Think about the scene. You play an excellent rally and drive your opponent again from the desk. You’re sure you will win the purpose. Your opponent, practically defeated, tries one final shot in desperation. He lobs the ball again excessive. Your coronary heart sinks. The dreaded excessive lob. You hate these and really feel actually silly each time you miss. A sudden explosion of pressure races by means of your physique. Your muscle tissue tighten up. Your legs freeze to the spot. You try to smash the ball, however miss it fully. Your opponent celebrates profitable the purpose, having appeared sure to lose. However you’re feeling his celebration is mocking your lack of ability to smash a excessive ball. Your head drops. You’re feeling humiliated.
Some gamers simply can’t smash excessive balls. Or I ought to say, some gamers have by no means learnt to smash excessive balls. It looks as if it must be really easy. The ball is up excessive. There’s a big margin to hit the ball over the web. How will you probably miss?
Like all photographs in desk tennis, there’s a ability to smashing excessive balls constantly. You want to have the proper physique place, bat beginning place, bat angle, timing, swing trajectory and phone. If any of those components are flawed, then it is vitally simple to mess up your smash. Too sq. on? You’re more likely to flap on the ball. Bat too low? You’re more likely to let the ball drop an excessive amount of and smash the ball into the web. Bat angle too open? You’re more likely to hit the ball off the tip of the desk.
Smashing excessive balls does require apply. I don’t know anybody who has instinctively identified learn how to smash. Each participant who smashes properly has learnt the method, practised it and mastered it. Should you by no means purposefully apply smashing excessive balls, it actually shouldn’t be a shock you may’t execute this shot in a match.
Having stated that, smashing a excessive ball is without doubt one of the simpler abilities in desk tennis. It doesn’t require as a lot apply as different photographs. Upon getting developed a primary smashing method, you’ll discover the shot straight ahead to do. In my teaching periods, nearly all gamers can smash constantly with simply quarter-hour of centered apply utilizing a reasonably primary method.
Method
So what’s the greatest method for smashing excessive balls? Some gamers prefer to spin the ball. Different gamers will do an elaborate bounce. However I prefer to preserve the method easy…
- When the ball is excessive within the air, place your physique so that you’re a little extra side-on to the ball
- Get your bat up excessive, round shoulder peak
- When the ball is shoulder peak (both rising or falling), that is the time to make contact
- Barely angle your bat in direction of the desk and hit by means of the again of the ball.
This primary smashing method will mean you can smash excessive balls with a really excessive degree of consistency.
Right here’s a video I made a couple of years in the past, the place I clarify and display this primary smashing method:
You don’t have to spend a great deal of time practising smashes, particularly when you find yourself assured you are able to do it constantly.
However should you battle to smash excessive balls, please don’t keep away from it. You gained’t ever magically get higher at it. It’s not an innate ability which everybody must be anticipated to do. You want to get the method proper and this requires really practising the shot.
Plus, it is vitally good enjoyable doing lob and smash rallies. It’s a pleasant distraction out of your different desk tennis coaching. You get to practise your smashes, hitting the ball actually arduous. It’s an excellent bodily exercise. And your companion will get to apply sending loopy excessive balls again on the desk. You’ll play some nice rallies!
In actuality, you don’t get that many excessive balls in a desk tennis match. However while you do get the occasional excessive ball, it must be your level. So ensure you can smash constantly. Should you can’t, be taught my primary method and do some purposeful apply. You’ll be smashing it very quickly.
