Blocking by Han Xiao Blocking is a very underrated and undervalued skill in table tennis. One of my biggest regrets is not having more practice partners as a young player and not practicing blocking more. As a result, I had a poor understanding of blocking technique that took a long time to correct. It’s important […]
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Watching the Ball
Posted onWatching the Ball by Han Xiao Today we’re going to discuss something extremely basic: watching the ball. It’s so basic, in fact, that it sounds like it should be obvious that everyone who plays table tennis already knows how to do it. Yet, almost every player I’ve coached from beginners all the way up to […]
Playing Against Penholders
Posted onPlaying Against Penholders by Han Xiao Last week, we examined some basic strengths and weaknesses of players who play with unorthodox rubber and went over some of the common tactics used against these players. This week, we’re going to take a look at penhold players. Most people have some idea of the strengths and weaknesses […]
Playing Against Pips/Anti
Posted onPlaying Against Pips/Anti by Han Xiao Many players have a lot of trouble playing against “junk rubber,” which usually includes short pips, long pips, and anti. At lower levels of play, using pips or anti is often seen as an advantage that can give a lot of free wins. As players improve, using these types […]
Don’t Make Changes For Sake of Change
Posted onDon’t Make Changes For Sake of Change by Han Xiao A lot of players have a lot of variety in their game. They can hit a lot of different shots, have different speeds and spins, and are consistent players. However, some of these players still lose to players with objectively worse technique and less variety […]
Backhand Banana Flip
Posted onBackhand Banana Flip by Han Xiao In the last few years, the backhand banana flip has become a staple shot thanks to each new generation of players. Players such as Wang Hao and Dmitrij Ovtcharov were among the first players to use this shot as a primary method of returning serve in order to immediately […]
Open Ended Drills
Posted onOpen Ended Drills by Han Xiao Over the last ten years or so, I’ve noticed that the overall level of table tennis coaching in the United States has improved drastically. This is reflected in the playing styles and technique of our players, from intermediate levels all the way up to National Team members. However, one […]
Playing Against Choppers
Posted onPlaying Against Choppers by Han Xiao In most professional table tennis teams around the world, especially in China, you can usually find at least one chopper on the team, even if this player does not usually participate in league matches. As a result, most professional players have the opportunity to practice against choppers and to […]
The Lefty-Righty Matchup
Posted onThe Lefty-Righty Matchup by Han Xiao Many players have specific styles that they are weak against or feel like they are weak against. This may be a result of not practicing against this style, or it may be because they have lost to this type of style in the past. Some of the common styles […]
Step Around Footwork
Posted onStep Around Footwork by Han Xiao One of the most common footwork drills in table tennis among all levels of play is the Falkenberg drill. It’s a very simple drill. The drilling player plays only to the blocking player’s backhand side, playing first one backhand, then a forehand from the backhand corner, then a forehand […]
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