Site Products
Coaching Tip of the Week: Relax Your Arm During Backswing

Coaching Tips of the Week: Keep the Ball to the Extreme Angles in Practice

(By Larry Hodges)

 

I remember something USATT Hall of Famer Ricky Seemiller once told me at one of my first training camps: “Amateurs practice to the middle forehand and middle backhand. Top players practice to the wide angles.” What does that mean? Many players get in the habit of warming up and practicing their shots to exactly what Ricky said – the middle of their partner’s forehand or backhand sides, rather than the corner. Watch them warm up forehand to forehand or backhand to backhand, and you’ll see their shots, on average, are 6-12 inches inside the corner.

 

What you practice in practice you will do in games.

 

Top players don’t generally practice or play to this area – why would they make things easy for their opponents? Even when warming up with simple forehand to forehand or backhand to backhand, their shots will average right over the corners, going wider than the corners about as often as inside the corners. Do the math – it means opponents have 1-2 feet more table to cover, but more like 2-3 feet since shots to the corners are usually crosscourt and angling away. That’s a lot of table in a fast-paced game like ours.

 

I’ll say it again: What you practice in practice you will do in games.

 

So, next time you warm up or practice, focus on keeping your shots to the forehand or backhand to the wide forehand and wide backhand. With a few exceptions, essentially every shot you ever do should go one of three spots – wide forehand, wide backhand, and the opponent’s middle (the transition between forehand and backhand, usually around the playing elbow). Since those are the places you should be playing at, those are the places you should be going to when warming up or practicing.

 

I’ll say it one more time: What you practice in practice you will do in games.

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

Latest Rankings: Chuqin to 1, Calderano to 3

September 16, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) China’s top two paddlers swapped spots in the latest World Rankings, with Wang… Read More

A Chopper’s Delight

September 16, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins) When the Sugarhill Gang released “Rapper’s Delight”, few could have imagined either the immediate or… Read More

MLTT Is Back in Charlotte!

September 15, 2025
(by: Major League Table Tennis) See the Carolina Gold Rush Next Weekend Get ready for an action-packed three… Read More

Chopping and Playing Choppers – It’s All About the Mindset

September 15, 2025
(By Larry Hodges) Member of US Table Tennis Hall of Fame I’ve coached many choppers during a match,… Read More

WAB CLUB FEATURE: Folsom Table Tennis Club

September 14, 2025
(By Steve Hopkins) The Folsom Table Tennis Club has two locations nestled in the greater Sacramento region of… Read More

WTT Champions Macao: A New Number One ?

September 14, 2025
(By Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) The surprises ended on the final day, as the higher seed won each of… Read More

ITTF Pan American U11 & U13 Championships: Recap

September 14, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins, photo USATT) The ITTF Pan American U11 & U13 Championships concluded last week in Antigua… Read More

WTT Champions Macao: Anders Lind Makes Semis

September 13, 2025
(By Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) Anders Lind headlined the penultimate day with a 4-3 upset win over World No.… 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.