Show #354 - How Old is the Two Colour Rule?

Ask The Coach Show | Table Tennis

In this show we discuss lots of interesting table tennis questions from our listeners, and we ponder how long has the two colour rule been in place. I hope you enjoy the show!

Penhold and Shakehand

Vibeeshan - I'm a modern penholder but everyone says it is an old style. Is it still a viable grip to reach a high level? Do you think I can switch between penhold and shakehand?

Service Rule Regarding Showing Your Bat

Andy - When preparing for a serve, does the server have to show the blade in view (above table) of the opponent?

Backhand in a Match

Ardak - Last 2 weeks I am training with a club-mate who is in the same level as me. I mean in mini tournaments sometimes he wins, sometimes I win. In this 2 weeks my BH topspin is improved very much. I started to win some players which I was losing before. But my sparring partner doesn't see any improvement in his game. He used to play only with FH side of the blade. He always chops. If the ball is higher then he smashes very consistently. Recently he beat a pro girl who is ranked 31 in our country. But he never plays with BH side. Instead he uses footwork. He practiced BH topspin with me, but he says he still can't use it in the game. He started to think that the training (with me) is meaningless, not useful. What do you suggest?

Stance for Tall Players

Kenneth - I have heard advice that for tall players, we should open our feet wider apart to stay lower to the table. Would this compromise the ability to do shuffle steps quickly? Also, will this make crossover steps more difficult to retrieve wide balls? Thanks.

Links in this Episode

Playing as a Tall Player