Comprehensive List of 3rd ball attack strategies

[Danttgeek]

OK, so we all face those people that have a serve and no matter what we do to return it, they seem to fare very well.

The ideal 3rd ball attack combo - they get a majority chance of a certain return that they are ready for and love, and are ready for the lesser alternative making up 80-90% of all returns.

For example,

1.) fast long heavy undersidespin serve to backhand, return is a mediocre loop somewhere to the middle where they pounce with their forehand.


I would love to have a comprehensive list of these for us all to enjoy. Here is another:

2.) short under sidespin serve to opponent's middle or forehand spinning away (assuming both are RH), return is long push to forehand or short push to middle/forehand that you can flick. So it's then about being ready to open up or flick for a 3rd ball attack.


I wonder what is the best way of writing these out?


Does anyone know of a comprehensive list?

Can you list your favourite 5 combos - Let's assume RH vs RH or LH vs LH to make the convention no confusing, so you can say:

Serve Location (YOUR wide backhand, backhand, middle, forehand, wide forehand)
Serve Direction (OPPONENT wide backhand, backhand, middle, forehand, wide forehand)
Serve Spin (directions, no-spin and how heavy)
Serve Speed
Return Likelihood (eg. long topspin to middle or backhand (60%), long chop to middle or backhand (20%), topspin to wide forehand (10%) other (10%)
3rd ball attack (eg. topspin counter to middle or backhand (60%), open up to middle or backhand (20%), topspin from wide forehand to backhand, middle or wide forehand (10%)


If you think there is a better way, share your combos how you think it's best!

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

so many !!!
but to sum up briefly...

short no spin serve >>> weak 3rd ball push >>> strong 3rd ball or kill

long serve >> if opponent loops get ready for block or counter topspin >> if opponent pushes long get ready to loop / drive . must have a knowledge of preferred play from opponent and if he's at ease or not with long serves.

short serve >> i don't like it because if my serve is a bit too high, good opponent has a lot of options, so MUST keep it short AND low. then its a chance to either loop 3rd ball or if ball is short push long and get ready for counter or block...

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

why so complicated?

1) serve
2) attack

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

why so complicated?

1) serve
2) attack

By the way after serving when coming back in position and being able to play the next ball what is the most important thing to focus on when you’re not yet good at repositioning yourself quickly and properly

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

By the way after serving when coming back in position and being able to play the next ball what is the most important thing to focus on when you’re not yet good at repositioning yourself quickly and properly

i think the power on the ball is probably a key factor to help you get into position.
if you serve a soft low ball, then expect it to come back soft and low.
or if you serve a fast long ball, then expect it to come back fast and long.
so premeditation will assist with your decision making.

or bring you to the side and work on your footwork

 

[Amit Mehta]

I do love the third-ball attack (who doesn't?), but I just wanted to share my two cents.

I don’t know what your level is, but based on my own experience playing at a low level (I play in Dutch NTTB Class 3, and my current win rate is only about 30%), I find that when I focus too much on the third-ball attack, I am more likely to lose matches. This is because I become too eager to finish the rally, which leads to many unforced errors—especially on match days.

Instead, when I focus on the fifth or seventh ball, I tend to win more matches due to increased consistency. My results this season were very poor at first, but they have gradually improved. Rather than focusing only on short rallies, I am now more patient, trying to force my opponent into making mistakes or putting them in a position where I can get a weak ball to attack.

 

[olive-nguyen]

My best is reverse pendulum serve half long, when they push the ball, I forehand flick for 3rd ball attack.

Another one is my underspin side spin serve almost down the line straight and they’ll have to push return forehand, thenI’ll rpb cross the table to the other edge sending them running.

What i usually play cause they don’t usually push, now much more people push short or flick the serve, ill play long and low no spin with after motion of high toss under spin serve, then ill step around forehand and go down low and slapped down the line.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

My best is reverse pendulum serve half long, when they push the ball, I forehand flick for 3rd ball attack.

Another one is my underspin side spin serve almost down the line straight and they’ll have to push return forehand, thenI’ll rpb cross the table to the other edge sending them running.

What i usually play cause they don’t usually push, now much more people push short or flick the serve, ill play long and low no spin with after motion of high toss under spin serve, then ill step around forehand and go down low and slapped down the line.

if you serve half long, the ball coming back would be "long enough" to drive the ball with a topspin shot.

 

[mamedium]

dead ball long serve to the elbow (i usually use the shovel serve with a little sidespin) then wait to release Fh from the BH corner. Works almost everytime unless playing 2500s

 

[olive-nguyen]

if you serve half long, the ball coming back would be "long enough" to drive the ball with a topspin shot.

Yeah, but they usually try to short push it, so i can't forehand drive it over.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Yeah, but they usually try to short push it, so i can't forehand drive it over.

then how soft is your half long serve?
for it to be so soft, you can't drive?
are you do half long under?

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

one tactic that is quite effective and that i seldom see used against me, is to stand to serve opposite to the opponent (if he's in the middle of the table then i'll be in the middle)...

then i serve straight to him a fast serve aiming for his elbow where he should be hesitating between playing FH or BH. i use BH serve to do this and prefer to do it no spin the first time to surprise him, and then again maybe topspin or backspin depending on what he likes or not.

BH is my best serve, it gives me a quicker recovery too, and im getting ready for anything of course, but rather to play agressively with FH because with the sidespin it should naturally go there , and if its to BH, blocking skills and reflexes should be good enough to survive it. if one does a FH serve i think one has less time to play behind it and the ball should go to BH side which makes 3rd ball usually less powerful from BH

the point of being in front of the other guy is that the distance is shortest so he's got less time to react compared to a fast serve in a diagonal.

if he stands in his BH corner then its a big dangerous to open the whole BH side but serve wide to the short side FH its difficult for him... so a lot of opponents move a 20 cm right... and then i follow him ! its a cat and mouse game ! most actually immediately give up and don't reposition to the BH side... lol

 

[blahness]

I have so many.

1) FH pendulum (sideunder or sidetop) short and very wide to the BH. If they BH loop or chiquita it, it will always be sort of diagonal unless they go around the net which is a super high risk shot for them and you applaud them if they make it. So if they like to loop it be prepared to BH fade counter it to their deep FH, this will give you a decisive advantage. If they make any sort of short return to the middle or FH, just give them a FH sidespin push to their wide FH. If they anticipate it and premove to the wide FH just go the other way lol. This is kinda evil but it works super well. The only way they win is if their BH opening loop is super high quality that you can't handle it.

2) No spin serve or sidetopspin to the short FH. If they push it is an opportunity ball for you almost always. Wait for their flick to aggressively counterloop it. If they short push it just push it deep to their elbow, it is super annoying for them to deal with.

3) Long fast hook serve to their elbow with sideunderspin or sidetopspin. Keeps them guessing and it is super effective at jamming them or getting a weak return to pounce on (be it a weak loop or worse an push attempt)

4) Sudden long fast hook sideunderspin serve to their wide FH. Especially if they stand in the FH pivot corner. A lot of ppl attempt to FH loop it and it ends up in the base of the net because they always assume fast serves are with topspin lol. Even if they succeed they would have to loop it upwards and then an easy fade block to the BH will give you a definite advantage.

 

[blahness]

one tactic that is quite effective and that i seldom see used against me, is to stand to serve opposite to the opponent (if he's in the middle of the table then i'll be in the middle)...

then i serve straight to him a fast serve aiming for his elbow where he should be hesitating between playing FH or BH. i use BH serve to do this and prefer to do it no spin the first time to surprise him, and then again maybe topspin or backspin depending on what he likes or not.

BH is my best serve, it gives me a quicker recovery too, and im getting ready for anything of course, but rather to play agressively with FH because with the sidespin it should naturally go there , and if its to BH, blocking skills and reflexes should be good enough to survive it. if one does a FH serve i think one has less time to play behind it and the ball should go to BH side which makes 3rd ball usually less powerful from BH

the point of being in front of the other guy is that the distance is shortest so he's got less time to react compared to a fast serve in a diagonal.

if he stands in his BH corner then its a big dangerous to open the whole BH side but serve wide to the short side FH its difficult for him... so a lot of opponents move a 20 cm right... and then i follow him ! its a cat and mouse game ! most actually immediately give up and don't reposition to the BH side... lol

I actually really hate playing against quality BH servers, even though I use a lot of the same patterns with my hook serve very successfully. It is always that annoying cat and mouse game between short FH and fast long deep to BH or elbow. If I focus too much on fast long serves then my short FH receive quality suffers because I am late to it. If I focus too much on the short serves then I get jammed by their long serves. Even if I make a good short FH receive, the point is not guaranteed, still need to work for it. Even in the last match Heming Hu uploaded, he was basically just abusing this short FH corner lol.

Whereas against FH pendulum, because the sidespin drags most balls to my BH I am very comfortable just doing BH receive especially chiquita or loop on most of them. For short FH the angle is also limited and it is the natural FH receive angle where I can do a lot to the ball.

 

[Gozo Aruna]

Serve long and fast to elbow, wait for it, then Ka-Boom! 1-0!

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

I actually really hate playing against quality BH servers, even though I use a lot of the same patterns with my hook serve very successfully. It is always that annoying cat and mouse game between short FH and fast long deep to BH or elbow. If I focus too much on fast long serves then my short FH receive quality suffers because I am late to it. If I focus too much on the short serves then I get jammed by their long serves. Even if I make a good short FH receive, the point is not guaranteed, still need to work for it. Even in the last match Heming Hu uploaded, he was basically just abusing this short FH corner lol.

Whereas against FH pendulum, because the sidespin drags most balls to my BH I am very comfortable just doing BH receive especially chiquita or loop on most of them. For short FH the angle is also limited and it is the natural FH receive angle where I can do a lot to the ball.

looks like we have similar games.
fortunately i've got a good practice partner with a good BH serve i can practice often with (still struggling but finally !) and i found another recently with very good hook serve.

my coach also gave me some new tips how to deal with those serves so hopefully...

 

[olive-nguyen]

then how soft is your half long serve?
for it to be so soft, you can't drive?
are you do half long under?

Yeah, underspin sidespin.

mabe serving a bit harder willl help