main targets, too much underspin will result in a slow ball, giving the time to your opponent to have a better position for looping effectively
 
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A lot of things must be taken into equation here. Just to name a few
Maybe your rubber is too high arc etc
Maybe your feeling/control of spin is not too good enough etc
Maybe your contact point of ball, reading of spin, timing on returning the ball is incorrect etc
Keep even be your footwork/weight transfer, or maybe wrist, forearm power/action etc

Way too many possiblities.....
 
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thanks for the suggestions. Yeah, I know there are too many possibilities... Perhaps I have problems with contact point on the paddle and/or timing.
What's the usual timing for a long push? right after bounce, top of the bounce or falling stage? Which is safest (or easiest)?
 
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Τhere is no usual timing, it depends on each different ball. If u push really soft or just put the paddle under the ball without any additional movement, if the incoming ball is short and u "catch it" of the bounce the push will be short.

If the incoming ball again is short but you push it on top of the bounce, most likely it would result in a long or semilong push but you can still keep it short if u have good touch. I wouldnt recommend pushing the ball in its descending phase unless it is a rather easy and high ball, because it is difficult to push it with accuracy low over the net and with good spin.

Your question cannot be answered here (there are so many variations and factors to take into account), you must try and experiment with many different balls and discover what suits your game and what doesnt. Play some points with your partner serve/receive (push long or short) and discuss with him about weak points,tactics,placements etc etc. When you have practiced enough and you are sure about your pushes then you can experiment on how to improve your technique with more spin/speed/placement

In order to learn properly I believe the safest and easiest for a beginner is definetely top of the bounce, because it is much easier to pass it over the net
 
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A lot of stuff rings true.

You will have to be able to read the spin and be in position first and foremost.

You also have to have a plan where you want to place it based on your opponent. Crossover a good place, so are wide FH and wide BH.

As much as everyone is correct in saying to take the ball on top of bounce, I would say try making a habit out of impacting it right off the bounce. The benefits are you can still make a decently fast pace, you rush your opponent and rob away time, it can be very sudden, it is difficult to tell where you are placing the ball, and if you have a good wrist control, you can aim the body and arm one way, then open the wrist full suddenly right before impact and push it down the line or at the body.

All of that can make it MUCH more trickier to make a quality attack.
 
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to do good short/long, spinny/slow pushes you need a lot of practice, and to correctly disguise ammount of spin and speed on ball.
to do faster and longer pushes try to make contact with ball harder, with tense wrist,
to do softer and spinnier pushes - make contact softer with brushing the ball, with more relaxed wrist.
in my opinion, you should not change general arm movement, and in both cases use both your arm, wrist, and body weigth transfer.
but, to do this reliably you need to do a lot of practice, and to read spin and speed on ball precisely.
 
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thanks for all the suggestions, guys. I will practice it a lot. I will also watch Gavin Rumgay to see how he does it, maybe I can find some ideas. I'm working on it already, it's very effective but it's still a 50-50% chance of success each time I try, which is not good enough.
 
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To make a good long push on a short ball, you have to hit the ball in the ascending phase, just before the top of the bounce. move your body to the ball, contact the ball under with a very slight move of the wrist. Your hand should be relaxed, no need to make a big stroke, else the balls flies off the table, and you get speed from moving your body to get to the ball anyway.

when receiving, adjust the bat angle to the incoming (side)(back)spin. It is not advised to try pushing against a topspin ball.
 
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