Orthodox Technique for Intermediate Level Players

• Put your paddle down, not in your hand.
• Then whip your wrist.
• The hand and wrist joint are somewhat but not entirely relaxed, the energy and power come from the swinging of the forearm and the correct timing of the swinging of the wrist joint.
• The hand is thrown, ballistically, by the forearm.
• In a table tennis stroke, this whipping wrist quality is present, although the magnitude of the rotation of the wrist is small.

• The forearm, wrist, and hand are relaxed, the energy and power come from the swinging of the upper arm and the correct timing of the swinging of the elbow joint.
• The forearm is thrown, ballistically, by the elbow.

The forearm's rotation about the elbow is the essential movement in table tennis. Don't move the elbow much. Let it hang in the space below the shoulder as you lean over that space. Support it so it recieves the leverage of your shoulder and body movements, but minimize its swinging and especially try not to extend it forward in front of you as part of the stroke. Instead...

• This is quite difficult to explain so that everyone (or even ANYONE) will get it. I will try, but you might have to read this a few times, or freeze-frame your way through a snippet of video of professional players doing backhands, to make sense of it. Even then it may make no sense, but you can be sure it makes sense to me! So anyway here I'll try:
• I think the best way to approach this is by thinking about penhold backhand strokes, comparing the Chinese with the Korean backhand.
• But first, start by thinking about your forehand stroke. You will notice your paddle-side shoulder is moving forward at the moment of contact with the ball in a forehand stroke. True? Simple so far, I think.
• Next, consider: Which shoulder moves forward at the moment of contact in a BACKHAND stroke?
• In a typically Korean style backhand, the paddle side shoulder moves forward BEFORE the stroke as part of the wind-up, and then the opposite side shoulder moves forward through the actual point of contact. This is a powerful stroke, like a tennis backhand stroke, and it also requires a lot of time, because you have to rotate both directions before contacting the ball. So it is most appropriate for when you have plenty of time to hit the ball, such as when you are away from the table.
• In the typically Chinese style backhand, the paddle side moves forward during the point of contact with the ball. There is no cross-body windup. Just a punching forward with the paddle-side shoulder, in support of the forearm counter-rotating around the elbow as part of the backhand stroke.
• I encourage you to try the Chinese style. It is quicker than the Korean style, and on average, players can get to a higher level with it more quickly than with the Korean style, even though the Korean style seems more natural to most students of the game at the beginning, perhaps because that is the technique in tennis.
• Here, try an experiment.
  • Cross your arms in front of your chest, fists touching elbows, paddle-side forearm on the outside.
  • Throw your paddle hand forward, with that elbow remaining in contact with the fist behind it in a simplified backhand stroke, and observe how much hand speed you generate with how much effort.
  • Start over again, arms crossed as before. Now throw the paddle-side hand forward, keeping the paddle-side elbow in contact with the opposite fist behind it, but this time, at the same time, press that opposite first forward behind the paddle-side elbow, pushing it forward at the same time that the paddle hand swings forward.
  • What do you notice? When I do this I notice that the paddle hand accelerates MUCH faster and more powerfully because of the support and leverage provided by the forward-moving fist behind the paddle side elbow. The hand speed seems to double and the effort seems much more efficient. There is better leverage, in this way. You may also notice that the forearms are both rotating, but in opposite directions.
  • This is the essential insight into the power of the Chinese backhand. As the forearm rotates about the elbow in the backhand stroke, there is a counter-rotation which supports it. In the experiment you just did, the counter-rotation is in the opposite hand pressing the elbow forward. In the Chinese backhand stroke, the counter-rotation is in the paddle-side SHOULDER moving forward, and the (vertical) upper arm transfers that forward-pushing support down to the elbow, to accelerate the paddle hand's forward movement.
• Another way to think of this is to punch forward with your paddle-side shoulder as your paddle hand counter-rotates forward from its position on the opposite hip.

• Both players use backhands only, and move sideways at every stroke so that the ball's trajectory is in line with your belly button. If it goes to the right, step right so that it's coming toward your belly button. If it goes to the left, shift left. At every stroke, you should make sure it is coming on the line toward your belly button.

• Square stance, toes making a line parallel with the line on the end of the table. Since this is different from the 35 degree angle used for the forearm, you may have to hop or turn at every stroke if the ball comes alternately to forehand and backhand. So...
• Move your feet. Bounce a little at every stroke. The key time to remember to move the feet is especially at the moment just after you contact the ball. Stop watching the ball, stop enjoying the flight of it and the fear in the opponent's eyes as they see what a great shot you made, and remember to focus on bouncing your feet. Bounce to a neutral, balanced position, somewhat closer to your neutral position without forcing it if you are far out of position. Just let the follow-through of your stroke incorporate some foot movement so that you come back towards neutral and balance with some dynamic movement energy in your legs very early on in the preparation for the next stroke.