Changing direction when blocking.

[TensorBackhand]

Today my partner was hitting 5 or 6 consecutive loops into my block. After blocking 3 or 4 loops, I kept trying to change direction by changing the direction the racket is facing. So instead of blocking straight back, block back in a different direction.

I noticed a number of times that when when i did this, the ball would often fall into the net. I was surprised because my racket face was still the same vertical angle, i only change the horizontal direction. I didnt understand why the ball was going into the net.

After i got home and thought about it, i realized that by changing the horizontal direction, the rubber no longer contacts the ball directly against the topspin, but rather on the ball's rotational axis. Without the direct contact, the ball is falling into the net.

Is this a well-known physical phenomenon? How do you change blocking direction without getting hurt by the axis?

 

[PaddyPolar]

Were they blocking down the line initially, then trying to switch cross court, or the other way round?

 

[TensorBackhand]

Were they blocking down the line initially, then trying to switch cross court, or the other way round?

Both. But i think blocking DTL from opponents FH to my BH then switching to block crosscourt had the most severe ball drop.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

this is what you call passive vs active block problem

 

[blahness]

If you contact the ball at an angle to its incoming trajectory, the outward speed will be lower as compared to contacting perpendicular to the trajectory (which may be causing it to hit the net). If you also have a stroke going along this angle, you can even reduce the momentum of the ball. This is how short pushes work and reduced energy blocks (for eg dropshotting a lob).

 

[yoass]

Simple thing, basically. If you return to the hit spot, your bat is pretty much orthogenal (90º) to the spin (180º to the axis of rotation). The full rotation gets to impact your stroke, as your contact is at the "equator" of the ball.

Change that angle, and only that part of the spin that is relevant to that angle affects you. You hit somewhere between "pole" (no spin at all) and "equator" (full spin). You need to adjust your angle to accommodate for that effectively diminished amount of spin.

 

[TensorBackhand]

Simple thing, basically. If you return to the hit spot, your bat is pretty much orthogenal (90º) to the spin (180º to the axis of rotation). The full rotation gets to impact your stroke, as your contact is at the "equator" of the ball.

Change that angle, and only that part of the spin that is relevant to that angle affects you. You hit somewhere between "pole" (no spin at all) and "equator" (full spin). You need to adjust your angle to accommodate for that effectively diminished amount of spin.

Right exactly. Somehow it took me 2 years to suddenly realize this point.

Is the correct adjustment to open the racket angle slightly?

Or to punch through the ball slightly more?

 

[NextLevel]

Right exactly. Somehow it took me 2 years to suddenly realize this point.

Is the correct adjustment to open the racket angle slightly?

Or to punch through the ball slightly more?

To punch through the ball for the most part. The number of people who don't know how to block consistently because they refuse to direct the ball on their blocks is unfortunately high.

 

[Dr Evil]

Right exactly. Somehow it took me 2 years to suddenly realize this point.

Is the correct adjustment to open the racket angle slightly?

Or to punch through the ball slightly more?

Or lean into the ball more. Or firm up your grip.