The right knee during forehand powerloop

This user has no status.
Hello everyone. I’ve been enjoying reading the forum for a while now, but this is my first post. I’d like your thoughts on an idea I had about how one bends the knees in preparation for certain strokes. I’m mainly talking about the forehand powerloop (the forehand topspin against backspin) here. In most coaching manuals (see for example ITTF Coaching Manual 1), you’ll read that during the backswing for the forehand powerloop you should put around 90% of your weight on your right knee. For the past two years or so, I’ve been thinking about this instruction while doing the shot, and I’ve found myself really planting my foot hard into the ground. By thinking about putting so much weight on my (poor) right knee I’ve been lowering my shoulder and therefore my upper body far too much – really forcing myself to lower my upper body onto the knee. What’s happened is that my forehand powerloop (against push) has now become extremely spinny but extremely slow and quite high. Obviously the weight transfer is too vertical and not horizontal enough. Sometimes that’s fine, but I’m never going to hit a winner with a forehand powerloop. The other problem is that I started having problems with my right knee! It would ache after every practice session. Anyway, having noticed these problems I thought about that 90% instruction again. So, instead of thinking about putting weight on the right knee, I’m now thinking about bending the right knee a good deal – but not necessarily putting weight on it. That was the eureka moment for me. By bending the knee a good deal (let’s say at a 90 degree angle), I’m still giving my body the chance to move up and add vertical power to the shot, but I’m also keeping my shoulders more even, and putting less pressure on my (forever thankful) right knee. The action feels more like a squat – like lowering the ‘posterior’ between the knees rather than hauling weight onto the right knee. Has anyone else come to this conclusion? Does anyone else have a problem with the stereotypical line about putting 90% of your body weight on the right knee?
 
This user has no status.
i just put some of my weight onto my right leg (never tried 90%, sounds crazy tiring)
for really fast n spinny forehand loops i was taught to just lift my legs really fast and transfer the weight to my left leg to get an explosive forehand loop
90% weight on ur right leg sounds really straining, u shd probably put some cream on it :)
 

NDH

says Spin to win!
Different strokes for different folks!

I put about 90% of weight through my right leg - Assuming I have time to set myself for a big power loop.

If you can get a fast arm speed - It should be absolutely fine.

I've posted a couple of videos in the past - As you can see - I'm not your stereotypical sized table tennis player!

I can get more speed, by simply transferring the weight quicker (if I want to kill a shot).
 
  • Like
Reactions: gmiller2233
This user has no status.
Thanks for the replies guys. I think what it comes down to is following these instructional tips too completely. Having a one technique fits all approach doesn’t work. I agree, putting 90% is crazy tiring – and the thing I’ve learned is that it’s not necessary especially on a push. That’s why my powerloops from push are only spinny and not fast. Maybe, the 90% rule can be applied to returning a chop which needs that extra vertical power. You could even say that loop against backspin and loop against heavy backspin are two very different shots! This is what I’m learning anyway. And like NDH said, a lot of it is about fast arm/wrist speed too. Anything to give that knee a break anyway!
 
This user has no status.
I agree to a point. If one exerts all the energy upwards, no matter how fast, I think the ball would just be spinier. Depends on the bat angle too, of course. But that weight transfer onto the left foot brings into play the rotational weight transfer – a horizontal movement towards the ball – and, right, that would make the ball faster. I think because I had so much weight on my right knee that I didn’t transfer any weight onto the left foot. It just too long to get up – in a creaky, old-man fashion, from there that the stoke was over before I involved any rotational weight transfer. So, yeh, you’re right. I need that rotational energy to get fast strokes. Will concentrate on that next practice! Cheers!
 
  • Like
Reactions: darnner123
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Dec 2010
3,779
4,569
16,162
I think 90% is just figurative , it will all depend on how much spin is coming to you, at what speed and how much time you have to execute the shot. The key is the balance transfer, the tightening of the core muscles and power from the the waist, and the timing of the entire process.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Dec 2010
3,779
4,569
16,162
I think 90% is just figurative , it will all depend on how much spin is coming to you, at what speed and how much time you have to execute the shot. The key is the balance transfer, the tightening of the core muscles and power from the the waist, and the timing of the entire process.

If you want a spinny opening , you will have to go down more on your right leg and the movement will upward, and you will have to take the ball late.

If you want a loop drive, you will have to go forward more and you will have to take the ball early , at the point where its near the white line or just after and not late in its trajectory.

If the ball is slow , you will have to execute over the table loop where you won't get as much weight transfer and it will more timing and the force will come from hip rotation and arm snap.

Bottomline, there is no one way ... :)
 
Last edited:
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Dec 2011
169
350
721
By thinking about putting so much weight on my (poor) right knee I’ve been lowering my shoulder and therefore my upper body far too much – really forcing myself to lower my upper body onto the knee

Merely transferring the weight onto your right leg should not cause you to lower your shoulder. In fact, the dipping of the right shoulder when looping backspin is a problem that I'm trying to overcome myself right now. It will predispose you towards swinging too vertically and you won't drive forward through the ball.

As always, video is really helpful. If you don't mind me asking, what is your approximate level? It's possible I'm just misinterpreting what you're saying.

Edit: I reread your post and I see that you've already discovered the benefits of keeping the shoulders on a more level plane. I'm a still a little confused why you cannot make a full weight transfer and maintain this, however.

But I guess in the end, if making a full weight transfer to the right knee is causing you pain, you don't want to do that and you've found your solution already.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: D_Nizzle
This user has no status.
I think 90% is just figurative , it will all depend on how much spin is coming to you, at what speed and how much time you have to execute the shot. The key is the balance transfer, the tightening of the core muscles and power from the the waist, and the timing of the entire process.

If you want a spinny opening , you will have to go down more on your right leg and the movement will upward, and you will have to take the ball late.

If you want a loop drive, you will have to go forward more and you will have to take the ball early , at the point where its near the white line or just after and not late in its trajectory.

If the ball is slow , you will have to execute over the table loop where you won't get as much weight transfer and it will more timing and the force will come from hip rotation and arm snap.

Bottomline, there is no one way ... :)

Thanks for the tips!you're right about there not being just one way.in a way it's a language issue.every shot has variables.its just sometimes we get hung up on applying that one definition of the shot.thanks again!
 
  • Like
Reactions: ttmonster
Top