Hi, I'm Alois Rosario from PingSkills.
There are a lot less defenders around today but as a defender, with the right strategies,
you can still reach a really high level.
The first thing as a defender is to make sure that you're keeping the ball nice and low
over the net.
And the other thing is to make sure that you're getting the ball deep on the table.
A good way to get feedback on the depth of your stroke is to put a line across the table.
So here I've used a skipping rope to hang over as a guide.
That will get you to focus on where that chop is landing.
Whether it's landing close to the end of the table or closer to the net.
As you get better you can move that line further and further back.
You'll be surprised how quickly you can adjust, once you put that rope on the table, to getting
that ball deeper and making your shot more effective.
The next thing we can focus on is which side of the table we are going to play the ball
to to get a more effective stroke.
99% of attackers are going to use their forehands against your chops but that doesn't mean that
you stop thinking about the placement.
You're trying to find the position on the table where it's harder for them to play an
attacking strong shot.
For me I prefer playing my forehand from my backhand corner and I don't like playing that
forehand from here, it just isn't as strong.
And you'll find that quite a lot of attackers have that same problem so think about which
side you're going to play to to make it more difficult for them to attack you strongly.
As a defender then you'll find that playing down the line from here to their forehand
corner can be a really effective tactic because the attacker will be looking for that ball
there to attack and if that's their weaker side, this can be a really effective stroke.
One of your other main weapons as a defender is your variation of spin.
If you're using an inverted rubber on the forehand or backhand side, you have a real
power to be able to change spin subtly and that is going to get some errors from the
attacker.
So I need to watch the spin that Jeff is putting on the ball.
That's heavy I need to lift it.
That's less spin, that's a medium spin, that's heavy spin, that's really heavy I need to
lift that one and there he was going for the no spin ball that I needed to come right over.
So I need to watch the spin that Jeff's putting on the chop.
That's a no spin, that's heavy spin I need to lift it, that's really heavy.
Ohh, and that has forced me into the error and I've put it into the net.
A lot of defenders are going to be using the long pimples on the backhand.
Now the long pimples do give you much better control and ability to control that faster
or spinnier ball but it is a bit limited with the amount of variation you can put on the
spin.
However you still need to look at making some variations with the spin.
So with the long pimples if you really brush down on the ball with a lot of wrist and speed
you can still generate more spin on the ball.
It is subtle but you need to be able to use those subtle variations to try and get the
error from the attacking player.
So I need to still watch what Jeff is doing with his bat here.
So there he's really come under the ball, there he's really come under the ball and
it's generated a bit more spin.
So that's less spin.
So let's watch what Jeff is doing now.
So he's used more wrist there, more wrist to generate a bit more spin, and less wrist,
less wrist so that he's getting less spin, that's more spin.
So we've talked about keeping that ball low and deep but don't forget some variation is
also good.
Surprisingly enough sometimes if you play the ball a little bit higher it can be a more
awkward ball for the attacker.
A lot of attackers like playing that ball when it's low and that's when the ball is
really in the slot for them and they might find that ball that's a little bit higher
a little bit more awkward.
Just work out with the opponent that you're playing against whether they like that ball
lower or like that ball higher.
The same goes for the depth.
If you're always playing the ball deep on the table the attacker can start to get used
to that and set themselves up a little bit further away from the table.
If sometimes you're playing the ball shorter that forces them to move in and out slightly.
Again making a variation that forces the attacker to move and think and perhaps leads them to
an error.
So don't forget, your basic tactic is to keep the ball low and deep but some variation of
height and depth can be really effective.
If you're a defensive defender, relying on the other person to make a mistake it's really
important to be as consistent as you possibly can.
And that consistency starts with being able to push the ball on the table.
I hate seeing a defender make a pushing error.
It's really important as a defender that you really work hard on your pushing to keep that
ball on the table and keep the attacker under pressure.
During the rally you need to be patient, keep that ball on the table, find a difficult position
for your opponent, and wear them down, get the error from your opponent.
If you are a modern defender and have a good attack with your forehand then you need to
start to think a little bit more about variation of spin.
By varying the spin you're going to set yourself up to make that winning stroke with either
your forehand or your backhand.
So what we're looking for is a heavy backspin and then less backspin on the next one forcing
your opponent to either lift the ball high or push the ball high which lets you come
in and make a strong attack.
Let's have a look at your serves now.
With your service you need to think about whats going to give you the best chance to
win the point.
Now if just like to get back and start chopping then maybe I should try and serve just a long
backspin serve.
And then I can get back, I know he's going to attack it, and get into the rally.
But if he's got a really strong attack then maybe he'll be too fast for me so if I serve
it and he'll just attack it and I don't have time.
So you need to weigh up how strong your opponents attack is and how fast you can serve and if
you're going to be troubled maybe you're better off serving it short.
If I serve it short he's got to push then I can get a nice push in and then I can get
into a good position to start playing my chopping game and win the rally from there.
So remember to think about your serve a lot.
Probably short is going to be a good option against a strong attacker.
If their forehand is not as strong you could go longer but always think about the direction,
think about the variation of your spin and speed, and get into a position that's going
to be favourable for you as a chopper and give you the best chance of winning the point.
Defenders can sometimes get caught in the thinking that they can only win points by
grinding their opponent down and waiting for an error but with the serve you've got a real
opportunity to put them under pressure straight away and even win some points outright just
with the serve.
So make sure that you really work on your serves, work on your variations, your spin,
your placement, your speed, really mix it up and you'll find it will make a big difference
to your game.
Concentrate on your serve even if you're a defender.
A good surprise tactic, if you're a defender, is to serve and play a third ball attack.
It doesn't even have to be a strong attack, it's just a surprise tactic that's going to
make it difficult for your opponent.
If you do have a strong forehand, even better, use it a little bit more often.
You'll find that attackers will become complacent with their returns so that will give you a
lot of opportunity to make that third ball attack.
As a defender you also need to think about your return of serve.
Don't just think about getting the ball back on the table, you're looking to put the attacker
under pressure with that first ball.
Find out where they're looking to attack from.
Keep it way from that area.
So it could be returning the ball short to not allow them to attack that third ball,
or it could be pushing the ball deep to a difficult position for them to make that first
attack.
And don't forget sometimes if they become complacent with their serving and they serve
the ball long to you just make an attacking ball which will change it up for them and
can draw an error.
As a defender then we need to think about keeping that ball low, keeping the ball deep
on the table but then let's start to think about variation, variation of spin, variation
of placement, and also sometimes making the attack, and if you can put all of that together
you will become a really formidable opponent.