By Ben Nisbet
Today’s pro tour table tennis professionals are maximizing the “catapult effect” of their high tension rubber sheets by exploding through the hitting zone with ever increasing racquet speed. With perfect ball contact, these athletes are generating wicked topspins and are in essence expanding the size of the opposite side of the table tennis table for themselves. A decided advantage in a sport where millimeters count.
At a coaching clinic today, sponsored by the Westchester Table Tennis Center, I was surprised to observe how many beginner and intermediate players were muscling up and trying use power to increase ball speed and spin. Instead their focus should be on using soft hands, reducing grip tension, and increasing racquet speed.
Good ball contact in today’s game, is produced not by hitting the ball, but by “brushing it”. For topspin this means closing the racquet angle and contacting the “upper hemisphere” of the ball in an upwards motion. Good ball contact, coupled with soft hands, relaxed grip tension and improved racquet speed will revolutionize your game.
Instead of plunking down $60, $70 or even $80 dollars for that new sheet of high tension rubber, think about taking a private lesson and working with your coach to improve ball contact and accelerating contact through the hitting zone. In doing so, your old sheet of rubber will come to life for a few weeks longer.
Ben and Remy Nisbet are the owners of TableTennisStore.US. Ben Nisbet is a member of Westchester Table Tennis Center and had the honor of coaching on December 29th, 2012. It was a great day.
