Rallying Footwork
From the basic ready position described above, you will be able to cover 80-90% of the court simply by taking a simple shuffle step to the left or right. A shuffle step to the right is done by moving the left foot towards the right (not towards the right foot, which is further back), and just before touching the ground, moving your right foot to the right as well. The left foot will hit the ground first, and then the right foot, and then you will hit the ball. Try not to hit the ball while you are still moving, since it is harder to hit a stable stroke. Both feet should move the same distance, whether it is six inches or a foot and a half. Reverse the process to move to the left. Whichever direction you move, your left foot should still finish six inches to a foot in front of the right, when compared to your shoulders.For balls that are too far to reach with one shuffle step, you can use two or more shuffle steps, or use crossover footwork. A crossover step to the right is performed by moving your left foot to the right past your right foot (crossing in front of the right foot), and then moving the right foot the same distance to the right just before the left foot touches the ground. Once both feet have settled, the ball is hit.
For the times when you want to move forwards or backwards only, use a simple shuffle forwards or backwards, keeping your feet in the same relative position. Don't worry too much about which foot should move first, it will happen naturally. For moving large distances forward or backward, normal running footwork can be used to get in position. Finish with one foot forward to allow you to push yourself back in the other direction after playing your stroke.
When you are moving sideways and forwards or backwards, combinations of these basic methods can be used. For example, to move a small distance to the left, and backwards a little, the right foot should be moved diagonally backwards and to the left, and then the left foot moved the same way, using a shuffle step. To move further, you could move the right foot backwards and to the left, crossing behind the left foot, and then the left foot is moved the same way just before the right foot touches the ground.
Serve and Serve Return Footwork
When you are serving, make sure that you don't end up too close to the table. Most players serve from close to the endline, and then move a half step backwards, to give them room to swing properly, and not get caught by deep returns.When you are returning serve, stand a little further back than you normally like to play, and as the server serves, move in to this position. If the ball is going to be long, you can stay at this distance and hit the ball. If the serve is going to be short, you can simply keep moving forward to reach the ball.
When returning short serves, step in with the left foot for balls on your backhand side, and with your right foot for serves on your forehand side. Another technique used by the professionals for returning short balls to the backhand is to shuffle forward with both feet, while keeping the shoulders facing the direction the ball is coming from. Your left foot will naturally be in front of the right foot when you use this technique.
Against very deep serves (or if you have come in a little too far) step back with the right foot for serves on the forehand side (or shuffle both feet back if you have time), and shuffle both feet backwards for deep balls on backhand side.
Conclusion
Footwork in table tennis is not something that most of us do correctly as a matter of course, instead it is something that must be thought about, and then practised diligently. Resist the temptation to do things your way, or else you will regret it later when you have to correct your bad habits. Learn from the example of better players - footwork should be simple, efficient and consistent. Start off on the right foot(!) and you'll always be able to put your best foot forward.Return to Beginner's Guide to Training - Overview