Can't Generate Power When Looping? Here's What to Do
This is a brand-new technical Q&A column. The answers come from two anonymous figures — former national team players who are now seasoned coaches. They prefer to live quietly and have no interest in fame.
Blackhorse believes sharing these technical insights is genuinely valuable, and a nice complement to the main content.
That’s how the Peak Mastery column came to be.
Q: I can’t seem to generate real power when I loop. What should I do?
To get quality forward topspin loops, you must first shift your weight forward into the ball. Feel that weight transfer happen. Your body traces a circle, your arm traces a circle, your wrist snaps through and retracts. At the moment of contact, your fingers press into the grip, your core tightens, and you concentrate the power of your whole body into a single point.
Keep your weight pressing forward — and make sure your arm is in front of your body at contact. If you hit from the side, you lose all leverage.
Q: What is the fastest way to improve?
Multi-ball training, without question. Nothing comes close. But delivering multi-ball well requires real skill — especially when running pattern drills. Rhythm, speed, height, and angle all test the coach’s ability. A typical drill might go: push-loop-smash, or push-loop-attack, or push-loop-rip, or sustained looping. The pace and timing between balls should be as close to match conditions as possible.
Q: My opponent uses a penhold grip and pivots to pull cross-court to my forehand — sometimes heavy, sometimes sidespin, sometimes fast-drive. I can never find the right blocking contact point. What should I do?
Keep your paddle more upright — about 65 degrees from the table surface. When your forearm and body form a 45-degree angle, contact the ball in front of you. Stay relaxed in the hand, and use body rotation to guide the ball. For a shakehand grip, let your index finger lead the paddle and slowly retract your forearm.
If the cross-court pull is coming in too fast, first step back to create more space. Keep your weight pressing forward — don’t sit back — and stay relaxed in the hand. This gives you better control over the incoming spin. Most importantly, make contact near net height, just above or below. That’s where you can best absorb the pace and redirect the spin. Get the contact point right, and your success rate climbs.
No matter how much spin or pace is coming in, always keep your arm relaxed.