Short serve to middle of table return: FH or BH?

Dominikk85 · Oct 29, 2021

I'm talking short underspin serve that is too low to be flipped. Are you using FH or BH to push or soft touch it back?

Clearly into forehand or backhand it is easy but what do you use on short serve to middle of the table?

boltnut · Oct 29, 2021

Dominikk85 said:
I'm talking short underspin serve that is too low to be flipped. Are you using FH or BH to push or soft touch it back?

Clearly into forehandvor backhand it is easy but what do you use on short serve to middle of the table?

That would depend where I want to put it.

JHB · Oct 29, 2021

Personally, if it's straight in front of me I will use BH as I find a FH push in that position awkward.

Dominikk85 · Oct 29, 2021

Thanks. Changing based on the intended placement and spin of the ball could definitely make sense as for a righty it is easier to hit the right side of the ball to neutralize a pendulum serve with the FH and reverse pendulum with backhand to hit the left side of the ball.

But wouldn't that give away the placement and spin of your push pretty early when you push to the opponent forehand with your FH and to his BH with his BH?

I usually prefer BH too in most cases when ball comes at me

passifid · Oct 29, 2021

Mostly my backhand. I find backhand pushing more natural however if I'm setting up a fifth ball inside out forehand then it's convenient to use the forehand while transitioning with a long push.
but as a leftie this might not work for right handed players. Because I'm setting up to counter the forehand open up which is much more temping this way around as they get a forehand loop in not a backhand

Lula · Oct 29, 2021

I think it is much easier to do better returns with forehand, especially short against no spin serve by going on the side of the ball or against the spin on regular sidespin so I think I would take the underspin serve with forehand since i could return other serves easier. Not always just underspin in the ball as well.

allencorn · Oct 30, 2021

Dima has that weird backhand push he uses anywhere on the table. I read somewhere he does this because it is more natural and allows him to be ready quicker for a forehand if needed. Maybe that would be true for serves in the middle of the table.

Gozo Aruna · Oct 30, 2021

Dominikk85 said:
I'm talking short underspin serve that is too low to be flipped. Are you using FH or BH to push or soft touch it back?

Clearly into forehandvor backhand it is easy but what do you use on short serve to middle of the table?

In such situation, where it is on the grey area or cross-over point, it depends on the player. I suppose a forehand dominant player will use his forehand, because his muscle memory will kick in and use the stroke that he feels most comfortable to. Also, a FH dominant will want to move into a position that favour his favourite stroke on the return.

langel · Oct 30, 2021

Dominikk85 said:
I'm talking short underspin serve that is too low to be flipped. Are you using FH or BH to push or soft touch it back?

Clearly into forehandvor backhand it is easy but what do you use on short serve to middle of the table?

If the serve is too low and it is very short, it means that you would have less time to take the ball at its highest, or near the highest point, so probably in such cases it would be better to use the BH, where the knuckles are thinner. Also in such cases a jab like motion would be better than the usual side cut. - faster to reach especially very short balls in front of you.

latej · Oct 30, 2021

Dominikk85 said:
I'm talking short underspin serve that is too low to be flipped. Are you using FH or BH to push or soft touch it back?

Clearly into forehandvor backhand it is easy but what do you use on short serve to middle of the table?

In this case I need to do step forward with right foot, and then it is more natural to play it with FH for me. But if I hoped I can flick it, and I was already moving in there with BH prepared, then with BH. So I'd say both, FH probably more often.

ttarc · Oct 30, 2021

For me it also depends on the server/how she/he is able to hide the contact point. As a rightie with a more forehand oriented game (but way less so compared to my younger self) I tend to stay/receive in the middle of my left table half and would receive such serves with my backhand (easier in general and easier to feint a push and play a flick instead). Now if the righthanded server is good at hiding the contact point I will move much more to the left of the table (Ma Long style vs Fan Zhendong or Ovtcharov) and then usually use my FH.

Dominikk85 · Oct 30, 2021

Good discussion, field seems to be pretty split on FH vs BH.

One reason I like BH is I'm a lefty and most righty serves at my lower level tend to serve more inside spin than reverse pendulum when using side spin and for lefty hitting the right side of the ball is easier with BH (for righty returner it would be FH).

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Short serve to middle of table return: FH or BH?

Dominikk85

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