OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Lot's of players keep their non playing arm by their side when they play a shot. Others use it to help line up the ball for contact, help maintain balance and help generate body and waist turn.

What do you do with your non playing arm and why?

I've never thought about it, and until recently I wasn't even aware that it can serve some purpose.

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For quite a while I used to just let it hang by my side. However a coach recommended to use it for balance.

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I use it for balance. Interestingly the shoulder of my non-playing arm usually is more sore than my playing shoulder after a night of table tennis. No idea why this is.

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I have this habit of using my non playing arm to be used as a reference when aiming for the ball. Unfortunately, there are incidences where the ball touches my non playing arm. . Although it is not very often that this happens.

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Enjoy the game. It is a never ending learning experience once you play and keep the ball on that 45 sq ft of space or should I say half of that space.

There are a lot of ways what you can do with your non playing arm.

Some use it for aiming, some for balance, some just keep it in a strange position etc.

Just remember not to use it in an opposite movement to your playing arm. For example if you play forehand topspin and your non playing arm makes the same movement mirror-inverted. This would stop your body going forward and makes you staying on the same spot.
So you have to analyze what you do now while you play and ask yourself: "Do I handicap my table tennis style with my non playing arm?"

If not, everything's fine

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Coach at WSA and modern defender.
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BTY T05 (2,1mm) - BTY Joo Se Hyuk, straight - TSP Curl P4 (1,5)

Well for defenders lifting your left arm really helps when you chop somewhat unexpected or really fast ball that you are not ready for.

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finally a question that i can answer quickly...

it's a look for from many higher ups...

the non pplaying arm is suppose to shadow the playing arm...strange to get use to but becomes a habit...

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I agree that the non-playing arm is effective for balance in strokes and court movement. I am certainly one of those players with an active left arm (non-playing). I've seen players who just let their arm hang at the side of their bodies and I strongly suspect it's not helping their game. I'm confident that the science would back up the benefits of having an 'active' non-playing arm.

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