Site Products
Larry Hodges

Coaching Tip of the Week: Rally Down Faster & Quicker Players

(By Larry Hodges)

When faced with faster, quicker opponents, many players try to match them in speed, and end up losing because of too many unforced errors. Instead, ask yourself if it is realistic to play at the opponent’s pace. You might decide you can do so for perhaps the first shot in a rally, but not afterwards. So perhaps start the rally close to the table and see if you can win the point quickly, before it gets into a fast rally.

Once into the rally, you might take perhaps a half step backwards to give yourself more time. Instead of trying to bang it out at high speeds, your goal now is to out-rally the opponent, using his own pace against him. If your opponent hits the ball hard, you don’t need to create your own speed – just meet the incoming ball, and let it rebound back. Move the ball around so the quicker opponent has to both move and play those quick shots. Try to keep the ball deep, which jams the opponent, takes away the extreme angles he can go for, and gives you more time to react. Since you don’t need to create much speed on your own, you can shorten your stroke (so you aren’t as rushed), and just keep the ball in play … and out-rally your fast but frustrated opponent.

There’s one other thing that helps in beating fast, quick opponents – to get out of those bang-bang rallies, perhaps develop a backhand chop. Often that quick opponent will himself be caught off guard, and will likely push – and now you can look for a ball to attack.

Stay “In The Loop” with Butterfly professional table tennis equipment, table tennis news, table tennis technology, tournament results, and We Are Butterfly players, coaches, clubs and more.

Latest News

That’s a Very Common Mistake

October 17, 2025
Serve,Short game and attack with Wait function: Jhon serves short backspin, robot plays short backspin drop shot to… Read More

Rachid El Bou Bou – Gameplay Sequencing

October 17, 2025
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Rachid El Bou Bou is polishing off his Gameplay Sequencing.… Read More

Top players in MLTT after Week 3

October 16, 2025
(by: Major League Table Tennis) [caption id="attachment_270373" align="alignnone" width="366"] MLTT WEEK 3 PLAYER POWER RANKINGS[/caption] Major League Table… Read More

China Wins Asian Championships

October 15, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins, photo ITTF) Team China won the ITTF-ATTU 28th Asian Table Tennis Team Championships.  That headline… Read More

Pan Am Championships: Calderano and Diaz Win Singles Titles

October 15, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins, photo USATT) Hugo Calderano topped Kanak Jha in the Men’s Final and Adriana Diaz’s upset… Read More

Pan Am Championships: Early Action

October 14, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins, photo USATT) Singles started on Sunday, with top seeds in action on Monday. at the… Read More

Laurent Jutras Vigneault – Forehand Opening Loop from underspin

October 14, 2025
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Laurent Jutras Vigneault is working on his opening loop from… Read More

Zyre 03: Redefining Power and Spin in Modern Table Tennis

October 13, 2025
(By Edgardo Vazquez/Bowmar Sports) In top-level table tennis, every detail counts. The choice of rubber can be the… Read More
View All News

Get the latest from Butterfly

Stay “In The Loop” with Butterfly professional table tennis equipment, table tennis news, table tennis technology, tournament results, and We Are Butterfly players, coaches, clubs and more.