[Caribou]

Everybody loves playing ping pong in twos, but did you know these 10 table tennis doubles tips? In the game of ping pong, table tennis doubles is a form of the game in which two teams of two players face off against each other. It's simplistic, really, but being good at table tennis doubles is a whole other subject. If you want to be better than your friends, read the following table tennis doubles tips to get an edge!



1.Stick to your side. It's inconvenient for both you and your partner to be micro-managing everything in table tennis doubles. That doesn't mean it's not okay to cross over to the left/right side to help your partner when that tricky shot comes around, but limit it.
2.Think about your partner. If you serve the ball, for example, your partner will have to (usually) return the third round. When your partner has a weak backhand, don't serve it in the middle (if you're on the right-hand side) and vice versa.
3.Play towards your opponents' weaknesses. Let's say you're playing a game of table tennis doubles, and one of your opponents can't seem to reach that well with his/her forehand. Make strikes to his/her weak spot, and watch the score increase. Signal your plan to your partner.
4.Have a plan. Communicate with your partner in table tennis doubles. The server usually has seniority when it comes to his/her turn, but that can change if one partner is significantly better than the other. In that latter case, let the more experienced player take the calls for planning.
5.Return the ball to the server. Often times, the server is ill-prepared to return balls after making his/her initial move. This is the perfect opportunity for either you or your partner to rebound it right back to them. On the other hand, don't overuse this technique.
6.Encourage. Your partner in table tennis doubles constitutes half of the team. Therefore, it would be most prudent to consider treating half of the team well. Words of encouragement more often than not help the game's outcome better than harsh criticisms.
7.Alternate shots. Even if your partner isn't quite as good as you in table tennis doubles, don't dominate the whole game. After all, you are playing twice as many people as in singles and your partner constitutes half of the playing field.
8.Practice with each other. You need to know your partner to play well in table tennis doubles. The game requires two people to cover one half of a ping pong table. It's not easy, but it's way better if both of you guys thought alike.
9.Set up accordingly. If a strong player on the other side loves to lobby balls to your left-hand court, put the partner who plays the best defense there. If you have a left-handed partner have him/her play the left side (unless they have a different preference).
10.Change servers. It is illegal by most ping pong governing organizations to not evenly switch between partners for serving purposes. Avoid breaking the rules, especially if your opponents know about them.

Hopefully, you've taken these table tennis doubles tips to heart and plan on practicing a few of them. It's important to also realize, while reading these table tennis doubles tips, that many people play the game different, so be diplomatic when going into a new match. Good luck and may the ball be with you.