Strategies for a penholder player

I think many will not disagree that people who adopt the shakehand method will have more advantages compared to those using the penholder method. Being a penholder myself, i have to adapt my game to suit my own style of play. As i'm usually impeded by my backhand, i tend to take more risks and be more aggressive in my play.

The way i position myself when receiving services are also slightly different from most people. As i am a more aggressive kind of player, i tend to stand slightly away from the table with about 70% of my body outside the table. I call it the 70/30 position. This is a very offensive strategy as you have to be prepared to attack the ball at all times. It works for me as i am a more aggressive player by nature and i love to attack the ball. In addition, i seem to have more "ball sense" when it comes to my forehand.

However, the game has evolved a lot in recent years. Many penholders like Wang hao of China have taken to using the backhand backflip. The slight advantage that shakehand holders have enjoyed over the years have narrowed significantly. However for those penholders who are not that comfortable with using this technique might consider trying my 70/30 method. If it works for me, it could very well work for you as well!