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

World Cup Macao: Final Four

April 18, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) Kanak Jha’s run ended in the Final 16 on Thursday with a 4-1… Read More

Butterfly Training Tips with Bob Chen – After Serve Control and Short Ball Attack

April 18, 2025
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Bob Chen is working on the combo of Serve, Forehand… Read More

Butterfly Training Tips with Jabdiel Torres – Short Push & Forehand Loop

April 17, 2025
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Jabdiel Torres is working on his short game and transition… Read More

World Cup Macao: Main Draw

April 16, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) Group play concluded today at the ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup Macao. … Read More

Kanak Jha Reaches World Cup Final 16

April 16, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins) Kanak Jha has faced Germany’s Dang Qiu (Currently World No. 11) four times, and in… Read More

Butterfly Training Tips with Rachid El Bou Bou – Backhand & Forehand Loop Stroke Chemistry

April 16, 2025
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Rachid El Bou Bou is working on his Stroke Chemistry… Read More

Gold Rush Dominate And Win The MLTT Cup!

April 15, 2025
Carolina Strikes Gold 🏆 It’s official – the Carolina Gold Rush have claimed their first-ever Major League Table Tennis… Read More

The WTT Youth Contender Arrives In Puerto Rico For The First Time

April 15, 2025
(by: Edgardo Vázquez /Puerto Rico National Coach ) From March 26 to 29, 2025, the Puerto Rican Table… 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.