How do you deal with the float push?

[TensorBackhand]

Normally when your opponent pushes to you, they slice the ball underneath it to generate backspin and they try to keep it low.

But sometimes I play opponents who use a kind of "float push". Instead of slicing the ball, they literally just come up on the ball from under the ball. So the ball comes to your side higher than you are used to, and with no spin on it.

I miss a ton of these shots, especially on the backhand. If I use my normal loop motion, the ball will go long because there is no spin on it. But because the ball is higher than usual, it always feels awkward for me to deal with. I think people have discussed before about playing against "clean" hitters vs more junky and awkward hitters. But what would be the way to deal with this situation?

 

[Gozo Aruna]

easily fixed when you start to use Dignics / Tenergy / any other Butterfly rubber; in no particular order.

Gozo: Helping the EJ community since 2021

 

[blahness]

I contact the ball at different places depending on my read of the incoming spin. Heavy underspin I will try to contact more bottom and the less the underspin the more towards the top I will contact.

This is true regardless of stroke (loop, push, sideswipe, flick, etc...)

 

[TensorBackhand]

I contact the ball at different places depending on my read of the incoming spin. Heavy underspin I will try to contact more bottom and the less the underspin the more towards the top I will contact.

This is true regardless of stroke (loop, push, sideswipe, flick, etc...)

Yes, I think I'm not used to contacting the ball more towards the top. When I try to do this, I kinda freeze in my stroke. I'm not used to the angle, and I kinda hesitate on my stroke. Sometimes I try to brush the ball too thin and I miss the ball completely.

 

[Gozo Aruna]

Option 1: if pure no spin then BH Punch
Option 2: if slight backspin then chop or slice underneath to add more backspin
Option 3: Drive but must be aware of how much spin is on the incoming ball ( some experience / spin reading is required )

 

[pingpongpaddy]

If higher than the net drive or kill depending on your skill level.
If you insist on looping, close the the racket angle and brush a little more over the ball.
It should be a winning opportunity, but of course your feet need to be in the right place, for instance if the float has landed deep then drive is preferred , if near the net and a bit higher then a fh kil or bh punchl is an available choice.

 

[blahness]

Yes, I think I'm not used to contacting the ball more towards the top. When I try to do this, I kinda freeze in my stroke. I'm not used to the angle, and I kinda hesitate on my stroke. Sometimes I try to brush the ball too thin and I miss the ball completely.

I think changing to brush too much has the problem of increasing miss rate. Even against really heavy underspin I never pure brush the ball. There's always some degree of hit in it.

 

[JJ Ng]

Normally when your opponent pushes to you, they slice the ball underneath it to generate backspin and they try to keep it low.

But sometimes I play opponents who use a kind of "float push". Instead of slicing the ball, they literally just come up on the ball from under the ball. So the ball comes to your side higher than you are used to, and with no spin on it.

I miss a ton of these shots, especially on the backhand. If I use my normal loop motion, the ball will go long because there is no spin on it. But because the ball is higher than usual, it always feels awkward for me to deal with. I think people have discussed before about playing against "clean" hitters vs more junky and awkward hitters. But what would be the way to deal with this situation?

Depends.

If you want to be conservative, you wait for the ball to drop to your regular height and then push heavy backspin back. Nowadays, 40+ plastic balls don't spin that much so I see a lot of these high no spin balls you are talking about. When I am out of position, I just wait for the ball to drop and push heavy backspin back. Now, since the ball has no spin, when you try to push heavy backspin back you have to brush the back of the ball; you have to be careful not to brush underneath the ball because, well, it will go off the edge of the table on your opponent's side and you cede the point.

If you want to be slightly more aggressive, then again let the ball drop and then loop it with top and forward motion. I think the issue is that we (you and me and everyone else) are used to forehand-forehand hitting and backhand-backhand hitting in practicing so we are used to the ball at a certain height. So if you are not used to the height, nothing wrong with being patient and let the ball drop to the height you are comfortable with, then I trust that you will figure out the angle and the amount of brushing you need to do.

If you want to be aggressive aggressive then you loop drive at the top of the bounce. Here, you just pretend you are smashing the ball (i.e. the angle is what you use to smash a high ball) but you hit and brush through the ball at the same time. That's all it is. You hit and brush through the ball at the angle you use to smash a high ball. The only thing you need to watch out for is, the ball coming at you will have a knuckball effect so you need to lunge or better yet, step forward a tiny little bit to contact the ball at the right spot. Again, it is almost as though the other person is push you no spin with short pip or long pip. It has a bit of that wobbling effect so you need to come into the table just a tiny little bit and time it properly.

When in doubt, just practice service fast long serve with no spin and ask the other guy to "push" the ball back to you, then you can practice over and over again until you get the timing.

I think your problem with such ball lies in the timing. Once you get the timing right, I trust you know what angle and what motion to use.

 

[kingkimchi]

Normally when your opponent pushes to you, they slice the ball underneath it to generate backspin and they try to keep it low.

But sometimes I play opponents who use a kind of "float push". Instead of slicing the ball, they literally just come up on the ball from under the ball. So the ball comes to your side higher than you are used to, and with no spin on it.

I miss a ton of these shots, especially on the backhand. If I use my normal loop motion, the ball will go long because there is no spin on it. But because the ball is higher than usual, it always feels awkward for me to deal with. I think people have discussed before about playing against "clean" hitters vs more junky and awkward hitters. But what would be the way to deal with this situation?

try backhand punch? Because the ball has no spin, the ball will not go long or into the net. Just push it down deep and low with speed.

 

[Lula]

If you make sidespin in your serve it will be much harder to read the reuturn if they just hold it. Easier if you do downspin or nospin, that return will be "easier". Can also chose more what you want, sidespin with upspin and they need to flip and the opposite for sidespin with downspin.

For the return, as long as you brush the ball and get spin it will go down and in, even if you misread the spin. If you have little spin, the ball will not fall down and you need to read correctly.

But if you read nospin, i think you should come out more if the ball is a bit higher, have racket higher and go forward and down with a closed racket angle.

 

[KM1976]

Normally when your opponent pushes to you, they slice the ball underneath it to generate backspin and they try to keep it low.

But sometimes I play opponents who use a kind of "float push". Instead of slicing the ball, they literally just come up on the ball from under the ball. So the ball comes to your side higher than you are used to, and with no spin on it.

I miss a ton of these shots, especially on the backhand. If I use my normal loop motion, the ball will go long because there is no spin on it. But because the ball is higher than usual, it always feels awkward for me to deal with. I think people have discussed before about playing against "clean" hitters vs more junky and awkward hitters. But what would be the way to deal with this situation?

If I understand you correctly then you are referring to a push with very less backspin.
I would advise you to first develop this stroke in your own skill set. If you learn how to vary the spin on your push you will start to develop the feel of the ball on your paddle. Once you slice the ball to add more backspin you should be able to feel the friction generated by the topsheet of your rubber in this process. Also, when you push with less backspin you should feel the ball hitting more solid on the rubber with less friction.
Next step should be to observe the trajectory of the ball and how it looks while traveling to the opposite end.
You can also do a simple drill where your friend can feed you these two kinds of push and you just catch the ball in your hand (keep the paddle aside). Just try to memorize the trajectory and feel of the ball.
Last step is how to respond when you get this in a match. Backhand stroke especially on a push ball is done when the ball is rising or when it is at the top of the bounce. Anything later disturbs the mechanics and slows down the recovery time. But this requires a player to bend and watch the ball at the almost eye level. Needless to say, it requires lots of practice and movement to develop this stroke as its success heavily relies on the timing, relaxation and sudden speed (not power).
Instead of attacking such ball from the beginning, I would suggest that you try to push the ball back without taking any backswing or adding any power or tightening of your arm. Try to keep it low and deep but don't add too much power or don't try to be aggressive on this return. Try to move the ball where your opponent is not comfortable. This will give you more options in the long run if by any chance you are not able to attack such balls in a match.

~Cheers KM1976

 

[NextLevel]

Normally when your opponent pushes to you, they slice the ball underneath it to generate backspin and they try to keep it low.

But sometimes I play opponents who use a kind of "float push". Instead of slicing the ball, they literally just come up on the ball from under the ball. So the ball comes to your side higher than you are used to, and with no spin on it.

I miss a ton of these shots, especially on the backhand. If I use my normal loop motion, the ball will go long because there is no spin on it. But because the ball is higher than usual, it always feels awkward for me to deal with. I think people have discussed before about playing against "clean" hitters vs more junky and awkward hitters. But what would be the way to deal with this situation?

The main issue is that you can't read the ball (I make the same mistake too). If you can, then you won't miss. And if you miss despite reading the ball, then just get a multiball feed and develop a stroke by experimenting. I tend to start a bit higher and finish a bit lower vs no spin (compared to backspin) and it works for me with a powerful killing stroke. But what works for me may not work for you.