Study how to execute a downward graze to impart backspin with a table tennis backhand chop
Backhand chop
The backhand chop is executed away from the table and when the ball is on its way down. The player, in a half-turn stance, swings downward while "brushing" or grazing the lower half of the ball with an open racket face (the top of the blade tipped away from the net). This imparts backspin to the ball. A quick, smooth follow-through is desirable.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.To execute a forearm pass, a player assumes the basic defensive position (knees bent, feet spread, one foot slightly in front of the other). The outstretched arms are brought together with thumbs together and rotated downward. The ball is met by the forearms with a shoveling motion of the arms. The pass should be made with a flowing, coordinated motion of the legs, body, and arms.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Positioned about an arm's length from the net and ready to jump, the defender follows the flight of the ball with hands raised. The defender moves toward the net and into a blocking position in front of the presumed attacker. The defender then jumps, with both hands breaking the plane above the net.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.From the basic defensive position (knees bent, feet spread, one foot slightly in front of the other), the outstretched arms are brought together while the athlete lunges toward and under the ball in order to pop it back into the air with the hands or arms. If sprawling is necessary, the athlete follows through with a dive or a roll and quickly regains a standing position.
-
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, MainzOverview of the terrorist attack at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, where Palestinian militants killed 11 Israelis.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Forehand chop
The forehand chop is executed away from the table and when the ball is on its way down. The player, standing in a square-on position, swings downward while "brushing" or grazing the lower half of the ball with an open racket face (the top of the blade tipped away from the net). This imparts backspin to the ball. A quick, smooth follow-through is desirable.
-
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, MainzOverview of the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, including Nazi propaganda and the performance of Jesse Owens.
-
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, MainzOverview of the first Olympic Games, which were held in Olympia, Greece.
News •
‘Unlocking potential’: More funding for athletes as Games approach
• Nov. 4, 2026, 2:00 PM ET (Sydney Morning Herald)
Last Modification: