Table tennis for beginners

In this video, I show you how to hold a table tennis bat. I focus on the shakehands grip which is the most common grip used in table tennis.

In this video, I explain how you should stand when playing table tennis. You need a stance which allows you to move quickly from left to right, right to left, backwards and forwards without losing balance. 

In this video, I explain how to move when playing table tennis. It doesn’t matter what style of table tennis you play - you could be a forehand attacker, a backhand attacker, a blocker, a lobber, a chopper - you need to get your feet and body into position to play shots effectively.

In this video, I explain how to play a forehand drive. The forehand drive is one of the main attacking shots used in table tennis. It has a little bit of topspin on it, but mainly it’s a flat hit and very powerful.

In this video, I explain how to play a backhand drive. The backhand drive is also a strong attacking shot, usually played close to the table. For most players it’s not quite as powerful as the forehand drive because the stroke is a bit shorter, but you can still get decent power. 

In this video, I explain how to play a backhand push. The backhand push is a defensive shot, played close to the table, where you put backspin on the ball. The main reason you use a backhand push is to make it difficult for your opponent to attack. 

In this video, I explain how to play a forehand push. Most players find this shot more difficult to do compared to the backhand push.  You are probably not going to use this shot as much as the others we have looked at so far, but you will most likely need to use it in every match you play. 

In this video, I demonstrate some more training drills you can do to improve your stroke consistency and footwork.

In this video, I summarise what we have learnt during the course and what you should do next.

An introduction to the section on service

In this video, I explain some service rules and show you how to serve legally.

In this video, I show you how to do a backspin serve

In this video, I explain how you should use your serve, including varying the spin and placement.

In this video, I show you how to return a sidespin serve by using a controlled topspin stroke.

In this video, I show you the technique you need to block a heavy topspin attack.

In this video, I show you three things you need to do to get more speed and spin on your forehand topspin attacks.