Ping pong, also known as table tennis, is an exceedingly popular sport worldwide, with the National Health Service of Great Britain reporting that there are roughly 300 million players around the globe. It is a fast-paced game that requires quick reactions and an ability to select the appropriate stroke for each playing situation. To master each shot, you will need a ping pong partner or a ball server to repeatedly set up the stroke for you until it becomes second nature.
Forehand Drive
The forehand drive is the most basic shot in ping pong. To perform it, you take your stance fairly square to the table with your feet wider apart than your shoulders. As the ball comes to the side of your body with the racket, also called a paddle, you keep your arm stiff, back straight and rotate the racket toward the ball by turning your hips. The racket should be mostly perpendicular to the ball, but may be angled slightly toward the table to add topspin if you would like. Your wrist should remain stable throughout the stroke to add power, thus creating an intense attack on your opponent.
Backhand Drive
The backhand is another essential shot in any ping pong player’s arsenal. If your opponent hits the ball toward the side of your body without the racket, stand with the racket side of your body nearly parallel to the edge of the table. Turn the face of the racket slightly away from the ball, also called an open face, and take a short backhand stroke squarely at the ball as it comes to you. As you hit the ball, raise on your toes and follow through with the stroke by pointing the racket in the direction of where you shot the ball. Your wrist should be loose during this shot if you want to impart spin on the ball.
Smash
Being able to smash the ball with accuracy will help you to effectively and quickly finish off your opponents. To hit this kind of stroke, you must wait for the ball to bounce to you and reach the highest point of its bounce. To hit the ball, perform a forehand drive with a greater rotation of your hips and thus a faster racket speed. Shift your weight forward onto your front foot as you contact the ball to add power. Keep your racket face angled so it is pointing toward the table, also known as closed, and smash the ball with a slightly downward stroke to ensure that you do not overshoot the table edge. It is best to angle the shot crosscourt to maximize the amount of table you can connect with.
Push
A push is designed to offset a powerful attack by your opponent. While your opponent is expecting you to return a hard hit ball with an equal amount of force, you take your forehand or backhand stance and impart a great deal of backspin on the ball. To do this, the face of the racket should be very open and as you take the stroke, you move forward and down with your hand in a chopping motion. Keep the stroke short and soft so the ball lands just over the net and has little bounce on it for the opponent to return.
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