What is Twiddling?
Twiddling refers to the practice of turning your bat around in your hand whilst playing table tennis, in order to change which side of the bat hits the ball. It is usually done by players who have rackets with very different sides (combination bats), in order to increase the variety of shots that can be made, and to increase the chances of an opponent making a mistake. It can also be done by players that have rackets with the same rubber on both sides, or with similar rubbers, but this does not happen often as it usually isn't worth the effort.The usual twiddle is done by using the wrist and bottom three fingers of the bat hand to spin the bat around via the handle (generally anti-clockwise for a right hander, clockwise for a left hander), while the thumb and index finger get out of the way and then come back into position for the next shot. The handle of the bat should not leave the hand at any time, although the grip will have to loosen if the bat is going to turn. Experienced players will sometimes twiddle more than once to make it harder for the opponent to keep track of which side is being used.
How To Twiddle Your Table Tennis Bat - Video - 320x240 pixels, 9MB
Why Do You Twiddle?
Twiddling is done for a number of reasons, the main ones being:- To provide a wider variety of possible shots by being able to use different surfaces at different times on the player's forehand and backhand.
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To increase the chances of an opponent making a mistake, by:
- affecting the opponent's timing and rhythm because of the extra variation in spin and speed between the two different racket surfaces;
- using an racket surface (such as anti-spin or long pimples) that is less familiar or understood by the opponent, whilst also having a normal side that can be used for the player's own attacks;
- making the opponent guess incorrectly about which side of the bat has been used to hit the ball; and
- frustrating the opponent and making him play more carelessly.
- To provide the person who twiddles with a 'safe' side that can be used to safely handle powerful attacks by his opponent, and a normal side that can be used to make attacks of his own when the chance arises. Sometimes the 'safe' side is also used to set up the players attacks with his normal rubber.
- To keep an opponent 'on his toes' and force him to be watching all the time for which rubber has been used, which can be mentally tiring and can distract an opponent from concentrating about other important aspects of the game.