Points to look for:
- Some of the bodyweight has been transferred onto the right leg. The player has turned his hips, waist and shoulders to the right, but not as far as for the counterhit or loop strokes.
- The free arm has continued to move in synch with the playing arm, to help maintain balance.
- The left and right arms are at around 45 degrees to the end of the table. Notice that the shoulders have turned more than the hips and waist, so that the shoulders are roughly in line with the hips and waist.
- The right shoulder has dipped slightly more than the left shoulder, so that the left hand is higher than the right hand. The right hand is around net height and in front of the right knee.
- The head has turned to allow the player to keep watching the ball comfortably and closely.
- Both knees have bent a little to help maintain balance.
- Although it cannot be seen from this photo sequence, the player has paused his bat at the end of the backswing for a fraction of second before swinging forward.
