Important Positioning Tips – By Judy Hugh

When hitting a Forehand drive from the Forehand side (depending on whether you’re a righty or lefty):

• Turn body and point feet about 45 ° from the table
• Spread legs a little wider than shoulder-width apart
• Keep right foot slightly positioned behind left foot

When hitting a Forehand drive from the Backhand side (stepping around):

• Turn body and legs more perpendicular to the table than you would with a FH from the FH side
• Keep legs a little wider than shoulder-width apart

Note: as you move farther and farther to the backhand side (when trying to hit a forehand), the more perpendicular your body needs to be to the table.

When hitting a Backhand drive:

• Remember to keep feet spread a bit wider than shoulder-width
• Kept feet almost even with each other, with left foot slightly closer to the table
• This makes it much easier to transfer from a backhand to a forehand with the left foot in front instead of the right
• Stay about an arm’s length away from the table

In general:

• Stay on your toes ¾ allows you to move quicker
• Stay off your heels
• Always keep knees bent a little; don’t lock your knees (or elbows)
• Never allow your upper body to be standing completely upright
• Bend upper body slightly forward

by Judy Hugh

Profile

Judy has been playing table tennis for just about ten years now, and her proudest accomplishments include staying at the top of the Cadets/Juniors while she was eligible, and making the 2007 U.S. National Team, making semis of Women’s Singles and winning Women’s Doubles at the 2007 U.S. Nationals.

COUNTRY: UNITED STATES
Playing style: All-round attacker
Coach: Lily Yip
Blade: STIGA TUBE Aluminium Blade
Forehand rubber: STIGA Mendo MP Rubber
Backhand rubber: STIGA Magna Rubber