How to get into a Rally?

hi everyone...im sorry for always asking questions...hope u guys arent getting annoyed....
well anyways....so ive realised that everysingle match i ever play the rallies only last like 5 balls...
i mean like....after i serve and the opponent pushes or spins i just block it or hit it then...one of us will make an error and thats the end of the point...i usually watch the pro tour vids when i need to figure something out...but for somereason watching them
havent helped me on this subject...no matter how much i try to analyze it...should i do a weaker service so that we can get a rally?
i know that people usually do the third ball attack to end it right away..but since im not like super good or anything...winning "right away"
isnt so important to me because i want to have rallies so ill enjoy it more because sometimes i find myself getting bored after a few games versus other people because no matter who i verse we can never get any rallies...one of us do a 3rd ball attack and usually its over...so any tips?
thanks in advance! Godbless ! and again im sorry for always asking questions

EDIT : or do you guys have anytips on how to prepare to return a thirdball attack? im pretty sure if i would be able to return the thirdballs we could get into rallies

Don't mind asking mate We are THRILLED if there are any questions. HAAAARRRR!!

You see I've been there before and one of the major key is (imo) --> Improve your short game.
Imagine a bridge between serve and rally. That's the short game

The other is anticipation, which is deeply discussed in here:
http://www.tabletennisdaily.co.uk/fo...r-of-OOAKForum

Don't play weaker services! In sokme matches there is just not that many rallies, it totally depends of how you play, your playing style and the opponent. You could try to not play that hard at the first ballafter service, and always keep the ball on the table. It worked for me!

If you want rallies, then do not go ape**** attacking first chance. make a shot that is positive, but lands where opponent will want to attack, but cannot or is low percentage to go all out.

You can serve to setup the type of 3rd ball shot you want. try some barely 1/2 long no-spin serves or short/low no spin serves that will give you a high or long ball with little spin to do anything you choose if opponent didn't wide angle flick, which it sounds like they do not.

Serve deep and fast right at crossover to get a ball back long. Serve fast light topspin to opponents FH to get into a Fh to Fh drive rally.

Make a weak topspin kinda high and opponet will likely give you back a topspin. Go wide FH with some sidespin if possible and you will lilkely get a ball back cross court to your FH.

Soem opponents will be predictable, some not, but learn what balls have the highest chance of what retutrn. if player is not so skilled, then it can be rough and unpredictable, but try applying these things and see how it goes.

Some good advice from Der_Echte, Azlan and Yosua, so far. Here is my read of this scenario: If you want good rallies work on training drills that will develop your ability to get everything back and have long rallies. Practice long rallies. Practice defence, getting back and lobbing. Practice drills like figure eights and go as long as you can with them. A Figure Eight is where one player keeps going down the line and the other keeps going cross court so that each player alternates from forehand to backhand over and over. After a time you switch so the person who went down the line goes cross court and the person who went cross court goes down the line. Practice any and every kind of drill to go deeper in rallies.

Then, when you are playing games, just try and end the points as quickly as possible. Over time, if your work in those drills starts paying dividends, you will have longer rallies when you are supposed to. And until then, the longer rallies will happen during the training drills.

I would usually after the 3rd ball loop, I would just take a step back. And slowly move away from the table, going further as the rally progressed. If both of you can do that (stepping away slowly), you will realize that both of you would be able to control the rally at a pace that you're both comfortable with.

Originally Posted by azlan

I would usually after the 3rd ball loop, I would just take a step back. And slowly move away from the table, going further as the rally progressed. If both of you can do that (stepping away slowly), you will realize that both of you would be able to control the rally at a pace that you're both comfortable with.

When you get footage of the pros from the side, you can see that this is what they do as well. As soon as the first attack is launched, the both get back about three or 4 feet to the mid-distance range so they have enough time to move to the ball and take those larger strokes for looping.