Learn the push: return backspin safely with an open blade, both long and short, with clear milestones, common mistakes and practical fixes for beginners.
The honest answer: the push is the stroke with which you safely return a ball with backspin – you cut under the ball with an open blade and give it backspin yourself. The Swiss Federal Office of Sport places the push among the strokes with backward rotation, in which the ball is brushed in its lower half with a downward movement [1]. English coaches call it "push": a stroke played close to the table that brings the ball back in a controlled way [2].
Why push first and not topspin? Because your opponent will keep serving you backspin, and a topspin against backspin is not a beginner stroke. In 30 simulated matches of national-level players, the push was the most frequent backhand stroke at 42.7 %, ahead of topspin at 31.9 % [3]. If you cannot do it, you lose points before the rally even begins.
How hard is it really? The principle is explained in a minute. The hard part is the feel: too open and the ball sails high and long, too flat and it stays in the net. Plan on a few training sessions until you have speed and angle under control (experience value).
Stand close to the table, knees slightly bent, elbow in front of your body. The racket points towards the ball. A backspin ball bounces lower and slower after landing than you expect. So move towards the ball early.
Tilt the blade upward, it is open. As a rule of thumb: the more backspin the ball has, the more open the blade must be (practice). You set the opening from the wrist, not from the whole arm.
Hit the ball in its lower half and lead the racket forward and slightly down [1]. It is a cut, not a shove. The elbow stays loose, the stroke comes from forearm and wrist. A soft, flowing movement thought helps: in a study with lower-skilled players, focusing on a smooth, fluid movement improved the accuracy of a forehand stroke just as much as looking at the ball or a target [4].
The long push has more swing, the target is the back third of the table. The short push (placing) is shorter, the ball should land as close to the net as possible and be able to bounce a second time. Playing short takes away the opponent's attack. The English call this "touch": a short return that stops the opponent from attacking [2].
Play 20 long pushes diagonally in a row, first backhand, then forehand. Then 10 short pushes without a mistake that land in the front third of the table. Finally a switch: push against push, 10 rallies long. If you manage all three tasks, move on to the pendulum serve. These numbers are practice standards.
The push is a low-risk stroke. Table tennis overall is considered low-risk, but tendon sheath inflammation, strains and sprains are among the most common findings [5]. The evidence is thin. Warm up wrist and forearm before playing and take a break when it pulls. This guide explains and motivates, it does not replace supervised training.
Listen to your racket. A good push sounds soft and slightly grinding, a shove sounds dull and short (experience value). Between two drill blocks, close your eyes briefly and listen only to the sound. The ear often notices the friction contact faster than your feel does. Also imagine cutting a thin slice off the ball, not pushing it away.
The push is a stroke with an open blade in which you brush the ball from below and give it backspin [1]. It is played close to the table and is the safe answer to backspin, especially when receiving a serve. With the push you bring the ball back in a controlled way without taking a risk straight away.
Very often. In simulated matches of national-level players it was the most frequent backhand stroke at 42.7 % [3]. Among elite men, the backspin return (called "cut" in the paper) even predominated against serves into zones 1 and 2 [6]. So the push is not a beginner stroke you drop later, it stays in the game.
The long push goes deep into the opponent's half with swing, the short one drops close to the net and can bounce a second time. Short pushes take away the opponent's attack, long ones give you time to prepare (practice). Mix both, so your opponent does not know where to move.
Usually the blade is too flat or you hit the ball too late and too high. Open the blade more, hit the ball lower and play early. The ball must touch the opponent's court, directly or after touching the net [7].
Pendulum Serve: Serve Legally with Backspin