Zhang Jike backhand topspin

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Zhang Jike is well known for his spinny forehand topspin. His forehand loop is not as powerful as Ma Long’s forehand but is spinnier. Today, I will analyze the table tennis forehand loop technique step by step of Zhang Jike. You improve your forehand loop the topspin ball by learning from the Chinese National Team players.

Forehand Loop Technique 4 steps:

• The stance
• The Backswing
• The Strike
• The Follow through

The stance:

• Feet should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Knees should be slightly bent.
• The body should be leaning forward.

The Backswing

• Rotate your body to the right, from your hips.
• Elbow and bat rotate back with you.
• Bat angle closes.
• Weight shifts onto the back foot, right foot for a right-handed player.
• The body is moving the arm, not the other way round!

Important Tips for the forehand stroke:

• Look at the ball
• Ensure your weight is moving from back foot to front foot during the strike.
• Rotate from your hips not your shoulders.
• Keep a gap between your elbows and body.
• Let your body move your arm.
• Keep your wrist relatively straight.

The Strike

• Hips and shoulders rotate forwards to meet the ball.
• The arm moves forward with the body.
• Accelerate the forearm slightly as you make contact, similar to doing a military salute.
• Weight transfers to the front foot, left foot.

The Follow through

• Follow through, forward and upward.
• Your bat should finish roughly pointing where you have hit the ball.
• Always get back to the ready position.

Besides these basics guideline, I have learned from Top Chinese coaches:

Many coaches tell you that you should only snap your forearm. This was the old way of looping. If you tell them to loop with their whole arm, they will continue to say its wrong. Watch the top player like Wang Liqin, you can see him using his whole arm when they forehand loop. Learn the Chinese philosophy “Power From The Ground”.

Rotate your hips, not your shoulders, Weight shifts onto the back foot, Weight transfers to the front foot, Follow through, forward and upward.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=q27Rtg87p9k

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Many players asked me “How to improve backhand in table tennis?”. The best way is to learn the backhand techniques from the best players, step by step and with the photo. Today we will learn the basic forehand topspin technique of Zhang Jike [one of the best Chinese table tennis player from 2010 – 2017].

The basics of the backhand loop

These are the best tips [explained by Zhang Jike with the clarification from coach EmRatThich] to do the backhand topspin correctly.

• Lift up the elbow: You need to lift up your elbow. Some amateur players forget this step. They can’t generate so much force to the backhand attack.
• Bend the body: Make a space to accelerate and hit through the ball.
• Racket close to the body: Close the racket as much as possible. The stroke needs to be short and compacted.
• Timing: Hit the upper side of the ball. Don’t smash. Hit the ball early on the bounce.
• Fix elbow: Don’t move it! Beginner moves the elbow [which is very bad, inconsistent shots].
• Follow-through: Don’t move the free arm upwards with the body [helps to keep the body balanced]. Eyes and the free arm fixed. Free arm at the same level of the bounce.

You can also learn the backhand technique of Ma Long. Their techniques are a little bit different because of the micro-adjustment in table tennis.

Basic Backhand Strokes: Steps by Steps

Some more tips from the Chinese coach: Bend the knee, Take the power from the ground, and Fix the elbow.

I’ve explained that there are 3 phases: Relax, Explode and Relax. You should generate the power [acceleration] at step 5 and 6. Be relax in the final step and prepare for the incoming ball. Special thanks to Manabu of Butterfly Magazine for the interview.

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