How to Play a Table Tennis Backhand Drive - Stage 1 Control

[lonestar8338]

thats good

[erickBUENO2009]

thank you so much sir

[AdvantageBridal]

This guy is great! Now I can go and beat all of my co-workers when we are on our breaks!

[firendable]

I can pwn that kid easily with my freaking serves and my hard loops coming always in the corner.

[PathfinderPro]

@firendable Good. Now what has this comment got to do with a basic coaching video on how to play a backhand drive, one where the "kid" was asked simply to return the ball?

[firendable]

@PathfinderPro I don't really know but if you are that good on table tennis, why aren't you doing a good match with a pro and showing us?

[PathfinderPro]

@firendable I'm not really good at table tennis, nor do I pretend to be. I'm an average 1st division player in our league. Nor do I post comments like "I can pwn that kid easily with my freaking serves and my hard loops". If you don't know what your comment has to do with this video,why post it?

[usman1995ful]

@PathfinderPro

ur realy good!

[usman1995ful]

@PathfinderPro

and this video helped me a lot, thx!

[blakesquakers]

@PathfinderPro He's just being an immature child who's trying to get a reaction, while you are trying to help others player better. I'd ignore him.

Thanks for the video :)

[datmpham]

@firendable I own your mama . ..haha.. see how easy to brag of something that can not be verified... :-)

[mcgcarlos]

The reason why you don't have any idea what he's talking about is because your not listening. Listen well!!!

[hamdanlive]

thank you

[grouseeeee]

That kid plays much better than me.

[mae123love]

i have no idea what his talkin about

[NotSoLiberal]

Thank you for the video, great information!

[PathfinderPro]

@jperssonisthebest 1. That's the order I filmed and edited in. 2. If you look at the viewing figures, stance is by far the lowest watched of the four. Rightly or wrongly stance doesn't seem to appeal to viewers as much. If I put stance first I doubt the other videos would have been watched as much. You are right, stance is very important and it's there for those who want to watch it and we do say in many places its a series of 4 vids and what each is about.. Comes down to choice.

[PathfinderPro]

@jperssonisthebest because 1. that's the order they were filmed in and edited. 2. look at the viewing numbers for the four videos. Stance is by far the lowest watched - it's there for those who want to know about stance. We do say in lots of places this is a series of videos but if I put stance first, I doubt the other videos would have been watched as much . Stance, rightly or wrongly, doesn't seem to capture general viewers or casual players attention. A chicken and egg situation?

[jperssonisthebest]

@PathfinderPro but it's a little wierd order couse you need the basics to do the rest

[PathfinderPro]

@jperssonisthebest . In a way yes. But when someone new to table tennis starts up playing do we coach them how to stand and move first or how to hold the bat or just help them knock the ball back and forward - it's the later which gets their interest. Unless you want to improve and have the patience, I don't think on something like YouTube you can put your least popular video first. However, if I can get Jim to do another coaching video we'll take on board comments like yours. Thanks

[jperssonisthebest]

ok from this i learned to not bend your knees to not move your feets and just try to put the ball over the net so the opponent can try and win the point.

if i would do as you say i would do the opposite of ewry thing i've been teached and bellive me i'm not a bad table tennis player

[PathfinderPro]

@jperssonisthebest

And that's why this is only the first in one of four videos about how to play a backhand drive.

[jperssonisthebest]

@PathfinderPro and then you should show the basics wich you don't

[PathfinderPro]

@jperssonisthebest

part 4 looks at the basics of the stance for this shot. If you want how to move, that is a subject on its own. Not sure how basic you want these to be. Some have criticised them for being too basic, too old style, others like them. Ultimately, people should take from them what they want and use what works for them. If that's nothing so be it. If it's something then that's good.

[samikiller12]

Really cool video.

[criticaltinker]

Guyz, how can one maintain composure during games. I felt that even if you're good enough with any drills or strokes if you don't have proper composure, you're nothing. Like myself, i tend to be in the attack mode all the time which often resulted to lack of controls and miss the points. I'm over excited with every shot. Sometimes my hand hesitates to strike even if it's clear to attack especially on the slow ball. Please help. Any advice or training that could improve your composure? Thanks!!!

[TheSilverSkylite]

he missed a few of the balls. What a failure

[Xbadboy360X]

im not sure if pathfinderpro IS jim, but i jus wanna say that ur style of play is the closest to what my coach teaches me from any video i cud find, not like them silly american videos...(sorry expertvillage)

[PathfinderPro]

Hi, Jim is our league Chairman and head coach. He is not pathfinderpro

[B3l1Cool]

His movement remind me on robot xD

[cptjrkov]

swingign from under the table

helps keep the ball on the table

easier to return

[pimpinjew]

you definitely flicked your wrist on the slam....not good, according to ....you!

[PathfinderPro]

The control Jim is on about helps prevents mistakes. This video is stage 1 of a 4part series. Stage 3 deals with using the wrist which is a more advanced technique. Jim uses the control he talks in this video to set up the final shot to kill the ball - and that technique is covered in parts 2 and 3 ie the last shot or slam as you say leads on to the other videos.

[drthmstrbtr]

***** 5 Star video

Backhand control is vital, i cant tell how many games ive lost due to tryin to always slam my BH

[easyitgoes34]

i could own this kid i am 2 in england

[PathfinderPro]

I should hope so. This "kid" was a social player who didn't have coaching and agreed on the night to help out by returning the ball for Jim. Out of interest easyitgoes34 there is no "john" listed as number 2 in England in the under 14 years rankings. What are you 2 in?

[Realkill010]

2 words...OWNED...I mean one(sorry, for not funny joke). Good video :)

[IseeYouNewb]

who could not ?

[lwc888]

i like how the camera pans out and he's playing a kid. =)

[arneljoseph21]

im a begginer of this game,i want to know more ..

please,ill add this to my favorite..thnx..

[marcusgrim]

dont watch on youtube get the help of an expert because the better your opponent is the better you get....

[inchons]

very nice video, im new to playing but really enthusiastic . are there any tips you might give on how to maintain a straight wrist?

[PathfinderPro]

awaiting reply from Jim Clegg

[inchons]

i appreciate it

[PathfinderPro]

There are two things that you need to think about in order to keep your wrist straight.

1, Make sure that you put pressure on your index finger and thumb of the hand holding the bat.

(Gently squeeze together when holding the bat)

2, Concentrate on playing the stroke from your elbow and nothing else.

These two points should ensure that the wrist does not move.

Reply by Jim Clegg

[inchons]

thanks alot,

i was wondering also if you had any advice on keeping hold of the bat with the index finger outstretched,

- i used to play squash so i think the transition to now holding the bat is something im not used to -

[PathfinderPro]

Two things you need to think about when holding the bat .

1) Make sure that there is no gap between your hand and the blade.

2) Make sure that the tip of the index finger is on the rubber and not over the edge.

Keep the index finger as straight as possible, and keep the pressure on the tip of it all the time.

Jim C

[inchons]

thank you

[ChaldeanDude14]

its not called a bat you illiterate table tennis "player." Its called a paddle

GO PLAY WITH SOMEONE YOUR OWN AGE

0/5

[PathfinderPro]

Might be where you come from but it's not where I come from. A little patience and respect for other peoples cultures wouldn't go amiss. Constructive criticism is always welcome but comments like this make me wonder what the point of trying to help people is.

[caosato]

hey don`t let people like that (don`t wanna enter on discution whit noone) cheer u down. if it helps u R helping. at least m.. u know my girlfriend is good at this game.. now im learning to avoid the shame lol (adn beacuse its pretty fun). but shhh its a secret

[lightmobile]

both terms are in common usage..you only demonstrated your ignorance of the game

[PathfinderPro]

I am aware some people / cultures refer to a bat as a paddle or without rubbers a blade (I've visited a store on the internet called Paddle Palace a few times) - and in ITTF rules they seem to use the terms blade or racket. However my objection to the comment from ChaldeanDude14 was on two grounds:

1. the tone of his comment

2. his comment about "going to play with someone your own age"

not that he preferred the term paddle.

Sorry if my reply has caused any confusion or was not clear.

[lightmobile]

I was referring to the same comment you were, not your response to it

[Alucard20039]

Im sorry, buy playing that way is not comfortable for me. I have to play Chinese penhold, my hand is not tense and is relaxed in this grip. are the points of the technique the same or different due to my grip?

[riadhunion]

you play like a robot lol

[ananthaisin]

I am a real newbie in TT....Just one ques...

But wht if the opponent plays a Slice (backhand) can i play the same shot u r teaching??

[PathfinderPro]

Reply by Jim Clegg.

No. When playing this stroke against a backspin ball the bat goes up to meet the ball, but NOT forwards.

It goes in a steeper plane, up towards your own face and not towards your opponents face not ending higher than your own face but can go slightly outside your body line.

The stroke is played from the elbow only. No wrist and definitely no shoulder.

Remember, stage one is for beginners only, not advanced players. For advanced players the technique alters, but only slightly.

[XzimbomooseX]

good video thanks....but what are you doing with your left hand?

[PathfinderPro]

Reply from Jim Clegg:

Because i'm talking all the time, i'm using my left hand as a part of my explanation. It's mearly a means of stressing the certain points i was talking about. It does not play any role in the actual production of the stroke.

[junaid2k5]

you talk to much the man who talks

[crazyeviljoker]

his legs should make himself ban lower and he played like a robbet

[08guitarboy08]

wow your like a machine ! its hard to talk and concentrate on playing at the same time !!=]

[Suravo]

I play with some chinese players who they're really good. when i paly like how you explaned on the video, the ball goes high and the other person smashes it right back on the other side of the table. i never got a chance to learn to conroll that, any tips ?

The video is greate by the way. 5 stars

[PathfinderPro]

Sorry for the delay replying. This video is basic standard. Sounds like your opponents are using top spin. This is covered in part 3 of our backand series - wrist. To counteract top spin you will need to close your bat angle and aim to hit the top third of the ball not the back of the ball. This will keep the ball lower and return some top spin. Killerspin have an excellent video on YouTube about spin which explains how spin affects the ball when it hits your bat.

[IPHONEHACK3R]

...or u could just hit it and hope 4 the best...

[PathfinderPro]

...and then you wouldn't get control which is what the video is all about how to achieve.

[rockyonthe]

Hey Man

excellent coaching effort...

I improved a lot on my back hand from it..especially because i had no form of attack in the game earlier and played very defensively.

But now my backhad has become a potent weapon of attack in my game.

Thnx again..to the respected old man.

Hope to find more videos of same kind for forehand smash, forehand topspin and back hand topspin of same quality of coaching from your side.

Please post any links in case available

[tomektoma]

siema all gnoje

[Nartanian]

... man even that little kids really good...

[superboogen]

man this guys great! lol he does it like a robot... no errors lol.

[PathfinderPro]

Everyone makes mistakes, just some less than others! Mistakes will start to creep in more when trying to generate speed and spin which are covered in parts 2 and 3 of this series and which need a lot of practice.

[5600167]

u suck

[hyogen82]

thank you sir. you have a great instructional voice

[9831453981]

i m new to this game and vry passionate about it.i hav a good forehand but a poor backhand!thnx for the video

hope it helps me

[aeicis]

thanks for the video ^_^

[ACABATU]

no la haces viejon

[klaylka]

your alll boring people

[yodalr]

great videos, tnx a lot (y)

[pinarello001]

If you look at professionals, the wrist action is exaggerated. Look at the Samsonov training video: 'Exquisite action of the wrist'. This style of coaching is un-dynamic and half the reason that UK TT is way behind the continentals. Just have a look at top players and the use of the wrist - especially Boll, both in forehand and backhand. The mens game at the top-level is predominantly top-spin and in order to create or counter this top-spin (even during blocking) is with added use of the wrist.

[PathfinderPro]

pinarello001 this is part 1 of a 4 part series and is the "basic level" and therefore not aimed at top players who already have control in their game. Part 3 builds on part 1 and 2 and explains about using the wrist which as you rightly point out is more advanced and definately used by the top professionals.

[pinarello001]

I understand that this is a basic level. I coach and have found it very difficult to 'switch' the wrist on as the player develops. It is much easier to start them off with a controlled wrist action. I get them to use nothing but the wrist in a short block drill - very small movement and they become very confident in a short space of time. At a later stage I get them playing with an aggressive backhand and no wrist - this requires excellent timing which initially is difficult. more...

[PathfinderPro]

Interesting approach pinarello001, this would make a good thread for a table tennis forum discussion - coaching styles. Personally as a player I find the timing needed for using the wrist to generate effective topspin much harder to master. However I am not a coach. Comments forwarded to Jim for his reply.

[PathfinderPro]

Detailed response from Jim Clegg forwarded direct to pinarello001.

[abed83a]

top players don't come to youtube to learn the basics. the target audience is different and these videos are very useful for them.

[seanor97]

lol 2:02

[biggestmaroon5fan]

this made me fall asleep

[gerrymaks]

These kind of videos are what most developing players needed. More please - thank you very much.

[brado32003]

wow, nice

[leeleerocks20]

when will more videos be made?

[PathfinderPro]

We mix and match between coaching and documentary style videos on table tennis. Last videos were on table tennis club secretaries about a month ago. Next playing video has been filmed and is Jim demonstrating 10 things he thinks every player should consider prior to physically serving the ball. Probably another 2 to 3 weeks before I'll finish editing and downloading them on to YouTube - depending on my other commitments. Thanks

[PathfinderPro]

Latest series of videos now added. A four part series looking at the mental aspect of serving. In particular, what you should be think about before you serve and the impact your decisions can have on how your opponent returns your serve.

[kosarka321]

He had some mistakes

[PathfinderPro]

kosarka321, please expand on your comments so I can ask Jim to reply to what you have said.

[pimpbizkit]

Id love to see more of those kinds of video's though. Here in Holland we have other visions on how to start learning a backhand.

Its always good to look at a stroke from different perceptions.

I think your club must be alot bigger then ours. we have 75 members or so and of those 35 are 'kids' aged 10-18. We train them in 3 seperated groups only 1h a week.

[PathfinderPro]

I agree as long as the method is sound.Players can then see try and choose what works best for them.

The PTTA is not a club as such more the name we give to our league which aims to promote table tennis in Preston.We have 19 clubs, 35 teams and approx 150 players. So 75 members for one club is huge by our standards! It is good you provide coaching too and I hope the youngsters appreciate all you do for them. I wish your club continued success in developing your members. Thanks for your comments.

[pimpbizkit]

The Kid has bad technique;) He moves his arm to much forward...

The technique explaned is great, ill sure use it in my lessons to. Get the kids to return there balls with a little bit of topspin for making the game more fun.

[PathfinderPro]

I'm sorry It's my fault for not explaining. This was filmed at one of our Friday social sessions which are run for the general public and intended for fun.You are right his technique is not perfect but to help us film, the kid very kindly agreed to take part.He has no coaching and only plays occasionally.What he did do and do very well was keep the ball under control and get it back again and again. This made my filming much easier and allowed "Jim" to demonstrate the correct backhand technique.

[Lolhydral]

Great video, perfect explanations. I'm waiting for the forehand lessons.

[PathfinderPro]

Thanks but the next playing video's will be on serving and the 10 things Jim thinks are important players should consider before even trying to hit the ball.

[SpeedGlue729]

Excellent video and explanations. This is great for beginners.

[bobbson619]

thx, i will remember this for sat

[ryanbycraft]

Cheers mate i will try this on friday

[t0006123]

the vid is great and will teach many people how to play the back hand drive

[PathfinderPro]

Thank you. Let's hope so. Jim is an excellent coach and helps our league out a lot.