(By Larry Hodges)

Most players think of forehand looping as a shot done from their playing side. So a right-handed player might think of rotating his right side around as he loops his forehand. However, this will limit your power as well as throw off your balance. You should use your other side as well. This means that a right-handed player should not only rotate his right side forward and around, but he should “pull” with his left side as well, rotating it backward and around. (This is why weight training is important on both sides, not just the playing side.) If you watch the top players, you’ll see that most of the stroke is in a circle.

Here’s a video of Ma Long forehand looping – note how he uses both sides of his body as he rotates in a circle, and his body doesn’t move forward at all. This means he finishes where he starts, in a balanced position, and instantly ready for the next shot.

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