Pro Tip Blog: Samsonov on Angle Play

My new blog feature is the Pro Tip Blog which looks at specific areas of the game and combines my own brief thoughts with a tip which I seek out from an experienced international player. My first blog in this segment is on Angle Play and features a thought from, in my opinion, the master of angle plays, former World Number 1; Vladimir Samsonov.

Vladimir Samsonov Angle Play Blog

Playing the wide angle is a strong variation to have in your game. Often as you progress from hitting to the forehand and backhand zones you start to open up areas in the table to exploit your opponent. One of course is the body shot, the other is the wide angle play. The wide angle allows you to carry your opponent off the table to retrieve the ball and thus opens up a defensive gap to hit into, this is a key advantage of angle play. It is important to weigh up risks, obviously the wider angle you play the more risk is involved in the shot and the more experience of the right touch is required. Here is what Vladimir Samsonov had to say:

'The top players are always trying to find a weak spot. However, if you continuously play to the same place your opponent will get used to it. In the game the tactics are changing (or should change) all the time. Using the angle is extremely useful against players with a weak backhand or players who try to play every ball with their forehand. We should not forget that playing deeply to the sides of the table is quite a risk even for the best players and you may make more unforced errors than usual.' Vladimir Samsonov.

Many thanks to Vladi for contributing to the first post in this new feature, please do give feedback on whether you like this idea and found it useful!