How To Play Doubles in Table Tennis

Video Transcript

"Hi, this is Jared on behalf of Expert Village. I want to talk to you about doubles in table tennis. This is almost a completely different sport than in singles in table tennis. It's got a different mindset, different strategy, and different order of play. The first part I want to talk to you about is the motion of play. This is drastically different. Instead of two people standing at one side of the table and deciding who hits depending on where it lands. You actually have to alternate hits no matter where the ball is. Generally, I would hit the ball, step out of the way, and my opponent is going to move in and receive the next ball. This means you have to have very, very fast foot work and good communication between your partner. It is best to stay on your toes and be watching where your opponent is at all times. Some people use the style where they do kind of a V, and they step in and out, in and out. But what I've found is most effective is a circular pattern where you'll hit, go behind your opponent, come around you'll almost go in a circle. This allows you to enter the table knowing your opponent is somewhere behind you, you can cover the whole table. So the first thing that is different is the whole motion of the play with your opponent."