Types of strokes

Table tennis strokes generally break down into offensive and defensive categories.

Offensive strokes
Hit
Also known as speed drive, a direct hit on the ball propelling it forward back to the opponent. This
stroke differs from speed drives in other racket sports like tennis because the racket is
primarily perpendicular to the direction of the stroke and most of the energy applied to the ball
results in speed rather than spin, creating a shot that does not arc much, but is fast enough that it
can be difficult to return. A speed drive is used mostly for keeping the ball in play, applying pressure
on the opponent, and potentially opening up an opportunity for a more powerful attack.
Loop
Perfected during the 1960s, [1][55] the loop is essentially the reverse of the chop. The racket
is parallel to the direction of the stroke ("closed") and the racket thus grazes the ball, resulting in a
large amount of topspin. A good loop drive will arc quite a bit, and once striking the opponent's side
of the table will jump forward, much like a kick serve in tennis. Most professional players nowadays,
such as Ding Ning, Timo Boll and Zhang Jike, primarily use loop for offense.
Counter-hit
The counter-hit is usually a counterattack against drives, normally high loop drives. The racket is
held closed and near to the ball, which is hit with a short movement "off the bounce" (immediately
after hitting the table) so that the ball travels faster to the other side. Kenta Matsudaira is known for
primarily using counter-hit for offense.
Flip
When a player tries to attack a ball that has not bounced beyond the edge of the table, the player
does not have the room to wind up in a backswing. The ball may still be attacked, however, and the
resulting shot is called a flip because the backswing is compressed into a quick wrist action. A flip is
not a single stroke and can resemble either a loop drive or a loop in its characteristics. What
identifies the stroke is that the backswing is compressed into a short wrist flick.
Smash
A player will typically execute a smash when the opponent has returned a ball that bounces too high
or too close to the net. It is nearly always done with a forehand stroke. Smashing use rapid
acceleration to impart as much speed on the ball as possible so that the opponent cannot react in
time. The racket is generally perpendicular to the direction of the stroke. Because the speed is the
main aim of this shot, the spin on the ball is often minimal, although it can be applied as well. An
offensive table tennis player will think of a rally as a build-up to a winning smash. Smash is used
more often with penhold grip.

Defensive strokes
Push
The push (or "slice" in Asia) is usually used for keeping the point alive and creating offensive
opportunities. A push resembles a tennis slice: the racket cuts underneath the ball, imparting
backspin and causing the ball to float slowly to the other side of the table. A push can be difficult to
attack because the backspin on the ball causes it to drop toward the table upon striking the
opponent's racket. In order to attack a push, a player must usually loop (if the push is long) or flip (if
the push is short) the ball back over the net. Often, the best option for beginners is to simply push
the ball back again, resulting in pushing rallies. Against good players, it may be the worst option
because the opponent will counter with a loop, putting the first player in a defensive position.
Pushing can have advantages in some circumstances, such as when the opponent makes easy
mistakes.
Chop
A chop is the defensive, backspin counterpart to the offensive loop drive. [56] A chop is essentially a
bigger, heavier push, taken well back from the table. The racket face points primarily horizontally,
perhaps a little bit upward, and the direction of the stroke is straight down. The object of a defensive
chop is to match the topspin of the opponent's shot with backspin. A good chop will float nearly
horizontally back to the table, in some cases having so much backspin that the ball actually rises.
Such a chop can be extremely difficult to return due to its enormous amount of backspin. Some
defensive players can also impart no-spin or sidespin variations of the chop. Some famous choppers
include Joo Sae-hyuk and Wu Yang.
Block
A block is executed by simply placing the racket in front of the ball right after the ball bounces; thus,
the ball rebounds back toward the opponent with nearly as much energy as it came in with. This
requires precision, since the ball's spin, speed, and location all influence the correct angle of a block.
It is very possible for an opponent to execute a perfect loop, drive, or smash, only to have the
blocked shot come back just as fast. Due to the power involved in offensive strokes, often an
opponent simply cannot recover quickly enough to return the blocked shot, especially if the block is
aimed at an unexpected side of the table. Blocks almost always produce the same spin as was
received, many times topspin.
Lob
The defensive lob propels the ball about five metres in height, only to land on the opponent's side of
the table with great amounts of spin.[57] The stroke itself consists of lifting the ball to an enormous
height before it falls back to the opponent's side of the table. A lob can have nearly any kind of spin.
Though the opponent may smash the ball hard and fast, a good defensive lob could be more difficult
to return due to the unpredictability and heavy amounts of the spin on the ball. [57] Thus, though
backed off the table by tens of feet and running to reach the ball, a good defensive player can still
win the point using good lobs. Lob is used less frequently by professional players. A notable
exception is Michael Maze.

Effects of spin
Adding spin onto the ball causes major changes in table tennis gameplay. Although nearly every
stroke or serve creates some kind of spin, understanding the individual types of spin allows players
to defend against and use different spins effectively. [58]

4 phases in a backspin curve

Backspin
Backspin is where the bottom half of the ball is rotating away from the player, and is imparted by
striking the base of the ball with a downward movement. [58] At the professional level, backspin is
usually used defensively in order to keep the ball low.[59] Backspin is commonly employed in service
because it is harder to produce an offensive return, though at the professional level most people
serve sidespin with either backspin or topspin. Due to the initial lift of the ball, there is a limit on how
much speed with which one can hit the ball without missing the opponent's side of the table.
However, backspin also makes it harder for the opponent to return the ball with great speed because
of the required angular precision of the return. Alterations are frequently made to regulations
regarding equipment in an effort to maintain a balance between defensive and offensive spin
choices.[citation needed] It is actually possible to smash with backspin offensively, but only on high balls that
are close to the net.

4 phases in a topspin curve

Topspin
The topspin stroke has a smaller influence on the first part of the ball-curve. Like the backspin
stroke, however, the axis of spin remains roughly perpendicular to the trajectory of the ball thus
allowing for the Magnus effect to dictate the subsequent curvature. After the apex of the curve, the
ball dips downwards as it approaches the opposing side, before bouncing. On the bounce, the
topspin will accelerate the ball, much in the same way that a wheel which is already spinning would
accelerate upon making contact with the ground. When the opponent attempts to return the ball, the
topspin causes the ball to jump upwards and the opponent is forced to compensate for the topspin
by adjusting the angle of his or her racket. This is known as "closing the racket".
The speed limitation of the topspin stroke is minor compared to the backspin stroke. This stroke is
the predominant technique used in professional competition because it gives the opponent less time
to respond. In table tennis topspin is regarded as an offensive technique due to increased ball
speed, lower bio-mechanical efficiency and the pressure that it puts on the opponent by reducing
reaction time. (It is possible to play defensive topspin-lobs from far behind the table, but only highly
skilled players use this stroke with any tactical efficiency.) Topspin is the least common type of spin
to be found in service at the professional level, simply because it is much easier to attack a top-spin
ball that is not moving at high speed.

Sidespin
This type of spin is predominantly employed during service, wherein the contact angle of the racket
can be more easily varied. Unlike the two aforementioned techniques, sidespin causes the ball to
spin on an axis which is vertical, rather than horizontal. The axis of rotation is still roughly
perpendicular to the trajectory of the ball. In this circumstance, the Magnus effect will still dictate the
curvature of the ball to some degree. Another difference is that unlike backspin and topspin, sidespin
will have relatively very little effect on the bounce of the ball, much in the same way that a spinning
top would not travel left or right if its axis of rotation were exactly vertical. This makes sidespin a
useful weapon in service, because it is less easily recognized when bouncing, and the ball "loses"
less spin on the bounce. Sidespin can also be employed in offensive rally strokes, often from a
greater distance, as an adjunct to topspin or backspin. This stroke is sometimes referred to as a
"hook". The hook can even be used in some extreme cases to circumvent the net when away from
the table.

Corkspin
Players employ this type of spin almost exclusively when serving, but at the professional level, it is
also used from time to time in the lob. Unlike any of the techniques mentioned above, corkspin (or
"drill-spin") has the axis of spin relatively parallel to the ball's trajectory, so that the Magnus
effect has little or no effect on the trajectory of a cork-spun ball: upon bouncing, the ball will dart right
or left (according to the direction of the spin), severely complicating the return. In theory this type of
spin produces the most obnoxious effects, but it is less strategically practical than sidespin or
backspin, because of the limitations that it imposes upon the opponent during their return. Aside
from the initial direction change when bouncing, unless it goes out of reach, the opponent can
counter with either topspin or backspin. A backspin stroke is similar in the fact that the corkspin
stroke has a lower maximum velocity, simply due to the contact angle of the racket when producing
the stroke. To impart a spin on the ball which is parallel to its trajectory, the racket must be swung
more or less perpendicular to the trajectory of the ball, greatly limiting the forward momentum that
the racket transfers to the ball. Corkspin is almost always mixed with another variety of spin, since
alone, it is not only less effective but also harder to produce.

Competitions