Table tennis skills

1. CONTENT
P.No.
1. Introduction 1-2
2. History of Table tennis 3-4
3. History of Table tennis in India 5-6
4. Governing bodies of table tennis 6-9
5. The fundamentalskills and Tactics in Tabletennis 10-24
6. The Grip 25-29
7. Important of Footwork in Table tennis 29-32
8. The double play in Table tennis 33-36
9. Rules of Table tennis 36-38
10. Measurement of Table Tennis(Racket, Ball and table) 38-42
11. Duties of Coach in TableTennis 42-49

2. INTRODUCTION
Table tennisis an extremely fast moving sport and
demandspossibly the quickest reactions of any of the
Olympic disciplines.
 Table tennisplayers can put extreme spin on the ballto
make it difficult to predict or return, or can try to
maneuver their opponent aroundthe table — hopingto
open up a point winningopportunity. But the real joy of
the game is in its simplicity,requiring very little in the
way of equipment, meaning it is a very accessible sport.
Table tennisis certainly a sport for all and a sport for life
— anyone can get involvedat any time and continue
play throughout. It is particularlygood for developing
alertness and co-ordinatio

3. History of Table tennis
The game was invented in England in the early days of the 20th
century and was originally called Ping-Pong, a trade name. The
name table tennis was adopted in 1921–22 when the old Ping-Pong
Association formed in 1902 was revived. The original association had
broken up about 1905, though apparently the game continued to be
played in parts of England outside London and by the 1920s was
being played in many countries. Led by representatives of Germany,
Hungary, and England, the Fédération Internationale de Tennis de
Table (International Table Tennis Federation) was founded in 1926,
the founding members being England, Sweden, Hungary, India,
Denmark, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Wales. By the mid-
1990s more than 165 national associations were members.

4. The first world championships were held in London in 1926, and
from then until 1939 the game was dominated by players from
central Europe, the men’s team event being won nine times by
Hungary and twice by Czechoslovakia. In the mid-1950s Asia
emerged as a breeding ground of champions, and from that time the
individual and team events (for both men and women) have been
dominated by athletes from China. The popularity of the game in
China was notable for giving rise to so-called “Ping-Pong diplomacy,”
a period during the 1970s in which Cold War tensions between China
and the United States were eased via a series of highly publicized
table tennis matches between athletes from the two countries. The
first such event—held in Beijing in 1971—is widely credited with
paving the way for U.S. Pres. Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China
the following year. In 1980 the first World Cup was held, and Guo
Yuehua of China won the $12,500 first prize. Table tennis became
an Olympic sport in 1988, with singles and doubles competition for
men and women.

5. History of Table Tennis in India
Table Tennis in India started to be played in an organised manner
from the year 1937, when the Table Tennis Federation of India came
into existence in Kolkata (Calcutta). The TTFI was formed with four
State Association affiliated to it. The TTFI is an active member of the
International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) that was established in
1926. India was one of the founder members of the ITTF. After
operating for over a decade to promote and improve the status of
Table Tennis in India, the TTFI became successful to produce a
number of quality Indian Table Tennis players. India participated in
the inaugural World Championships and it also hosted the World
Championship at Mumbai (Bombay) in 1952. It was the first time that
the World Championship was held in Asia.

6. Governing Bodies of Table Tennis
Table Tennis Table is a sport played as professionally in various
competitions. For this players need to know different rules and
regulation to play TT Table sport. To organize and manage the Table
Tennis Sport various federations are found worldwide as well as
region wise.
The list of Table Tennis Federation is as following:
International Table Tennis Federation
Table Tennis Table Sport is oversees by the ITTF (International Table
Tennis Federation) and it is considered as the governing body for all
international table tennis association. The main role of ITTF is to
organize the rules and regulations and searching time to time
technical improvements for tt table sports. It is completely
responsible to organize several international competitions.
After some time the ITTF has given membership according to some
region and these are called as the Continental Federation. These
include African Table Tennis Federation, Asian Table Tennis
Federation, European Table Tennis Federation, Latin American Table
Tennis Federation, Northern American Table Tennis Federation and
Oceania Table Tennis Federation.

7. African Table Tennis Federation: ITTF has given the authority for
African Region to regulate the table tennis game in African Countries
by making African Table Tennis Federation. In ATTF, total 48
members are included according to different African Countries.
Asian Table Tennis Federation
ATTU (Asian Table Tennis Union) is an Asian table tennis governing
body declared by ITTF and currently it has 44 members associated
with this according to different Asian Countries region. Some region
wise Table Tennis events are completely sanctioned by ATTU or
ATTU region groups.
European Table Tennis Federation
European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) is considered as the highest
authority’s body of regulating of Table Tennis in Europe declared by
ITTF. It has 56 member associations according to the European
Countries. The main responsibilities of this federation are to control
and organize competitions in European Region.
Latin American Table Tennis Federation: This LATTU (Latin American
Table Tennis Union) is known as the most famous continental
federation of table tennis recognized by ITTF. The LATTU has 37

8. member associations according to the region working on the
development and competitions of table tennis in Latin America.
Northern American Table Tennis Federation
The Northern American Table Tennis Union (NATTU) is the governing
body of table tennis sport in Northern American region declared by
ITTF. NATTU has 4 members associated to improve popularity and
development of table tennis sport in Northern American region.
Oceania Table Tennis Federation
The OTTF is the continental federation declared by ITTF. It is
considered as the governing body of table tennis sports in Oceania
region. This federation has 24 affiliated members associated to
regulate and organize the table tennis sport in Oceania region.
In this way, the table tennis sport is organized by these region wise
federations all around the world. The main work of these federation
unions is to improve the popularity of table tennis sport as well as
regulate the competitions of TT Table game.

9. Table Tennis Federation of India
The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) is the governing
body for table tennis in India. The TTFI was established in 1926, and
was a founding member of the International Table Tennis
Federation (ITTF). TTFI's membership includes 32 state units and 37
institutions.[2]
Dushyant Chautala was elected as President of the TTFI at the
federation's annual general body meeting on 30 January 2017,
becoming the youngest President in the TTFI's history.

10. Role Of Table Tennis Federation of India
Since its inception, the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) has
played a vital role in the management of Table Tennis in India. The
TTFI has earned fame, name and success during the later years of
its operation. The federation has grown in size and boasts of an
impressive number of affiliated associations. Almost all the state
Table Tennis associations in India are the members of TTFI.
Sport Table Tennis
Jurisdiction National
Membership 32 state units and 37 institutions
Abbreviation TTFI
Founded 1926;96 years ago
Affiliation International Table Tennis Federation
Affiliation date 1926
Regional
affiliation
Asian Table Tennis Union
Headquarters I-12, 3rd Floor, DSIIDC Industrial Complex,
Near Udyog Nagar Metro Station, Rohtak
Road,Delhi - 110041
President DushyantChautala
Secretary Arun Kumar Banerjee

11. Fundamental Skills
Table Tennis Skills
 Forehand
 Backhand
 Serving
 Pushes
 Flicks
 Spinning the Ball
 Loops
Forehand drive
A forehand drive is an attacking shot. It’s played with a little bit of
topspin, but mainly it’s a flat hit and can be very powerful
You’d normally play the forehand drive close to the table when your
opponent’s return is a little high. You can play a forehand drive if the
ball has topspin, no spin or even light backspin on it, as long as the
ball is high enough. Against a low ball with heavy backspin, a drive
shot won’t be very effective, as you won’t have a good angle to get
the ball over the net. Instead you should play a forehand topspin vs
backspin stroke.
How do you play a forehand drive?
1. Start with bat around waist height
2. Close the bat angle slightly
3. Rotate backwards from the waist
4. As the ball approaches, rotate forwards and move your bat
forwards and up
5. Contact the ball just in front of your body

12. 6. The contact should be quite flat, roughly in the middle of your
bat
7. Your bat should follow through and finish in front of your body
Common mistakes
1. Don’t hit down on the ball – more often than not the ball will
end up in the net
2. Don’t let your arm cross your body on the follow through (like a
tennis player) – this will slow your recovery for the next shot
Backhand Drive
The backhand drive is the second table tennis shot that I teach to my
beginners. It is a very important shot that allows you to control
rallies, return opponents attacks and step on the offensive yourself.
If you fail to learn the backhand drive you will find it much harder
later on when you try to block with your backhand or play a more
aggressive topspin stroke.
The backhand drive is probably a slightly easier shot than the
forehand drive. This is largely because the backhand drive does not
require the body rotation and weight transfer of the forehand drive.
However, it is often under-practiced, with players preferring to work
on their forehand drive, and as such many beginners lack a
consistent backhand drive.
This post will highlight the correct technique for playing a backhand
drive in table tennis. I will use my own knowledge as a table tennis
coach and a video featuring Head Table Tennis Coach at Greenhouse
Charity, Jason Sugrue.

13. What Is The Backhand Drive?
 The backhand drive is one of the four basic table tennis strokes.
The other three are the forehand drive, backhand push and
forehand push.
 The backhand drive is an attacking stroke played with a small
amount of topspin. It is a drive shot and not a topspin loop!
 The backhand drive is played against long or medium length
topspin or float balls. You can’t play a backhand drive off a
short ball (that would be a flick) and you can’t play a backhand
drive off a backspin ball (that would go into the net).
 The backhand drive is primarily played from the backhand side.
Players are generally not encouraged to play backhand shots
from their forehand side as this can lead to poor technique and
their forehand is usually stronger.
The Stance
 Feet should be slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
 Stance is “square to the line of play”, basically your feet should
be pointing in the direction you are hitting the ball.
 Knees should be slightly bent.
 Body should be leaning forward.
 Both arms should be out in front of you.
 About a 90-110 degree bend at the elbow.
 Stand quite close to the table, an arms length away.
 Weight distributed on both feet and on the balls/toes, not
heels.
The Backswing
 Bring your bat backwards and down to somewhere just in front
of your belly button.
 Create a slightly closed bat angle.
 Keep your wrist straight

14.  The backhand rubber should be pointing in the direction you
wish to play.
The Strike
 The arm moves forwards, to meet the ball, and slightly up, to
create a bit of topspin.
 The movement comes predominantly from the elbow and
forearm.
 Bat angle stays closed throughout the shot.
 Take the ball at the peak of the bounce and out in front of you.
 Keep a small gap between the elbow and the body.
The Finish
 Follow through, forward and upward.
 Your bat should finish pointing where you have hit the ball,
roughly at about chin level.
 Don’t let your arms swing across your body too much to the
right.
 Always get back to the ready position.
Common Errors
Here are some common errors to look out for in your own shot.
1. The shot should come predominantlyfrom the elbow
and forearm. Some players play predominantly from the wrist
(with the wrist moving across to the right) which leads to a lack
of power, poor control, and often a bit of sidespin on the ball.
Other players play predominantly from the shoulder (lifting
their whole arm to play the shot). This leads to a lack of feeling,
a slow shot, and often a lack of spin altogether as they “lift” the
ball instead of drive.
2. It should still be quite a long shot. The video said that
the backhand drive is a short stroke, which is true. However,

15. from my experience beginners tend to play their backhand
drive too short rather than too long. They “poke” and “prod” at
the ball instead of playing a full stroke. When you are learning,
elongate the stroke to ensure you are starting with a backswing
and finishing forwards and coming up to get a bit of topspin. It
can then be shortened and made more efficient once you have
mastered it.
3. Followthe ball with your bat. Check the direction your
bat is moving after you’ve made contact with the ball. Often
beginners will find that they are moving their bat over to the
right in a sort of “car windscreen wiper action”. Alternatively,
some players play a sort of “slice” backhand and their arm
lunges across their body to the left. Try and make sure you are
hitting the back of the ball and your bat follows through in the
direction of the shot.
4. Take the ball at the peak of the bounce. In the
forehand drive beginners are often tempted to take the ball too
late. In the backhand drive I generally see the opposite, as
players try and take the backhand drive too early, almost off
the bounce. Let the ball rise, wait that split second more, and
take it nice and high.
5. Stand directly behind the incoming ball. If you’ve
players tennis (or other racket sports) you’ll be aware that they
usually reach and take their backhand shots wide of their body.
In table tennis we do this on the forehand but not the
backhand. You need to get behind the ball. One easy way to
think about this is this; if you miss the shot the ball should hit
you in the center of your chest, it should not go flying past you.
If you were standing in the correct position and missed the ball
it would hit your chest.
6. Keep the bat angle closed throughout. It can be tempting to
open-up the angle of the bat during the strike and follow-
through but don’t do this. This is especially common if you are
playing the shot from your shoulder and lift your whole arm (or

16. if you’re playing with a dead bat). Keep the bat angle closed
throughout the shot and ideally keep your elbow at pretty
much the same height. If your elbow is moving upwards a lot
during your backhand there is probably something wrong.
Serving
Many beginner and intermediate players dread having to practice
their serves, often viewing it as a boring and overly repetitive
exercise. I mean it is only one shot, so it can’t be that important
right?
The reality is quite the opposite, service remains one of the most
important shots in table tennis and a player can never have enough
practice in trying to improve their service game. In fact, a player’s
service is the only shot in which they will have complete control over
in a point and consequently it is essential to utilise this opportunity.
Just to highlight how important service really is in table tennis, it is
worthwhile to briefly consider the development of service rules in
table tennis

17. The rules of a table tennis serve
Before learning the different types of serve, it’s essential to be
familiar with the rules of serving so that you don’t get faulted during
a game.
Flat hand with the ball in your palm
The first step of serving is holding the ball in an open flat hand with
the ball placed in the palm of your hand. You can’t grip the ball
hiding it or holding it with the tips of your fingers. This is to prevent
players from spinning the ball when they throw it up.

18. Striking the ball behind the end line of the
table
When serving you have to throw the ball up behind the white end
line of the table. You also have to make contact behind the line. You
can’t lean forward and hit the ball close to the net. You also can’t
start with the ball below the tabletop. It must be visible to your
opponent throughout the serve.
Tossing the ball
For a legal serve in table tennis you must throw the ball up into the
air at least 6 inches (or 16cm). You can’t just hit the ball straight out
of your hand which is a common thing for beginners to do when first
starting to play. To give you an idea of how high that is six inches
around the width of your ping pong paddle. You must also throw it
up straight into the air. You can’t toss it forwards or backwards or to
one side.
Again, it must be visible to the other player during the toss. This is to
prevent players from hiding the ball with your body or arms as in the
1980’s and 1990’s players began to completely block the opponent’s
view of the ball. This meant that the opponent could not see the ball
being struck, making it very difficult for the receiver to judge the type
and amount of spin on the ball and accordingly play a good return.

19. Ball placement when serving
During a table tennis serve, you can hit the ball from either side of
the table to anywhere on the opposing side of the table. It’s only
during a game of doubles that you have to serve from the one side to
another. That’s what the middle white line down the center of the
table is for.
Types of table tennis serves
There are several different types of table tennis serves. In this post,
we are going to take a look at the four most common serves. We
aren’t going to get into the more difficult serves in this article. You
already have enough to learn, and you can get into that later when
you are more proficient in the sport.
Forehand serve
The forehand serve is usually the first type of serve you will learn,
and it is the most common. Basically, you just have to hold your arm
so the underside of it is facing the other player. Then, you simply hit
the ball with the back side of the paddle. This is the serve that most
beginners are taught first, and it is likely one of the serves you will
use the most.

20. Backhand serve
The backhand serve involves using pretty much the same motion as
the forehand serve. There is only one major difference, and that is
that the back of the hand is facing the other player. You hit the ball in
the same manner as you would with the forehand serve.
 The High Toss Serve
By Larry Hodges
One of the most effective serves in table tennis is the high-toss serve.
First used effectively by the Chinese, it is now used, at least
sometimes, by almost all top players. Since the ball drops further on
the high-toss than on the short toss, and so at contact point is
traveling much faster than it would otherwise, the high-toss server
can often deceptively throw an opponent’s timing off by
unpredictably choosing to put more or less spin on the ball than he
would normally.

21. The most common high-toss serve is the forehand one with the
racket tip down. Before attempting this serve though, you should
first perfect the same serve but with a short toss. To start with, you
will have to modify your grip. The shakehands player (the penholder
player applies the same principles) should put his index finger farther
down on the racket (some put it almost straight down the center),
pointing towards the tip. The thumb should be on the side opposite
the index finger and should be pressing down on the base of the
handle (where it meets the blade) against the other fingers. This grip
should unlock the wrist, allowing maximum wrist action. Now stand
over towards your backhand corner and serve by just grazing the ball
from right to left. For maximum sidespin, contact should be midway
between the back and the left-hand side of the ball. For chop, go
under the ball. For topspin, go more over the ball- though this may
be awkward at first. The racket, for maximum deception, should
travel in a semi-circle, going down and then up. This way, you can
use the same motion and get either chop or top merely by changing
the contact point.
Practice the serve until you can control the ball at full speed and still
just graze it and can also keep it low and short. Contact the ball near
the racket tip for maximum spin. The wrist, arm, and shoulders
should be loose throughout the serve for maximum whip action.
Now you’re ready to try the high toss. First, you must practice the
toss – it’s not as simple as it looks. To be effective, you must be able
to toss the ball up about 8-15 feet high and have it drop right where
you want it – otherwise you will have to reach fro the ball, hurting
your service motion. When you can control the toss, start serving
just like you did for the short toss. Because of the ball’s increased
speed it will be harder to graze it and control it. To keep the ball
lower and shorter, try to contact the ball as low as possible – just
above table height. Practice serving both long and short, to the right
and left. And don’t be afraid to experiment. For example: by
contacting the ball on different parts of your racket you can create
different spins. And by varying your delivery you can add deception.

22. A sudden “herky-jerky” motion after contact is also effective for
throwing off the receiver.
It should be clear that you can create spins with a high-toss that you
can with a short toss. To do this, try contacting the bottom of the ball
from right the left. This will create a sidespin, the axis of which points
away from you rather than up and down as in normal sidespin. This is
called screwspin (also called the Chinese Unknown Spin). Screwspin
will make the ball jump sharply to the right when it hits the table and
will create difficulties for your opponent. For example, a normal high
toss serve will break to your left off your opponent’s racket. But
screwspin, which looks so similar, will break right if pushed back and
left if attacked. Imagine the spin on the ball and why it’s there – a
push contacts the bottom of the ball, while an attack controls the
top. However, since a player rarely contacts the very bottom or the
very top of the ball, he will rarely meet the full force of the
screwspin, so the ball won’t break off his racket as fast as off a
normal sidespin – but it will be very difficult to read the break or the
jump when it hits the table.
To get more spin on your high toss, you must use the ball’s speed as
it contacts your racket to create spin. You must learn to put full
power in the serve. Use your shoulder to rotate into the ball, and
most important, you must use your wrist. Without a good wrist snap,
you can’t get good spin.
Watch top players to see how they do the serve – and copy them.
Also, the high toss is most effective when used with other serves, as
a contrast, so develop your other serves too. If you wish, you can
also try other types of high-toss serves, such as the forehand high-
toss with racket tip up (where you go up and then down, instead of
down and then up) or the backhand high-toss
FOREHAND SHORT BACKSPIN SERVE
To execute a forehand short backspin serve (figure 5.6), take a

23. position completely off to the left side of the table, so that your left
hand is located at the left sideline (right-handed player). Your left
foot should be in front of your right, and your upper body should be
parallel to the left side line of the table. The racket hand and the free
hand, which is holding the ball, are close together at the start of the
serve.
From an open palm, toss the ball at least 6 inches (15 cm) high and,
at the same time, rotate your upper body to the right, bringing your
racket back into the ready position. The racket blade is open and the
wrist is laid back. As the ball begins to descend, rotate your body
back to the left and bring the racket to the ball. Contact the ball at
the bottom of the ball's face with an open racket. The racket travels
under the ball and up at the end. The follow-through is very short to
help disguise the type and amount of spin on the serve.
The first bounce on your side of the table should be close to the net.
The bounce on the opponent's side of the table also should be short.
If done properly, this serve will bounce several times on the table or
even back up toward the net. After serving, quickly get into the ready
position to take advantage of any loose return.

24. BACKHAND SHORT BACKSPIN SERVE
The backhand short backspin serve (figure 5.7) begins with the left
shoulder close to the left side line of the table (right-handed player).
Rotate the right shoulder and hip so they are close to the table. Both
hands are close together with the racket behind the ball and close to
the left forearm. Begin the serve by throwing the ball up as you
rotate your upper body more to the left. This puts your body weight
on your back foot. As the ball descends, transfer the weight to your
front foot and rotate your upper body back to the right, bringing the
racket to the ball. Contact the ball at the bottom of the ball's face
with an open racket. The racket travels under the ball and up at the
end. The follow-through is very short to help disguise the type and
amount of spin on the serve.
The first bounce on your side of the table should be close to the net.
The bounce on the opponent's side of the table also should be short.
If done properly, this serve will bounce several times on the table or
even back up toward the net. After serving, quickly get into the ready
position to take advantage of any loose return.

25. The Grip
If you want to improve at any sport you play, it's important that
you master the basic skills. Table tennis is no different – one of
the most fundamental skills to pick up is how to grip your racket.
Although the International Table Tennis Federation has no
restrictions on how you should handle your racket, two styles of
grips have emerged over the years as the most optimal for
playing. They are the Shakehand Grip and the Penhold Grip.
 Shakehand Grip
The Shakehand Grip is actually a family of different styles, each
with very minor variations. It is possibly the oldest and most
common grip in the sport, with virtually all Western players and
roughly two thirds of Asian players using this grip.

26. How Should I Hold The Racket?
The grip is akin to holding a regular tennis racket or shaking
someone’s hand (hence the name).
You hold the handle in the palm of your hand and let the bat head fit
snugly into a "V" shape formed by your thumb and first finger.
For better control, let your thumb and first finger lie roughly parallel
with the straight edge of the rubber at the base of the racket head.
The remaining three fingers should then be wrapped around the
handle to provide stability.
Hold the handle firmly, but not tightly, imagining the bat to be
extension of your hand and forearm.
This grip should remain constant during play.
Pros & Cons
1.Natural and easy to master
2.Provides more power in strokes (suited for attack-minded players)
3.Allows for more control, both in forehand and backhand shots
4.Wide selection of bats to choose from
5.The “Crossover Point” – when it is difficult to determine whether
to use a forehand or backhand return accurately
6.Locked wrist can limit a player's adjustment to an opponent's
strokes
 Penhold Grip
The Penhold Grip is also a family of styles, but they have
greater variations from each other as compared to the
Shakehand family.

27. The three most popular Penhold Grips are the Traditional
Chinese Grip, the Reverse Penhold Backhand Chinese Grip, and
the Japanese/Korean Grip.
How Should I Hold The Racket?
In general however, the racket is handled as one would grip a pen,
with the thumb and index finger, while the rest of the fingers are
either curled or spread on the other side.
In the Traditional Chinese Grip, players hold a shortened handle, with
the three remaining fingers resting against the other side. "Japanese"
paddles have a raised handle, which is called a "hook." The index
finger curls around the "hook" for extra leverage.
Penhold bats typically only have one side covered with a rubber
sheet. This makes them lighter than Shakehand bats. The other side
must still comply with the paddles rule, so it is usually painted red or
black, or covered with a sheet of colour paper.
Pros & Cons
1.Allows the wrist to move freely

28. 2. Quicker and more flexible returns (suited for fast-minded tactical
players)
3. No “Crossover Point” as the same side is almost always used to
return all strokes
4. The element of surprise, as most players are unfamiliar with the
style
5. Weak backhand
6. Less power
Unusual Grips
While most players grip the racket in one of the two styles above,
there are some unique grips, which have gained a small measure of
popularity and success.
The Seemiller Grip
The Seemiller Grip, also known as the windshield wiper grip, was
developed by former American champion Dan Seemiller in the
1970s.
The bat is held quite similarly to the Shakehand Grip, but adds a 90
degree turn so that the thumb and index are are used to grip the side
of the bat.
The Seemiller grip allows good wrist movement on the forehand
stroke, giving a powerful forehand topspin. It is also good for
blocking on both sides.
Seemiller-grip players get tremendous snap on their forehand
strokes, but have to hit backhand shots with the same side of the bat
as the grip makes it awkward to hit shots using a traditional
backhand.

29. The V Grip
The V Grip was developed in China, by forming a "V for victory" sign
between the forefinger and middle finger. The other fingers rest
under and on top of the handle, requiring a modified blade to grip
successfully.
The V Grip produces more spin, power and leverage, but is less
flexible especially when returning shots to a player’s elbow.
 FOOTWORK
One of the keys to playing a good game of table tennis is having good
footwork. Proper footwork would allow you to move more efficiently
such that you would be able to execute better, more accurate
returns.
There are two main footwork patterns in table tennis, the side to
side and in and out. In footwork, its important to always keep your
weight on your toes such that your weight is going forwards. The
bending of your knees is also essential to lower the centre of gravity

30. and to give you better balance.
Keeping this in mind this would give you better mobility during a
game and allow you to reach your maximum potential. Here are 4
steps to improve your footwork in table tennis.
1. Side to side Footwork
When to use this? This is the main footwork pattern used in table
tennis.
This is done swiftly when you are close to the table. Always move
your outside foot whether you are moving to the left or right.
Starting from your base position, to move from a backhand to a
forehand, you move from your left foot to the right foot followed by
your left then back to the right foot, creating short quick steps in a
shuffling pattern from side to side.
As for moving from a forehand to a backhand, you start moving your
right foot first before your left and then right and lastly left.
2. In and Out Footwork
When to use this? This is employed to return a short service.
To make this return, move your body forwards (IN) to reach the ball
to play your stroke and afterwards return back (OUT) to the ready
position.
When moving inwards towards the ball, step your right foot forward
positioning your right leg under the table. After playing your shot,
return back to the base position.
Your left foot moves followed by the movement of your right foot

31. under the table. After playing your stroke, your right foot then
moves back outwards and your left foot returns back to base
position.
Simply put, the footwork is: left, right, right and finally left.
3. Crossover Footwork
When to use this? When you need to return at a faster pace.
If the ball advances wide to your forehand side, you can use
this crossover footwork pattern as it is faster than using the
side to side footwork. As the name suggests, your legs cross
over each other for you to reach and catch the oncoming ball at
a faster pace.
To move from the backhand side to the wide forehand side,
you cross your leg foot wide to the right side. Then using the
left foot as a pivot, shift your weight to your left foot. You
should transfer your body rightwards and move your right foot
across as you play your shot.
4. One Step Footwork

32. When to use this? This is used as a last resort when you have
no time to react.
Sometimes during table tennis matches, we may not have
much time to react. Therefore, you may be forced to use a one-
step movement to move from one position to another. This
would generally result in a non-optimal or an awkward
position. It is typically used for employing a blocking stroke.
A one step movement is executed by pushing off with a
stationary foot into a wider stance followed by playing of the
ball and finally returning back to base position for better
balance.
The goal of proper footwork is to position the body in optimal
positions before the beginning of a stroke. Footwork should
never be neglected during table tennis training. Other than
improving your footwork, you may also want to have a look at
these solo table tennis drills you can practice without a
partner.

33.  Double play in table tennis
The doubles game in table tennis can be more exciting than singles.
Some players enjoy the “team” aspect, as well as the faster
movement involved and the emphasis on ball placement.
Although the rules between singles and doubles are essentially the
same, there are some subtle differences in terms of tactics and
gameplay. That’s why a well-trained partnership can often defeat a
team of higher-skilled players who have not practiced much
together.
Playing and winning in doubles competition is also fun and rewarding
– after all, there's two of you to share the glory and celebrate!
The Rules of Doubles
Service
Unlike the singles game where the ball can bounce anywhere on the
table during service, in doubles, the ball can only bounce on the right
half portion of the table for both the server and the receiver.
Like the singles game, the service still alternates every two points
between teams, but it also alternates between players on the same
team.
Once your team has finished your two serves, you swap sides with

34. your partner. The person you were serving to now serves and your
partner is the new receiver.
Order of Play
Doubles matches have a certain order of play that must be followed.
- Imagine two teams ... players A & B and players X & Y.
- Player A serves to player X who then returns the ball. Player B must
then play the next shot and player Y the shot after.
- This pattern goes on (A, X, B, Y) until the point is decided.
- If the wrong player makes the return, the team loses the point.
Change of Service
At each change of service, the last receiver shall become the server
and the partner of the previous server shall become the receiver. For
example, a correct pattern would be:
- Player A has played his two serves to player X
- Player X then plays his two serves to player B.
- Player B will then play his two serves to Player Y
- player Y will play his two serves to Player A.
Player A will then restart the sequence all over again and the
sequence will repeat itself until a changeover or the end of the
game.

35. Change of Ends
A changeover occurs when one team has scored 5 points. This will
also change up the order of receiving.
For instance, players A & B score 5 points first, whilst A is serving to
X. After changing ends, player A will serve to player Y for the
remainder of the game.
Doubles Tactics
Doubles require quick movement and good understanding. One of
the first thing to remember is to move out of your partner’s way
after you’ve made your shot.
Here are five quick tips to remember the next time you play doubles:
1. When serving, remember that your partner, not you, will be
making the third stroke. That’s why you should always try to use
services that will help set up your partner's best attacks.
2. Give hand signals to your partner on the serve you’re about to
make, so that he’ll be prepared for the next shot.
3. Make your serve, step to the right side of the table and let your
partner move to the centre. Watch your partner make his shot and
slide to the left of the table, while you move back into the centre.
4. You should always aim attacks at either the weaker player or the

36. one who’ve just made a shot from the other team. In the second
scenario, the receiver may be blocked by his teammate in the
process.
5. If you are a good player teamed up with a weaker player, your job
is to make as many strong attacks as you can, so that your partner
hopefully will get a weak return that he can handle easily
 Rules of table tennis
1.Single Rules
Opponents will conduct a coin flip, the winner may choose either
end of the table or the right to serve or receive first. If they choose
an end, the other player has the choice of serving or receiving first.
Each match shall consist of the best two out of three games with the
winning player reaching 11 points first or being ahead by two after
the score reaches 10 all in each game. 2. The server changes from
one player to the other every time five points are scored, except
when the score becomes tied 10-10. At this time, the serve changes
and continues to change after each point until one player scores two
consecutive points, thus winning the game. 3. The serve must be

37. made from behind the end line. The server puts the ball into play by
tossing it into the air from the palm of one hand and striking it with
the paddle (held in the other hand) so that it hits his/her own court.
The ball must go over the net and hit the receiver's court. The
receiver must return the ball over the net so that it hits the server's.
2.Doubles Rules
Each match shall consist of the best two out of three games with the
winning pair reaching 11 points first or being ahead by two after the
score reaches 10 all in each game. 2. The pair winning a coin flip may
choose either end of the table or the right to serve or receive first. If
they choose an end, the other pair has the choice of serving or
receiving first. 3. The pair having the right to serve the first five
serves in any game shall decide which partner shall do so. The
opposing pair shall then decide which shall be the first receiver. 4.
Each server shall serve for two points as in singles. At the end of each
two points, the one who was receiving becomes the server, and the
partner of the previous server becomes the receiver. This sequence
shall continue until the end of the game or the score of 10 all. At 10
all, the sequence of serving and receiving shall continue
uninterrupted except that each player shall serve only one point in

38. turn and the serve will alternate after each point in turn and the
serve will alternate after each point until a pair is ahead by two
points. 5. The server shall first make a good service, the receiver shall
then make a good return, and the partner of the server shall then
make a good return. The partner of the receiver shall then make a
good return, the server shall then make a good return and thereafter
each player alternately in that sequence shall make a good return. 6.
After each game the pairs shall change ends. The pair serving first in
the previous game shall become the first receivers in the next game
and vice versa. Rule #3 (above) shall then be in effect. 7. Rules not
covered above shall be in accordance with the Laws of the
International Table Tennis Federation as interpreted by the United
States Table Tennis Association.
Measurementof Table
Tennis,(Racket,Balland table)
The table

39. The upper surface of the table, known as the playing surface, is
2.74m long and 1.525m wide and is horizontal 76cm above the floor.
The playing surface does not include the vertical sides of the
tabletop.
The playing surface yields a uniform bounce of about 23cm when a
standard ball is dropped on to it from a height of 30cm.
The playing surface is a matte surface and dark coloured. There is a
white side line, 2cm wide, along each 2.74m edge and a white end
line, 2cm wide, along each 1.525m edge.
The playing surface is divided into two equal courts by a vertical net
parallel to the end lines. For doubles, each court is divided into two
equal half courts by a white centre line, 3mm wide, running parallel
with the side lines. The centre line forms part of each right half court.
 The net assembly
The net assembly includes the net, its suspension and the supporting
posts, including the clamps attaching them to the table.
The net is suspended by a cord attached at each end to an upright
post 15.25cm high. The outside limits of the post are 15.25cm
outside the side line.

40. The top of the net is 15.25cm above the playing surface. The bottom
of the net, along its whole length, is as close as possible to the
playing surface. The ends of the net are attached to the supporting
posts from top to bottom.
The Racket
Players are equipped with a laminated wooden racket covered
with rubber on one or two sides depending on the grip of the player.
The ITTF uses the term "racket", though "bat" is common in Britain,
and "paddle" in the U.S. and Canada.
The wooden portion of the racket, often referred to as the "blade",
commonly features anywhere between one and seven plies of wood,
though cork, glass fiber, carbon fiber, aluminum fiber, and Kevlar are
sometimes used. According to the ITTF regulations, at least 85% of
the blade by thickness shall be of natural wood. Common wood
types include balsa, limba, cypress, and hinoki, which is popular in
Japan. The average size of the blade is about 17 centimetres (6.7 in)
long and 15 centimetres (5.9 in) wide. Although the official
restrictions only focus on the flatness and rigidity of the blade itself,
these dimensions are optimal for most play styles.

41. Table tennis regulations allow different rubber surfaces on each side
of the racket. Various types of surfaces provide various levels of spin
or speed, and in some cases they nullify spin. For example, a player
may have a rubber that provides much spin on one side of their
racket, and one that provides no spin on the other. By flipping the
racket in play, different types of returns are possible. To help a
player distinguish between the rubber used by his opposing player,
international rules specify that one side must be black while the
other side must be a bright color clearly distinguishable from black
and from the color of the ball. The player has the right to inspect
their opponent's racket before a match to see the type of rubber
used and what color it is. Despite high-speed play and rapid
exchanges, a player can see clearly what side of the racket was used
to hit the ball. Current rules state that, unless damaged in play, the
racket cannot be exchanged for another racket at any time during a
match.
The Ball
The international rules specify that the game is played with a sphere
having a mass of 2.7 grams (0.095 oz) and a diameter of 40
millimetres (1.57 in). The rules say that the ball shall bounce up 24–

42. 26 cm (9.4–10.2 in) when dropped from a height of 30.5 cm (12.0 in)
onto a standard steel block thereby having a coefficient of
restitution of 0.89 to 0.92. As of 2015, balls are now made of a
polymer instead of celluloid, colored white or orange, with
a matte finish. The choice of ball color is made according to the table
color and its surroundings. For example, a white ball is easier to see
on a green or blue table than it is on a grey table. Manufacturers
often indicate the quality of the ball with a star rating system, usually
from one to three, three being the highest grade. As this system is
not standard across manufacturers, the only way a ball may be used
in official competition is upon ITTF approval (the ITTF approval can
be seen printed on the ball).
The 40 mm ball was introduced after the end of the 2000 Summer
Olympics; previously a 38 mm ball was standard. This created some
controversies. Vladimir Samsonov, the World No. 1 table tennis
professional at the time, threatened to pull out of the World Cup,
which was scheduled to debut the new regulation ball on 12 October
2000.
 Duties of Coach in Table Tennis
First some words about communication.

43. Everyone is different, and we should respect that. All need to be
addressed individually. And everyone needs to get or secure their
own solutions.
Some people are extrovert and they might want to discuss a lot
before they understand and accept instructions, tips or feedback.
Others are introvert and they might want to think a lot of their own
and then check with the coach, asking specific questions.
Different people also have different dominant senses; sight/visual,
hearing/auditory or touch/kinesthetic. There is actually a
physiological connection; in body posture, breathing, the tone of
voice, communication speed, in often used expressions, etc. To
communicate better when giving guidelines and feedback you should
respond to a person with their dominant sense.
Remember also that even non-actions are important communication.
Tactical coaching

44. This section is about coaching players in Table Tennis matches. Here
are some tips on how to coach one (singles) or two players (doubles
or mixed doubles) for, during and after a match.
There are three parts of your tactical coaching:
1. Preparation
2. Match gameplay
3. Post-game analysis
Focus on the player’s performance and not the results. You can affect
their performance. But the results depends on the competition,
which you have little influence over.
Tactical coaching — Preparation
Prepare the players for the match. It is very important the players
come into “competition mode”.
The players need to

45.  Take it seriously
 Have the motivation on top
 Be mentally prepared to face different situations
 Do, or take part in, their own tactics development work
 Understand the tactical details — be able to put the tactics in
place with no hesitation
 Understand the importance of being self-controlled during the
match
 Perform a proper warm-up (both of the body physique and the
strokes)
How you, as the coach, do this depends very much on the players. It
is a matter of your social skills.
You might use facts proving their chances of winning the game.
Tactical coaching—Match gameplay
There is a main aim of the tactical coaching during the match. This is
to get the players to raise their mental and tactical strength to its
highest level. For each game and each point.
Being the coach, consider the following:
 Show that you care. Show that you are there as a security. Display
stability.
 Inject fighting power and courage into the players.

46.  Depending on the situation, ask the players for example to calm
down, or think positively and about possibilities, or dare to attack,
or look for opportunities.
 Remind the players about their strengths.
 Recommend weaknesses of the opponents that your players can
exploit.
 Recommend measures to prevent the opponents to exploit the
weaknesses of your players. It could be about such things as ball
placement, spin and player positions. Be a bit careful, though. You
need to say it in the right way.
 Between games (sets), after a won game, ask the players to start
aggressively and focused in the next game (set). It is easy to feel
satisfied after a won tough game, and see the next game’s points
roll away.
 Do not attempt to change your players’ technique such as strokes,
footwork or game systems. It is too late for that now, and it would
only hurt their concentration. So, don’t say anything about their
technique.
 What ever you say, it needs to be simple to understand. Say only
one or two things at a time. The match game is a stressful
situation and the players already have a lot to think about.
Tactical coaching — Post-game analysis
As the coach, take the responsibility to perform a post-game analysis.
Do this regardless of the outcome of the match. It is best done
together with the player.

47. Discuss 2–4 things that were well performed and 2–4 things to
improve. Preferably, do this for each of the four strengths; Physical,
Technical, Tactical and Mental. Do this with each player, and write
down your results. You may also do it for the team as a whole.
Strategiccoaching
This section is about the long-term coaching of Table Tennis players.
Strategic coaching is about supporting the players in the
 preparation (development),
 implementation, and
 monitoring (and follow-up)
of their individual strategic action plans.
This involves leading the training practice in the best way. The aim is
to maximize the playing strength and competitive edge of the players.
You ease this by using good practices, methods, and tools for the
entire process. From Motivation to Goal fulfillment.
Good development progress is a lot about the attitude of learning
and improvement. It is important that you, as a coach or parent,
always praise the learning process. You should encourage effort and
hard work. You should never praise or comment talent, ball sense or
game perception.

48. We want all players to realize that they can grow through their own
efforts. They should realize that they do not have a fixed, static level
of talent or ball sense inside. We want them to realize that they have
to try it for themselves and learn from their own failures. Any mistake
or failure is a step forward.
Focus on the development and the learning process rather than on
results.
For instance, when the player complains, “I can’t do the banana flick”,
then you might respond, “You can’t do the banana flick yet, but it will
come if you do some more practice”.
Strategic coaching means to gauge how the player responds to
training. And then adapt the training and practice exercises to
maximize the effect of the training for the player. In a supportive and
coaching manner.
The procedure is a bit like doing research, and you use a similar
approach.
You
 ask questions,
 create an improvement hypothesis,
 draw up a training program,
 measure,

49.  collect and compile data.
If the data shows success according to plan, then you continue until
the goal is fulfilled.
More often you’ll have to make changes to the plan or the training
program. You do this if the data instead shows that the player does
not adapt or improve themselves.
And so you continue to work.
As a coach, your goal is to help your adept to learn, rather than teach.
You want to release your adept’s ability to maximize their
performance. You want to build up their self-awareness and
responsibility for their development.
As an adept, self-awareness is important as you can only control what
you are aware of. What you are unaware of controls you. Awareness
makes you stronger. Responsibility is something you choose, no one
can tell you to be responsible. Awareness and responsibility are the
two most important attitude factors. Your mental strength is your key
to success.
In other blog posts, I’ll advice you more about
 the improvement process, and
 how you work with an individual strategic action plan for a player.

50. Reference By
 WIKIPEDIA
OTHER WEBSITE
 WWW.ITTF.COM
 WWW.TTFI.COM
THANK YOU