OOAK Table Tennis Forum

What is explosiveness at striking the ball? Does it mean a snap force onto the ball only when it is contacted?

Yes, I think that's what the term refers to. Although it could also just refer to the amount of explosive power in that moment of contact.

The idea that you mentioned, is that you accelerate as you contact the ball instead of making your entire stroke one linear speed. You approach the ball slower to maintain control and good timing, then only accelerate to full power as you contact the ball to give it the speed and spin.

It's one step towards playing more relaxed and fluid. You don't need tense muscles for the entire stroke, instead they can maintain more elasticity. When you get it right, it can help you achieve your full power with much less effort and more consistency. It also can help to disguise placement, spin and arc of the ball until the latest possible moment.

To achieve this, you must first make sure you are relaxed - before and after the stroke - then work on accelerating on contact. You can't accelerate very well if you are tense before the contact.

Thank you so much for your perfect explanation.

Here is an interesting video on Chinese explosiveness (4 minutes in)

Understanding is one thing, mastering it takes ages i guess.

Some would argue that you don't truly understand something until you master it.

And there's a case to be made that a lot of people might master something without actually understanding it.

Iskandar