What Is the Table Tennis Ready Position & When Should You Use It?

Last Updated on April 24, 2024 by Alex Horscroft

The table tennis ready position is the optimal position to stand as you prepare to return a serve. To adopt the ready position, stand with: 

• Feet 1.5 to 2 shoulder-widths apart
• Knees slightly bent
• Leaning forward with the weight on the balls of your feet
• Paddle in front of you with a 90-degree bend at the elbow
• Neutral paddle angle favoring neither backhand nor forehand
• Racket arm in line with center line of table
• Paddle just behind the end line

But that’s just a broad overview of the position. I will now go into detail as to why each of these requirements is important. I’ll also discuss some common mistakes and how you might want to adopt the ready position to your needs. 

1. Feet

Establishing a solid base is the most important part of the ready position. Many coaches recommend your feet to be around shoulder width apart. However, I feel this is too narrow.

Try 1.5 to 2 shoulder-widths apart instead. This gives you a much wider base which not only makes you more stable, but it also makes it easier to move quickly. 

You may also want to have your non-dominant foot ever so slightly forward. This gives a slight favoritism to your forehand which helps to save time should you choose to use it (forehand requires more footwork).  

It’s also important you lean forward with the weight on the ball of your feet, not your heels! If you lean back you will struggle to generate power. 

2. Knees

A beginner is easy to spot from a mile away. This is because they are bolt upright like a lamppost! You can’t move quickly enough when your legs are straight. Instead, you should lower your center of gravity with a slight squat.

Some pros like Timo Boll almost hit a full squat, but this is by no means necessary. In actual fact, I’d say it’s counterintuitive. The extra depth will fatigue your legs more, and Boll reduces the bend in his legs when he receives the ball anyway.

3. Upper Body

To achieve a low center of gravity, it’s not only your knees that you should bend, but your upper body too. You do this by leaning forward and slightly downward with your hips back. 

Remember what I said earlier about having your weight forward? It will help you play higher-quality shots and move quickly. 

4. Arms

The key with your playing arm is to have it out in front of you in a neutral position. This means you are favoring neither the forehand nor backhand as you don’t know where the ball is going to go.

Make sure your elbow is not tucked beside your body. Instead, give it some clearance as this will enable you to play your shot faster. Concerning your elbow angle, I recommend around 90 degrees. However, do feel free to go for more or less than this. It’s mostly personal preference — there’s massive variation among the pros.    

The same is true of your non-playing arm. There’s no strict rule you have to follow. Many players adopt a similar position to their playing arm, except it might be a little more tucked. You’ll also notice that many pros rest their non-playing arm on their thigh. 

5. Paddle

As mentioned above, your paddle should be neutral with the edge facing the ceiling. This best prepares you to play either a backhand or forehand shot at a moment’s notice.

You should also keep your wrist straight. Again, you don’t know where the ball is going to go, so it is unnecessary to prepare for a given shot. 

6. Position Relative to the Table

Where you stand in relation to the table depends on many factors such as what type of player you are, your skill level, and your opponent. That being said, a good rule of thumb with the ready position is to stand with your paddle behind the center line of the table. This enables your more powerful forehand to cover central shots.

Also, by having your paddle just behind the end line, you are at the perfect distance from the table. It allows you to quickly step in to push or flick the ball, or step away to play a loop. 

When Should You Adopt the Ready Position in Table Tennis?

You ONLY adopt the ready position when you are preparing to receive a serve. In other words, it’s your position before your opponent has struck the ball. As soon as they make contact, you shift your body to play your stroke. 

So what about once you have hit the ball? Do you get in the ready position again?

No, not necessarily, although there will certainly be similarities in your stance. When the ball is in play it’s easier to anticipate where it is going to go. This is because you have more information to work with e.g. where you hit it; the type of shot you played; and even your opponent’s stance.   

This more accurately informs you where the ball is going to go. As such, your stance diverges from the standard ready position. Your feet will likely be less central with the table and you may favor a particular side such as your forehand, as you anticipate where the ball is going to go.

That being said, traits of the ready position will remain. You’ll still be in a slight squat, leaning forward, and your paddle will be extended in front of your body.

The Ready Position for Advanced Players

As your preferences and footwork develop, your ready position may well change. While many players stand with their paddle behind the center line, a good chunk will stand more to the left (for righties).

This enables their forehand to cover even more of the table. The only reason such players can get away with this is because they have high-quality footwork. Beginners would get burned far too often by wide balls to their forehand which they can’t reach.

Some top players take it to the extreme by standing very close to the left sideline (for righties). However, I’d exercise caution if you are thinking about doing this. You are leaving a lot of space open on the table, and you are also tempting short and long and fast serves to your forehand. By standing where you are, you are not in a good position to receive them. 

Common Mistakes

1. Not having a wide enough stance. This worsens your balance and makes it more difficult to move quickly. 

2. Standing too close to the table. This makes you vulnerable to deep balls, increasing the likelihood of a strong third-ball attack by your opponent. 

3. Standing too upright. Reduces your ability to move quickly and makes it harder to play your shots.

4. Not leaning forward. Makes it more difficult to react quickly and takes some of the power out of your strokes.

5. Paddle too low. Increases the amount of time it takes to play your shot.

Closing Thoughts

The ready position in table tennis is the best stance to adopt in preparation for receiving a serve. Therefore if you’re not adhering to its requirements, you should certainly change the way you stand.

New players make a lot of mistakes, and my top tip is to make sure your stance is wide enough. Many beginners have their feet less than a shoulder width apart where I feel 1.5 to 2 shoulder-widths is ideal. 

If you have any questions feel free to leave them down in the comments below. 

Image disclaimer: All images were supplied by XIAOYU TANG under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license. Some of these images were cropped or annotated.  

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