BH against high bouncing balls

[Suga D]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzKWLKiVq7o at 2:38

To me it rather looked like a counterdrive than like a smash, but probably that's just semantics, don't wanna sound nitpicking, but in fact it also rather looked as if he tiptoed more than really trying to jump, as if he wanted to jump on the table or doing the Persson move.
[Emoji2]

Anyhow,

this might be recommendable to people who have been practicing seriously since the age of four, but most coaches i know who coach mere mortals rather recommended to have a solid stand while hitting. Also I was coached to rather use the fh against lobs, since it's easier to control angle and placement for most and not imitate the top pros so much.

[Emoji2]

 

[langel]

It depends on the particular situation.
Some people above gave some answers, applicable to some situations - if you can, take the ball early, if you can, take the ball later.
My advice is - if you can, step behind with the opposite to your playing hand foot and hit with a wider arm opening of the BH motion. This way you would be able to controll much better the swing, angle and pace of the hit, than taking it just infront of the chest. i know its just the opposite to the traditional "mass to the hit", but in fact it works exactly with even more mass, if you manage to temp the execution of this hit with the proper swing.

 

[dchow1992]

I can't post links, but if you go to samson dubina's youtube channel
he has a video of Koji Uezu taking one off the bounce with a lot of quality and power[h=1][/h]

 

[langel]

I can't post links, but if you go to samson dubina's youtube channel
he has a video of Koji Uezu taking one off the bounce with a lot of quality and power

And what final conclusion you make after analyzing that particular shot?

 

[Lula]

Have you tried raising the elbow to where the ball is? very surprised that no one else have said this. It only feels strange to raise the elbow because you are not used to it. I also would say that you will generate more power from the backhand if you raise the elbow and hit forward.

I do not think you should wait for the ball to go down, then you need to play softer. If the ball is so high that you need to wait for it to go down, you have the time to play forehand. Otherwise you can get used to raise the elbow and get good power from this shot.

 

[danisius]

The best option is to smash it with forhand.
I also tend to do it with Backhand when feel tired but it is a risky shot
how i do it start from shoulder height racket pointed up elbow is low at stomache level and just rotate arm forward and downward (if my oponent is at distance greater that two meters i`ll give some side spin also ) try to hit the ball when raising and is just still below chest.

 

[dchow1992]

And what final conclusion you make after analyzing that particular shot?

I guess you have primarily 2 options.
The first option is to step around / backwards (to account for the height of the bounce) and make a forehand attack.
and the second is to take advantage of the slow traveling high ball and try to make the backhand attack.

It seems since the ball is a little high, he has time to plan his stroke. his power seems to come from winding up below the table instead of a large backswing so the stroke seems compact and explosive.

 

[langel]

Have you tried raising the elbow to where the ball is? very surprised that no one else have said this. It only feels strange to raise the elbow because you are not used to it. I also would say that you will generate more power from the backhand if you raise the elbow and hit forward.

I do not think you should wait for the ball to go down, then you need to play softer. If the ball is so high that you need to wait for it to go down, you have the time to play forehand. Otherwise you can get used to raise the elbow and get good power from this shot.

it works if you don't have time for footwork. Taking the that way, frontcomming, raising the elbow require shoulder up and body front-up motion, which is pace and time limited.
Step behind and arm opening allow much easier, natively stroke assembled sequence of needed elbow-wrist swing and hight without extra shoulder engagement. You get it?

 

[Lula]

it works if you don't have time for footwork. Taking the that way, frontcomming, raising the elbow require shoulder up and body front-up motion, which is pace and time limited.
Step behind and arm opening allow much easier, natively stroke assembled sequence of needed elbow-wrist swing and hight without extra shoulder engagement. You get it?

No, i do not really follow. I think he do not should lose much time raising the elbow. He should not need to raise it so much, against topspin he wants to have the racket high from the beginning. If he needs to raise the elbow very much i think he have the racket to low from the beginning.

I agree that he need to move his feet, that you always need to do. If the ball is high he proably want to step out a bit to be able to kill the ball.

And of course he should not use the shoulder in the shot. He wants to do the exactly same backhand stroke, with forearm and wrist but just with the arm higher where the ball is.

And to be able to kill the ball he really need to lift the arm to where the ball is so he can hit forward. If he have the racket under the ball he will hit upward and not get power to kill the ball.

Once again i did not understand what you meant, so if i misunderstood something please explain again. Maybe my english is to bad, or maybe it is hard to explain in text.

Interesting to here what others think. There are several ways to play tabletennis.

 

[langel]

I feel you got it well.
The way you explained is almost exactly what I mean. The little difference is the need of raising the elbow.
To make the picture - when you take a higher ball comimg just infront of you and you don't have time for proper stance, than the standard advice is to raise the elbow first /higher as needed/ and follow the stroke consiquence. Result depends on many factors. But, in the same scenario, it will take exactly the same time to step back, turning your body and opening your arm with the needed swing. This way you may execute either a punch or spin the ball and you don't have to think much about elbow and shoulder as the strike sequence is more natural and it follows the elbow and round it without raising it. The strength of this shot is also higher bacause of the longer swing available, no matter of the step back, in fact this step back with the body rotation gives the needed space for arm extension with longer swing at the same temp timing.

 

[langel]

To be more picturable - you may look at the differences between Uchi Ude Uke and Jodan Age Uke.
Both can be executed with step front and step back, body turn or not. But the main difference is that with Uchi you may execute any type of TT BH at any hight and with any spin or no spin, and the arm is opening round the elbow. With Jodan Uke you see that the natural stance is the opposite to the TT BH handling, because of the elbow raising. You may do it in TT with TT BH handling, but its less natural and with limited power, control and result. I may be wrong, but I often make comparisons with my other sport to find the basics.

 

[brokenball]

When I play with long pips this is a big problem. I must twiddle or step around. My chances still aren't great. If I am playing with SP or inverted on my BH I hit the ball off the bounce if I can.

 

[Dr Evil]

Easier to generate power on bh high balls if you hit fade type spin (racket pointed up, righties contact the right side of the ball). It lets you get the racket head at ball height while keeping your elbow in a less awkward position.

Like this (shot at 1:26 followed by replay):

 

[Lula]

When I play with long pips this is a big problem. I must twiddle or step around. My chances still aren't great. If I am playing with SP or inverted on my BH I hit the ball off the bounce if I can.

If you are a pushblocker i think the ball should never be this high, then you are taking the ball way to late.

But proably more difficult if you are a chopper. Maybe you can try to stand further away so the ball Do not get so high. Goes faster to run forward aswell. But Maybe hard to avoid getting a high ball against you sometimes.

 

[Lightzy]

How do you adjust your BH topspin stroke against higher balls? Not smash-high balls, but just balls that may kick up higher around chest level.

Personally, it feels uncomfortable to be hitting the ball with BH at that height, and I cannot generate enough power to hit it with good quality.

Start with the bat under your chin, pointing at the left side of your throat. Swing out and extend the wrist from there coming over the ball.
The same way you see like Hugo Calderano cock his wrist for the backhand. Bat pointing inwards, towards the body, and flat angle. Except under the chin.

 

[brokenball]

If you are a pushblocker i think the ball should never be this high, then you are taking the ball way to late.

But proably more difficult if you are a chopper. Maybe you can try to stand further away so the ball Do not get so high. Goes faster to run forward aswell. But Maybe hard to avoid getting a high ball against you sometimes.

Ideally you are right but there are always times when someone thinks outside the box.

Everyone should have seen it. It is funny but is also shows the difficulties of playing with blocking LP. Pushblock should have been able to hit these high balls with his FH or at least twiddle.

 

[hipnotic]

This is how i do it

 

[Hamasaki_Fanz]

This is how i do it

it wasnt that high, still below your head level, but nice backhand

 

[Atas Newton]

jump and hit the ball.. that's how we overcome highball in backhand

a case in point, Sun Yingsha does the little jump on a high ball.

 

[Hamasaki_Fanz]

a case in point, Sun Yingsha does the little jump on a high ball.

Yup, that's how we generally deal with high ball. Once one develops a good backhand technique + feeling, the movement is very natural because we're trying to get on top of the ball.

Edit: Also, another example is when you see players jump a little when doing backhand block. It's the same concept, we're trying to get on top of the ball.