Darren asked 3 years ago
What tactics do you use playing against forehand dominant players? Is it the same tactics that you would use playing against a one wing forehand attacker, that you previously wrote an article about?
Also, what tactics would you use playing against a backhand dominant player? Is it the reverse of what you would use playing against a forehand dominant player and the same tactics that you would use if you were playing against a one wing backhand attacker?
Tom Lodziak Staff answered 3 years ago
As I mention in my article Tactics for beating a one-wing attacker, I try to play to my opponent’s weaker side most of the time.
So if my opponent is forehand dominant, I will try and pin him on his backhand. If my opponent is backhand dominant, I will try and play more balls to his forehand.
Some forehand dominant attackers have very good footwork and can cover much of the table with forehand attacks. In this situation, I will try and vary my placement more to really stretch him. I will play to the wide forehand and then try to switch to the wide backhand. This makes it harder for this player to cover all the table with his forehand and he will be forced to use his backhand more.
Another good options for these players is to try and play fast to their crossover position (their playing elbow). This should keep the player unbalanced and then you may have success when you switch the next shot to the wide backhand or wide forehand.