The push is the basic control stroke against backspin, played on the forehand or backhand. You meet the ball with a slightly open bat and a short, smooth forward stroke from the elbow, so it comes back low with backspin instead of popping up for your opponent to attack. The camera can see your step in, your body position and how short and smooth your arm stroke is; it doesn't track the bat or the ball, so it can't read your bat angle or the spin.
Set up and open the bat
Start in your ready position: about an arm's length from the table, feet slightly wider than your shoulders, knees bent, weight forward on the balls of your feet. Get a little lower than for a drive, because backspin balls tend to stay low.
low, relaxed and leaning in.
Move to the ball. If it's short, step in with your right foot under the table (right-handers; left foot for left-handers). For a longer forehand push, keep your right foot slightly behind your left.
playing foot in, body close to the ball.
Take a small backswing from the elbow with a straight wrist. Backhand: bring the bat back toward your body, between your chest and left hip. Forehand: bring it back and slightly out to the side, with a small gap between your elbow and hip.
a short take-back, arm still in front of you.
Open the bat face slightly and keep it open through the whole stroke. Against heavy backspin, open it more, close to flat.
the face tilted up, not changing as you swing.
Contact and brush
Meet the ball at the top of the bounce or just before, out in front. Play the backhand push in front of your body and the forehand push slightly to the side.
taking it early, not waiting for it to drop.
Move your forearm forward from the elbow to meet the ball and brush it in one straight line. Contact more underneath the ball for more backspin, more down the back of it for less. Keep the wrist quiet; add wrist for extra spin only once the arm stroke is solid.
a smooth, soft brush, not a hit.
Follow through and reset
Go through the ball with a short follow-through toward the net and slightly down, so the bat finishes a little lower than it started and points where the ball went. Keep your elbow bent; don't swing across your body.
short, smooth and finishing toward the target.
On the forehand, shift your weight slightly from your back foot to your front foot, then return to the ready position. If you stepped in under the table, push back off that foot to recover.
in, push, and back out.
Feel it
A good push feels soft and smooth: a small backswing, a slightly open bat that stays open, a forward brush under the ball at the top of the bounce, and a short finish toward the net. A relaxed arm and wrist matter; tension is the usual reason pushes pop up. The camera can check your step in, body lean and the short, smooth arm stroke. It can't see your bat angle, where the bat meets the ball or the spin you make.
Fix-its
- Your push goes into the net You've underestimated the backspin. Open the bat more, close to flat against heavy backspin, and contact nearer the bottom of the ball.
- Your push pops up high Usually tension in the wrist, arm or body. Relax and keep the stroke smooth so you can make small adjustments.
- Your push goes off the end Take the ball at the top of the bounce, not late beside or behind you. Against a floaty ball with little spin, contact further down the back of it.
- You poke or stop at the ball Make one smooth stroke and go through the ball with a short follow-through, not a short, sharp jab.
- You scoop, swipe across your body or straighten your arm Brush in one straight line toward the net, not a U-shaped scoop. Finish with the bat pointing at your target and your elbow still bent.
Drill
- Shadow push: 2-3 sets of 10 slow pushes on each side without a ball. Check a small backswing, a bat face that stays open and a short finish toward the net.
- Backhand-to-backhand push rally with a steady partner. Build toward 100 pushes in a row without a mistake, then do the same on the forehand.
- Short serve, step, push: your partner serves short backspin; step in with your right foot under the table, push, then step back to ready. 10-20 balls per set.
- Pushing-only games: play to 11 using only pushes and keep score. Note which miss you make most (net, long, high, off the side) and fix that one.
- Film from the side in slow motion and check your step in, the short backswing and a finish that stays in front of you.
Sources
- Table Tennis England — New League Player Notes: Forehand Push, Backhand Push, Racket Angles (2025)
- Ben Larcombe, Expert Table Tennis — How to Play a Backhand Push in Table Tennis (2013)
- Ben Larcombe, Expert Table Tennis — How to Play a Forehand Push in Table Tennis (2013)
- Ben Larcombe, Expert Table Tennis — What Are Your Pushing Leaks? (2014)
Last checked 2026-10-26.