Why does womans game focus on BH to BH exchanges?

[Kuba Hajto]

I've been watching Chen Xingtong vs Chen Meng and majority exchanges were BH to BH. I wonder what is the strategy behind that. Due to the pace of the game there issue to redirect ball down the line?

 

[BaRanchik]

I was under the impression that the women's game was more strategic than the men's, with more quick thinking and creativity -- but I've only watched a small number of matches compared to men's matches. Men's game is more of an "overpowering" the opponent to win, whether it's with speed or spin. They do make some smart moves here and there, but not as frequently I'd say.

 

[ShoutGuy]

I've been watching Chen Xingtong vs Chen Meng and majority exchanges were BH to BH. I wonder what is the strategy behind that. Due to the pace of the game there issue to redirect ball down the line?

I think so but also is to avoid the strong forehand drive / counter of chinese womens. attacking on the forehand only when there is an opportunity to make a strong attack or when the opponent leaves the forehand very open and sometimes to surprise the opponent

 

[Kolev]

Watching the last matches I asked myself the same question, but I thought about the men not the women....

 

[blahness]

Not just the women, but also the men - just watch for e.g. Harimoto vs Liang Jingkun - it's chock full of just BH-BH. The modern BH game punishes the FH pivot game a lot harder compared to the past especially with the sudden fade BHs down the line.

 

[Gozo Aruna]

Not just the women, but also the men - just watch for e.g. Harimoto vs Liang Jingkun - it's chock full of just BH-BH. The modern BH game punishes the FH pivot game a lot harder compared to the past especially with the sudden fade BHs down the line.

I am also trained like this, in fact this fast BH to BH drive forms the bulk of my coaching drill. I have asked my coach why he favours such tactics...

He just say, this is the way. Whole world also train like this he adds.


Dear friends in the Western Hemisphere, do you all also train like this?

 

[blahness]

I am also trained like this, in fact this fast BH to BH drive forms the bulk of my coaching drill. I have asked my coach why he favours such tactics...

He just say, this is the way. Whole world also train like this he adds.
View attachment 25408
Dear friends in the Western Hemisphere, do you all also train like this?

I find it pretty hard to deviate away from BH-BH in my own games too - usually players target BH area all the time (serves/receives/pushes/blocks) and it is very hard to pivot without being punished.

The other major advantage of BH is it's flexibility - I can use it easily with both short and long balls at any angle, whereas FH looping short balls is a really advanced and difficult skill. I find that with FH I really need to be very careful on the incoming length of the ball. Wrong length read = significant increase in error % and lower quality shot. The FH is also a more "expensive" stroke as it's harder to recover in time for the next stroke if it's blocked - and it's more physically demanding.

Furthermore, a lot of venues have shit ass narrow playing areas to save $$$ and you can't even FH pivot without hitting the adjacent table or person smh....

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I've been watching Chen Xingtong vs Chen Meng and majority exchanges were BH to BH. I wonder what is the strategy behind that. Due to the pace of the game there issue to redirect ball down the line?

women plays closer to the table, or atleast Asian style is closer to the table.

closer would be higher speed, and the BH to BH is a controlled placement.
The strategy is to place the ball and eventual making the opponent make mistakes.

You may feel it is a BH to BH, but many of those Bh is not necessary into the comfort zone. The moment a bad return comes out, be sure that the next ball will be a lot more aggressive.
The BH to FH could come, if the opponent has lost some balance in the BH to BH exchange.

 

[Gozo Aruna]

women plays closer to the table, or atleast Asian style is closer to the table.

closer would be higher speed, and the BH to BH is a controlled placement.
The strategy is to place the ball and eventual making the opponent make mistakes.

You may feel it is a BH to BH, but many of those Bh is not necessary into the comfort zone. The moment a bad return comes out, be sure that the next ball will be a lot more aggressive.
The BH to FH could come, if the opponent has lost some balance in the BH to BH exchange.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

It is BH to BH by keeping it tight, if anyone makes a slight mistake where the ball is a bit to the middle, this is where all the BH to FH transition drill comes in; if the ball even so slightly comes to the middle, it will be a powerful FH drive.

Coach @Tony's Table Tennis,

Do you teach this style to both your female and male players or just female only?

 

[Trevize84]

Honestly Fan Zhedong in semifinal and final had mostly BH-BH rallies with his opponents. Let's all thanks the amazing ABS balls

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Yes! Yes! Yes!

It is BH to BH by keeping it tight, if anyone makes a slight mistake where the ball is a bit to the middle, this is where all the BH to FH transition drill comes in; if the ball even so slightly comes to the middle, it will be a powerful FH drive.

Coach @Tony's Table Tennis,

Do you teach this style to both your female and male players or just female only?

male players love to pivot more and have more fh
female players worry that when they pivot, the wide fh will be higher risk for them. so they tend to play bh bh more.

But during training, every thing is part of the training.

during match play, the ones who dares to use pivot fh and can be quick enough to go wide fh, are the ones that are in a higher level. the ones who fear, are normally "passive" then.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

women plays closer to the table, or atleast Asian style is closer to the table.

closer would be higher speed, and the BH to BH is a controlled placement.
The strategy is to place the ball and eventual making the opponent make mistakes.

That is the central issue. The speed at which the ball comes back on those shots from close to the table, off the bounce, while the ball is still rising, the setup for BH is much quicker, the stroke is much shorter, it has speed even if it lacks the power.

The big looping rallies with the FH have more power but they usually happen at mid-distance (3-5 feet from the table [1-1.5 Meters]). If you have not gotten your opponent to back up to mid-distance, and you back up to mid-distance, you are ceding position on the table, the ability to create bigger angles (it is easier to create bigger angles from closer). And with that position a good player can use your power against you if you are at mid-distance and they stay close. Taking the ball on the rise, off a heavy power loop....the ball will come back fast and the player will be using your power in their shot.

The women players I have played also seem to be way faster than most of the men I have played so the ball comes back at a much quicker interval leaving you less time. With less time, BH is more efficient than FH. s

At least, that is what it seems is going on from my perspective.

 

[Dominikk85]

I've been watching Chen Xingtong vs Chen Meng and majority exchanges were BH to BH. I wonder what is the strategy behind that. Due to the pace of the game there issue to redirect ball down the line?

I think the mens game goes into that direction too. Mens game kinda is still more forehand dominant but less so than 20 years ago.

Reason might be that forehands usually are a bit stronger than backhands so usually you hit to the opponents backhand and since the pace is high and you play close to the table you don't have time to step around unless your opponent hits a weak shot.

I think in this case women were almost trailblazers for the men's game who know also play more close to the table and backhand dominant but not quite as much.

 

[OldUser]

Honestly Fan Zhedong in semifinal and final had mostly BH-BH rallies with his opponents. Let's all thanks the amazing ABS balls

I laughed hard ! but you're indeed so right here, those quarters and semis between right hand players were an absolute, there's no tactics whatsoever: the goal is to force the opponent to make an "error" by returning a slower BH that allows to pivot or a BH that lands in the middle of the table so that you can kill him with a killer FH. Specially the LJK vs Harimoto match... what a shame...

 

[Trevize84]

I laughed hard ! but you're indeed so right here, those quarters and semis between right hand players were an absolute bullshit, there's no tactics whatsoever: the goal is to force the opponent to make an "error" by returning a slower BH that allows to pivot or a BH that lands in the middle of the table so that you can kill him with a killer FH. Specially the LJK vs Harimoto match... what a shame...

Yes it's been petty much annoying, it's spectacular just because chinese players can do that at light speed but speed apart there was very little to enjoy. I do acknowledge that Chinese players can get easily over the 3rd touch, Europeans are even more annoying. Most of the match is watching them doing those little warm-up jumps between one rally and the other. As you said, shameful. It wasn't like that years ago when I started watching TT games. I believe ABS balls had definitely a big impact on this. I mean, you cannot use super-hard equipment without shifting your game toward a safer and more controlled strategy. I'm not sure what was the rationale behind this kind of shift, apart fomenting EJs in buying more stuff...

 

[OldUser]

Yes it's been petty much annoying, it's spectacular just because chinese players can do that at light speed but speed apart there was very little to enjoy. I do acknowledge that Chinese players can get easily over the 3rd touch, Europeans are even more annoying. Most of the match is watching them doing those little warm-up jumps between one rally and the other. As you said, shameful. It wasn't like that years ago when I started watching TT games. I believe ABS balls had definitely a big impact on this. I mean, you cannot use super-hard equipment without shifting your game toward a safer and more controlled strategy. I'm not sure what was the rationale behind this kind of shift, apart fomenting EJs in buying more stuff...

The Golden era for TT is gone since there's no more cell 38mm ball and 21 points in a game. The era between 1989 and 2003 was full of turn overs, upsets, rivalries between nations that lead to legendary oppositions. In that era 4 different nations had a world champion in single events, 4 in a 14 years span, compared to... 1 in a 20 years span.

 

[Trevize84]

The Golden era for TT is gone since there's no more cell 38mm ball and 21 points in a game. The era between 1989 and 2003 was full of turn overs, upsets, rivalries between nations that lead to legendary oppositions. In that era 4 different nations had a world champion in single events, 4 in a 14 years span, compared to... 1 in a 20 years span.

I agree 100%. Yesterday I watched my coach in the final round of the national masters' championship. He made 2 winning drop shots. I think last time I saw 2 drop shots in 2 consecutive rallies, it was Waldner playing 🤣