Which foot do you step forward with to flick?

[Michael Zhuang]

When you step forward to do FH or BH flick near the net, is it considered proper technique to step forward with your left foot or right foot? (assuming right-handed player)

 

[Ghostzen]

Right handed players will step in with the right leg when flicking. Left leg for left handers. Cheers.

 

[Lazer]

Left leg for FH, and both ore none for BH.

Cheers
L-zr

 

[matt243385]

When you step forward to do FH or BH flick near the net, is it considered proper technique to step forward with your left foot or right foot? (assuming right-handed player)

Right leg

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Right handed players will step in with the right leg when flicking. Left leg for left handers. Cheers.

right for right is right

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Left leg for FH, and both ore none for BH.

Cheers
L-zr

step in with left (if you righthander) to go for a wide fh flick, you gotto show me how that is done

 

[Der_Echte]

The ONLY time IMO that it makes sense to step in (as a RIGHT handed player) with your LEFT foot is when the ball comes to your BH past the BH corner... you would step in forward past the BH corner with your left foot, go forward and use ur righty flip of choice in rhythm.

You try stepping in with your left foot when ball is in ur FH zone and ur new name is gunna be GUMBY dammit.

Carl and old school NYC jokers will understand that last sentence. I'm GUMBY Damn-it !!!

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

You try stepping in with your left foot when ball is in ur FH zone and ur new name is gunna be GUMBY dammit.

Hahaha, I so wish Lazer can provide us a video
But I understand he isn't young any more, so maybe rather not try it out.

Just imagine this, your left feet is forward, but your right arm needs to be in front of your left feet.
so where is your body?

 

[Brs]

Unless you are really tall with long arms both feet should step in, left - right for right handers. Good luck getting out on balance to play a fourth ball counter topspin if you step too far under the table with one foot. You better crush it with your flick.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Unless you are really tall with long arms both feet should step in, left - right for right handers. Good luck getting out on balance to play a fourth ball counter topspin if you step too far under the table with one foot. You better crush it with your flick.

parallel in is better than have unbalanced left foot in and trying to hit on the right arm while stretching into a wide FH flick (I doubt your weight would even be able to reach the on the bounce area). I believe you would just fall or totally miss that wide fh ball.

Regarding recovery,
this is something I like to do:

I don't think this angle, you could really see the speed of my feeds after the flick, but it is a very fast ball.
Most players would never train the 4th ball return in a fast manner.

With one foot in, then same foot comes out and then you ready to step into the incoming ball.
It is trainable/practicable.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Hahaha, I so wish Lazer can provide us a video
But I understand he isn't young any more, so maybe rather not try it out.

Just imagine this, your left feet is forward, but your right arm needs to be in front of your left feet.
so where is your body?

So other foot in, and your fh goes to wide FH.

Questions
1) where is your balance, which foot is your weight on?
2) if you were to fall over, which direction would you fall?
3) do you think player would reach the far FH ball by going other foot in and putting the weight there?

 

[Brs]

parallel in is better than have unbalanced left foot in and trying to hit on the right arm while stretching into a wide FH flick (I doubt your weight would even be able to reach the on the bounce area). I believe you would just fall or totally miss that wide fh ball.

Regarding recovery,
this is something I like to do:

I don't think this angle, you could really see the speed of my feeds after the flick, but it is a very fast ball.
Most players would never train the 4th ball return in a fast manner.

With one foot in, then same foot comes out and then you ready to step into the incoming ball.
It is trainable/practicable.

Hi Tony, Maybe we agree but are thinking about different balls? It's hard to see from behind but it looks like a medium feed to her bh so a comparatively short reach. She is not that tall. So if the ball was quite short to her fh, would you still advise stepping in with one foot? Or would she have to take a small step in and to the left with her right foot, and then a larger step with her left foot? (Noting the obvious: she is lefty)

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Hi Tony, Maybe we agree but are thinking about different balls? It's hard to see from behind but it looks like a medium feed to her bh so a comparatively short reach. She is not that tall. So if the ball was quite short to her fh, would you still advise stepping in with one foot? Or would she have to take a small step in and to the left with her right foot, and then a larger step with her left foot? (Noting the obvious: she is lefty)

1st ball is short. Granted a few may be medium (on purpose, and very little that went pure long), but drill is 1 short bh flick and 1 ball long fast into BH (and some I did give 2 and 3, some I change the direction - so you can also see her shuffling the weight to left or right, depending on direction required).

and correct, she isn't tall, but you can see her feet is underneath the table and her 2nd move - you can tell the distance apart from that first incoming step.

If we going FH, for her as lefty, her left foot will go towards the position that she knows she is able to reach with her left hand.
From this same angle, you can say her starting position is the same, and her left feet will end around the left leg of the table.

With this action, when her left feet lands, her right foot with follow closer towards her (think of moving left feet and the right feet would drag along the way). Her weight would be on the left feet until after contact and when her weight is released, she will shuffle back into "rally" position like the video above and have the weight ready for next shot.

 

[Brs]

With this action, when her left feet lands, her right foot with follow closer towards her (think of moving left feet and the right feet would drag along the way). Her weight would be on the left feet until after contact and when her weight is released, she will shuffle back into "rally" position like the video above and have the weight ready for next shot.

Okay, she is simply a better player than me. I move the way you describe but can't shuffle back and be in balance.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Okay, she is simply a better player than me. I move the way you describe but can't shuffle back and be in balance.

hm.. let me try and reword to see if this helps. If you a righty, I will use right foot.

1) land on your right foot
2) lean your weight towards your right hand to strike that ball
3) your left feet will have no weight, and it will follow you into the table, but right foot will still be in front
4) after you flick that ball you start to move your weight onto your left foot (weight transfer from front to back)
5) once your weight is on your left foot, you can shuffle back into balance position.

Very important is the weight onto your left foot after point 4.
You can see clearly how she is doing it (for her right foot) in the video above.

I call it half a step, the step use to transfer weight.
If you don't do it, you will struggle to be in balance position early enough and stable enough.

Also, if you don't totally lean into your right foot, you will struggle to half step and bring enough weight onto your left.
The more force you bring forward, the more you can bring back.
If you don't bring enough forward, you are leaving weight behind and will then be slower too to recover.

Hope this helps

 

[Lazer]

step in with left (if you righthander) to go for a wide fh flick, you gotto show me how that is done

Yep works perfect, gets you closer to the table and easy to bend forward without loosing balance. Loose a little reach but that’s alright.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Yep works perfect, gets you closer to the table and easy to bend forward without loosing balance. Loose a little reach but that’s alright.

of course you are right

 

[Lazer]

It works for me.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

It works for me.

I think we need videos to see what you are referring to.
I have provided videos.
I have cross over videos.
Eager to see how you do it

 

[Michael Zhuang]

of course you are right

I watched the drill video you posted. Any general advice and tips about how to get back into position quickly after doing a flick?

I find that after I do a flick, I am out of place and vulnerable to any returned shot.