Some very helpful pieces of advice, as always. There is also a psychological aspect to keep in mind. Some people are afraid of smashing because they think they will miss, especially defensive players who usually concentrate on pushing the ball. But even such players can be convinced they can do it if you practice with them in the right way. They can gain such confidence that you can turn them into effective attackers on the FH side.
@3:40 "with this technique, you'll be able to smash consistently". It totally worked! I have been getting a lot more tinder matches, who knew chicks were into ping pong
One good thing about Tom is he does acknowledge that he makes the mistakes too. A modest person. I have learnt many of the mistakes that I make in TT with the help of his advice.
Thank you so much! I smashed up-down. It was very bad. After your video I had 90% balls in the table!! Another 10% was my mistakes for smashing balls higher than my shoulders.
1. When the ball gets so highbthat it is way over your shoulder, do you still wait till it is on shoulder height? Or do you try to hit the ball at it highest point? 2. What is about backhand smashes? Are they worth trying? (Can you make a video? 😁) Great video! Thanks!
1. Let the ball drop to shoulder height and then contact. 2. Generally, try and always smash with yout forehand. If the ball is high you have time to move and smash with your forehand (even if the ball is the backhand corner).
You could also hit the ball at a bigger height (not necesarilly the highest point, which could be unreachable). A little above head height or even a little more if you make a jump-smash, wich is not easy to perform. To begin, it's much more easy to let the ball come down to shoulder height, as in the video.
Great tactic! Answers my question exactly! Haven’t got much insight on returning those high balls even as I asked around some experienced players. I will try turning shoulder and getting bat up high as I often start from table level and in front of me. Then will also try hitting through as I hit down at the net mostly. Will see how practice goes.
Thanks. Great tips. Where should I be looking to contact the ball in relation to my body (as far forward as poss?) . And in addition to the closed face should I be looking to hit with slight topspin to ensure it doesn't sail long? (I almost never hit into net)
The contact should be to the side of your body and it is optional if you want to add some topspin. This will bring a little more safety to the smash, but it will make it slower. Personally I like to smash with a flat contact.
I have seen some players (Zhang Jike), and when they smash they have only one foot on the ground. And I think (I am not sure) , I have seen Fan Zhendong smashing sometimes with both feet on the air (extreme case).Thank you from Greece.
Yes that;s right. Many of the pro players will smash with a more advanced technique where they get higher off the ground and really smash down on the ball. Very spectacular!
Hi Tom. I have really been struggling with the smash, mostly the short, high variety. I like your easy to remember tips, but practicing, it seems natural to me to hit the top of the ball and smash out, but slightly down. Won't that work as well? Thanks.
@@TIEWCINDY Hi Cindy. That's a great idea about the dropper; I always forget that's an option and no one would expect that. Also, a more severe downward smash is an excellent tip. I think I'm pulling my head, so I just need to relax and keep my head still. Thanks.
Yeah, it's very frustrating messing up those high balls. Good news is that it's pretty easy to learn to smash well. Get someone to give you lots of high balls and have fun smashing the hell out of the ball.
Thanks for the tip of going through the ball and meeting the ball at the shoulder. Well I guess you kinda missed on choosing the right ball for a smash, I might be wrong since I'm a newbie. Please do reply to this. Again thanks for the tip gonna beat few of my colleagues tomorrow at work :)
Some people take the ball as it rises, but I think it is easier to let the ball drop to shoulder height and then smash. If you keep missing, make sure you watch the ball closely and smash at 50% power. When your consistency improves, start adding more power.
These can be tricky. For the high backspin ball, you may need a slightly more upwards swing to counter the backspin. For the high topspin ball, you need to take a step back from the table and hit more over the top of the ball. I will try and make a video about this at some point.
I am a intermediate player, I am an aggressive player as well, so I want a speed and spin racket, can u tell me what racket I should get? I can’t decide. My budget is around 50AUD
You'll probably not going to get an amazing bat for 50AUD, but this one could be a good option for you: aussietabletennis.com/product/cornilleau-perform-800-table-tennis-bat
Thanks Tom for your comments. Have come back to TT after a 46 year lay off. Am enjoying your coaching videos that back in the day I would never have seen or been coached on. Atm I am playing in a local league for the first time and coming across players who constantly play a defensive stroke. I hope to reach a higher level through . your tutorials Thanks.
Half the battle for success at smashing is just being LOOSE. Loose as a goose! Remember that. When you're loose you can hit a lot harder and with more control. And I'm persuaded that a good percentage of high ball misses are due to players tightening up without realizing it.
If the ball very high, you can smash. If the ball is medium high, you can still flat hit or topspin. If the ball is low, the best option is to topspin.
If the ball is in the air, you have time to move. So watch the flight of the ball and move back or to the side if needed. Your aim is to get in as good a position as possible and then you can smash consistently with power.
I quite like the tennis-style smash too. And it's a perfectly good way to smash. It looks quite spectacular when playing table tennis. If you find this easier to do, then just stick with it.
I think you are right Sir. I like using the tennis slam on high balls, but I rarely see the pros doing this. Must be a good reason. I think your way is best, because you are able to get back into position, if the opponent blocks or even returns the ball. With the slam, it leaves you too far out of position. It is a homerun type of hit and you are taking too much a risk on it. I can get away with it on my level, but not on a competitive level, or even amateur level. I am just a recreational player. Thanks Sir. I love your videos. Great stuff.
Smashing is essential!!!! Even if your opponent is much better,if you really smash,he will not be able to respond.... You can't say that about " chopping" or " spinning"...
Some very helpful pieces of advice, as always. There is also a psychological aspect to keep in mind. Some people are afraid of smashing because they think they will miss, especially defensive players who usually concentrate on pushing the ball.
But even such players can be convinced they can do it if you practice with them in the right way. They can gain such confidence that you can turn them into effective attackers on the FH side.
@3:40 "with this technique, you'll be able to smash consistently". It totally worked! I have been getting a lot more tinder matches, who knew chicks were into ping pong
😂
One good thing about Tom is he does acknowledge that he makes the mistakes too. A modest person.
I have learnt many of the mistakes that I make in TT with the help of his advice.
Thank you so much! I smashed up-down. It was very bad. After your video I had 90% balls in the table!! Another 10% was my mistakes for smashing balls higher than my shoulders.
Tom, thanks for your helpful and simple explanation. I love them. Keep up the good job!
Shift your weight to the left leg if you are right-handed, thanks for the smash video
Best coaching.. Really useful and practical.. Very effective..
Thanks!
Thank you very much for your most wonderful amazing explanation. I learned a lot from you, your fan from Egypt 🇾🇪
1. When the ball gets so highbthat it is way over your shoulder, do you still wait till it is on shoulder height? Or do you try to hit the ball at it highest point?
2. What is about backhand smashes? Are they worth trying? (Can you make a video? 😁)
Great video! Thanks!
1. Let the ball drop to shoulder height and then contact. 2. Generally, try and always smash with yout forehand. If the ball is high you have time to move and smash with your forehand (even if the ball is the backhand corner).
Alright, Thanks :D
You could also hit the ball at a bigger height (not necesarilly the highest point, which could be unreachable). A little above head height or even a little more if you make a jump-smash, wich is not easy to perform.
To begin, it's much more easy to let the ball come down to shoulder height, as in the video.
Good advice and explanation as always, Tom. A piece of advice on the acoustics: if possible, install some cloth on the walls to decrease the echo.
thanks, I'm volunteering now to teach and play table tennis at the Y.
Very useful video... Very well taken care of 5 important points.
Thank you Tom... Love your channel very much.. It definitely improve my skill
Happy to help. Thank you for watching.
Good explanation....🎉🎉🎉👍👍👍
Thanks coach it is really useful... Because sometimes i missed the ball... Thats a very useful video ...
Thanks a lot. Exactly what I was looking for
Your videos are very nice
Great tactic! Answers my question exactly! Haven’t got much insight on returning those high balls even as I asked around some experienced players.
I will try turning shoulder and getting bat up high as I often start from table level and in front of me. Then will also try hitting through as I hit down at the net mostly.
Will see how practice goes.
Good luck. You just need someone to feed you a load of high balls and you'll soon be smashing well if you follow the technique in the video.
I watched the videos couple time and improved way better. Love it.
Great! Just keep on playing and improving!
Very helpful. Since I have started playing tennis since last two weeks and am really enjoying and want to improve.
Nice and very helpfull...thank you
Great coach
Very very usefull , merci.
It helps me a lot
Thanks Tom, very much appreciated!
Nice , learn a lot from you ..
Very nice.
I am using the technique of your channel
thanks tom.. sometime ball comes with spin as well.then it becomes difficult to smash the ball consistently.any advice?
Very useful, thanks!
tnx master!
Thanks. Great tips.
Where should I be looking to contact the ball in relation to my body (as far forward as poss?) . And in addition to the closed face should I be looking to hit with slight topspin to ensure it doesn't sail long? (I almost never hit into net)
The contact should be to the side of your body and it is optional if you want to add some topspin. This will bring a little more safety to the smash, but it will make it slower. Personally I like to smash with a flat contact.
thnx so much
I have seen some players (Zhang Jike), and when they smash they have only one foot on the ground. And I think (I am not sure) , I have seen Fan Zhendong smashing sometimes with both feet on the air (extreme case).Thank you from Greece.
Yes that;s right. Many of the pro players will smash with a more advanced technique where they get higher off the ground and really smash down on the ball. Very spectacular!
Thery are three different types of smashes.
Hi Tom. I have really been struggling with the smash, mostly the short, high variety. I like your easy to remember tips, but practicing, it seems natural to me to hit the top of the ball and smash out, but slightly down. Won't that work as well? Thanks.
So the ball is short and high?
Hi. Yes, it's often not quite off the end of the table and so I rush it and make a mess of it.
@@tdub2422 you could just get close to the table and do a drop shot or just smash the ball down with more power than when your away from the table
@@TIEWCINDY Hi Cindy. That's a great idea about the dropper; I always forget that's an option and no one would expect that. Also, a more severe downward smash is an excellent tip. I think I'm pulling my head, so I just need to relax and keep my head still. Thanks.
When the high ball is short,I get over the table and hit it down with 100% power. I am quite successful with my smashes
What you do with the high balls that are just about at the end of your reach from the back of the table?
Watch the ball until contact is very useful in my case
00:42 oh yea xD I know that so well!
This is my biggest downfall. I cannot smash for the life of me. Will take this on board and get practising. Thanks
Yeah, it's very frustrating messing up those high balls. Good news is that it's pretty easy to learn to smash well. Get someone to give you lots of high balls and have fun smashing the hell out of the ball.
Thanks for the tip of going through the ball and meeting the ball at the shoulder. Well I guess you kinda missed on choosing the right ball for a smash, I might be wrong since I'm a newbie. Please do reply to this. Again thanks for the tip gonna beat few of my colleagues tomorrow at work :)
The right ball to smash is a ball which is high (shoulder height or above). If the ball is lower, it is probably safer to topspin.
How do i smash if the ball is so much higher than my shoulder? Sometimes i wait for the ball to come down a bit, but i often miss it :((
Some people take the ball as it rises, but I think it is easier to let the ball drop to shoulder height and then smash. If you keep missing, make sure you watch the ball closely and smash at 50% power. When your consistency improves, start adding more power.
thank you
Forehand smash and topspin are those the same ?
No, a smash is a flatter contact, hitting through the back of the ball. A topspin is a brushing contact towards the top of the ball.
In rec play one gets alot of short high balls that are just about at the end of your reach(from the back to the table). What do I do?
For these, you need to move closer to the ball (you may need to move quickly!) and try and smash the ball when it is at it's highest point.
My problem is when people start to do those kicky lobs with sidespin or heavy topspin that push you away from the table
How to hit high spinning balls ? Especially the ones with topspin/backspin and they pitch at the edge of the table.
These can be tricky. For the high backspin ball, you may need a slightly more upwards swing to counter the backspin. For the high topspin ball, you need to take a step back from the table and hit more over the top of the ball. I will try and make a video about this at some point.
I am a intermediate player, I am an aggressive player as well, so I want a speed and spin racket, can u tell me what racket I should get? I can’t decide. My budget is around 50AUD
You'll probably not going to get an amazing bat for 50AUD, but this one could be a good option for you: aussietabletennis.com/product/cornilleau-perform-800-table-tennis-bat
Is there any other way to make payment, through bank transfer
Next movie how to defend high smash
What club do you play for
I notice that you always play forehand with the red rubber on your bat. Do you play with a different grade rubber for backhand?
Yes, I have Joola Rhyzer 48 on FH (more speed) and Joola Rhyzer 43 on BH (more control).
Thanks Tom for your comments. Have come back to TT after a 46 year lay off. Am enjoying your coaching videos that back in the day I would never have seen or been coached on.
Atm I am playing in a local league for the first time and coming across players who constantly play a defensive stroke. I hope to reach a higher level through . your tutorials
Thanks.
Half the battle for success at smashing is just being LOOSE. Loose as a goose! Remember that. When you're loose you can hit a lot harder and with more control. And I'm persuaded that a good percentage of high ball misses are due to players tightening up without realizing it.
How do you play a high ball that has a load of back spin on it? Every time I try to smash it it goes straight into net
For high backspin balls you need spin up a little bit. I have a video on this here: ua-cam.com/video/tNrRarfcMPs/v-deo.html
how do ui smash high balls with a spin on it? thanks
How do you return a smash?
Usually, you would get back from the table and lob the ball back high.
coach. what if the ball is not too high. how to smash it ?
If the ball very high, you can smash. If the ball is medium high, you can still flat hit or topspin. If the ball is low, the best option is to topspin.
@@TomLodziak how to flat hit or topspin coach.I am a beginer i stwrt yesterday
I tried smashing the ball after my friend sent the ball up and I smashed at the perfect angle but the ball slipped of and went forward
What can I do if the ball goes backwards or to one side too fast?
If the ball is in the air, you have time to move. So watch the flight of the ball and move back or to the side if needed. Your aim is to get in as good a position as possible and then you can smash consistently with power.
Tom Lodziak Thank you
This is harder than just using the old school tennis style slam.
I quite like the tennis-style smash too. And it's a perfectly good way to smash. It looks quite spectacular when playing table tennis. If you find this easier to do, then just stick with it.
I think you are right Sir. I like using the tennis slam on high balls, but I rarely see the pros doing this. Must be a good reason. I think your way is best, because you are able to get back into position, if the opponent blocks or even returns the ball.
With the slam, it leaves you too far out of position. It is a homerun type of hit and you are taking too much a risk on it. I can get away with it on my level, but not on a competitive level, or even amateur level. I am just a recreational player.
Thanks Sir. I love your videos. Great stuff.
Smashing is essential!!!! Even if your opponent is much better,if you really smash,he will not be able to respond.... You can't say that about " chopping" or " spinning"...
Two tips I would add: watch the ball carefully and remain calm.
i want name best rubber for Butterfly Timo Boll ZLC Blade
Play style
spin ,Play behind the net , Short attacks, Chop , Resist attacks , ,And control,
Spin ball how will you smash forehand
who the heck is high balls?
Anyone else watching because they have a gym class ping pong unit?
I love being that guy, fix the net.
How to do a back hand smash
This is supposed to help me SMASH easier...
Still nothing...