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Base Positioning - Angle of Play

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Angle of Play - Strong Forehand and Backhand
Diagram of Angle of Play - Strong Forehand and Backhand

Angle of Play - Strong Forehand and Backhand

(c) 2005 Greg Letts licensed to About.com, Inc.
Everybody has got an angle, so they say. This is true in table tennis as well as in life, and it is a good idea to know what your angle is.

How do you do this? Let's imagine a right handed player with a forehand and backhand that are equally strong. In his case, he should stand in the middle of the range of angles available to his opponent (this range of angles is called the angle of play). But since he can reach a little further with his forehand than his backhand, he probably should stand a half-step or so to his left to take advantage of this fact.

Players with strong forehands and backhands, such as Jan-Ove Waldner or Werner Schlager, will tend to stand in this area.

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