Penhold Reverse-Backhand: How to Generate Power?
This is a brand-new, technique-focused column in a question-and-answer format. The mystery figures answering are two former national team members, both now veteran coaches. So the “Reaching the Summit” column was born.
When receiving, I always feel it is hard to launch an attack — where is the problem? What footwork habit is correct?
First, your heels are planted dead, so once the opponent serves a bit short, you can only “reach to push.” That is, from the start, you can only push, because your center has not gone up. The opponent sees your posture and prepares to attack you. This stance makes him feel serve-and-attack is easy. If your center follows up and the bat is close to the ball, you can choose short-touch, long-chop, flick or push-flick — too much variation, and the opponent dares not lightly attack. Once you stand too far back, with a high receive center (you must lower the center), the opponent knows your stance can mostly only push, with no other variation, and then he waits to rip you. Keep your knees in front of your toes, the heels slightly off the ground, so the body is more compact, ready to launch any time. Good footwork is the body bouncing along like a spring, on the balls of the feet — not the toes, not the whole foot. When playing, using the forehand, plant the right foot solidly. With the backhand, plant the left foot solidly or both feet. The knees in front of the toes, heels slightly off the ground. When moving, have a feel that the body can move any time, not lowering the body and then moving after seeing the incoming ball.
For penhold reverse-backhand, how do you generate power?
For relatively average level, first learn from wrist firing and bat-draw; when receiving, relax the wrist, first pursuing stability. With some foundation, in reverse-backhand, the backhand’s index finger, wrist and back of the hand fire together. Adjust the bat angle with the thumb; the index finger uses more force, about 50%. The hand-back and wrist use relatively less, totaling about the other 50%. Mainly the index finger fires.
Any bare-hand method to practise the center of gravity?
Press the center down, knees in front of the toes, the ball of the foot leading the hip to brace forward, the belly a bit compact. First do not move the hand — just practise turning left and right. At the forehand, taking a right-hander, the power needs to be on the right abdomen and hip. At the backhand, the power needs to be on the ball of the foot and the belly.