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How to Defend from Far Back in Table Tennis

Playing strategy 13 of 16 • Rally

How to defend from far back in table tennis when you are pushed away from the table: fish and lob high, deep and spinny, then counter-loop and step back in. Step by step.

Diagrams show the table from above, you on the left. Solid gold lines are your shots, dashed lines your opponent’s. Tap any step to enlarge it.

Use it when — Your opponent's attack has pushed you well back from the table and you cannot block close in.

The pattern

Defending from far back, step by step

The animation plays the whole sequence; the frames below break it into single shots.

Animation of defending from far back: They attack and push you back from the table; Fish it back high, deep and with topspin; From a deep ball, their next attack is slower; Counter-loop it wide and step back in — ANIMATEDThe whole sequence, shot by shot. It loops.

Strategy 13, step 1: They attack and push you back from the table — STEP 1They attack and push you back from the table

Strategy 13, step 2: Fish it back high, deep and with topspin — STEP 2Fish it back high, deep and with topspin

Strategy 13, step 3: From a deep ball, their next attack is slower — STEP 3From a deep ball, their next attack is slower

Strategy 13, step 4: Counter-loop it wide and step back in — STEP 4Counter-loop it wide and step back in

Why it works

Why this pattern wins points

Far from the table you have time but little control of pace. A high, deep ball with heavy topspin is hard to smash cleanly: it bounces high and kicks long, so the attacker has to hit from behind the end line or let it drop. Their next attack is usually slower, and that is the ball to counter-loop before stepping back in.

Key points

Send the ball high and deep, landing near their end line. Short lobs are easy to smash.
Put topspin on it. A spinny lob kicks forward off the bounce and is harder to time.
Aim lobs at the middle or the backhand, where a smash is harder to angle.
As soon as a slower ball comes, counter-loop it and move back towards the table.

Common mistake

Lobbing short or flat. Without depth and spin, a lob is the easiest smash in the game.

Common questions

How do you return a smash in table tennis?

Step back, give yourself time and send it back high, deep and with topspin. A deep, spinny lob is hard to smash cleanly and often produces a slower ball you can counter-attack.