Comprehensive Techniques for Receiving Serves in Table Tennis
How to Receive Serves More Comprehensively? 
This is a brand-new, technique-focused column presented in a Q&A format. The mysterious figures providing the answers are two former national team players (both experienced coaches) who wish to remain anonymous. They prefer a quiet life and good sleep over fame. The team at Heima Pingpang believes that sharing these technical insights is highly valuable and serves as a great supplement to our ‘Heima Talks Table Tennis’ series. Thus, the ‘Reaching the Peak’ column was born.
How can you train to receive serves more comprehensively, ensuring you can handle both short and long balls effectively?
The key is to maintain the distance between your racket and the incoming ball. Try receiving serves with half of your racket above the table, and have your opponent serve a fast, long ball to surprise you. Keep your racket about 40 to 50 centimeters away from the ball. When a fast, long underspin ball comes, move your center of gravity down as you draw back your racket, then move forward to meet the ball. The key is to keep your arm relaxed, use your body to drive the racket, and synchronize your body’s center of gravity with the force of the incoming ball. Use your thumb to guide the racket and quickly recover. If the incoming ball is topspin, do not draw the racket down; instead, draw it back and push forward.
If the ball does not bounce high enough to go over the net, your racket, being above the table, can execute a sidespin, a short push, or a quick hit. Avoid placing the racket too low, as this will make it difficult to handle short balls. Use your body to maintain the appropriate distance between the racket and the ball, compensating for any errors in judgment. This approach allows you to handle both semi-long and short balls effectively while also managing fast, long balls.
The critical point is to maintain the distance between the racket and the ball. However, as this distance decreases, the power of your stroke will also decrease. You can compensate by using spin and placement. This technique aims to minimize vulnerabilities in your receive.
What if the opponent serves a short sidespin ball that is difficult to push short and easy to attack?
First, if you have good touch, you can directly execute a backhand flick.
Second, tilt your racket slightly backward and push straight.
Third, a short push is also an option, but in this case, do not hit the ball head-on; instead, cut it from the side to reduce the sidespin. Use your wrist and fingers to add friction. This will result in a fast return that does not bounce high, and the ball will still have sidespin, effectively returning the problem to your opponent. 