Last Updated on April 24, 2024 by Alex Horscroft
Ever wondered what table tennis player’s shots stand above the rest as the most iconic? Well, you need wonder no longer!
Here are the top 11 signature shots from pro players:
1. Jan-Ove Waldner No-Look Shot 😎
2. Xu Xin’s Sidespin ↩️
3. Ma Lin’s All or Nothing Forehand Loop 💪🏻
4. Zhang Jike’s Backhand Flick 🌀
5. Ding Ning’s Tricky Serves 😵
6. Timo Boll’s Hand Switch 👋🏻
7. Michael Maze’s Lobs 🌫️
8. Wang Liqin’s Fade 🌀
9. Koki Niwa’s Chop Block 🪓
10. Vladimir Samsonov’s Brick Wall Blocks 🧱
11. Dimitrij Ovtcharov’s Backhand Serve 🏆
1. Jan-Ove Waldner No-Look Shot 😎
Nicknamed “The Mozart of Table Tennis,” Jan-Ove Waldner could do it all. He was one of the most creative players to ever grace the table. I was tempted to list his signature move as creativity, but this is a bit generic.
Waldner’s style was very precise and he was not afraid to block or punch the ball where others looped. However, it’s his no-look shots that many remember him for, as they’re just so difficult to pull off in a match situation.
He’s done it a tonne of times. Below you can see him doing it to poor Timo Boll twice in the same match!
2. Xu Xin’s Sidespin ↩️
There’s no doubt in my mind that Xu Xin is one of the most exciting players to watch. He has one of the best forehands in the game and incredible footwork — he practically covers the entire table with his forehand.
To encourage further balls to his forehand, he heavily hooks the ball, giving it a tonne of sidespin. But he doesn’t stop there. Xu also uses the opposite kind of sidespin too just to be extra tricky. Combine this with his stellar lobbing ability and you get some insane sidespin rallies.
3. Ma Lin’s All or Nothing Forehand Loop 💪🏻
Ma Lin is the epitome of all or nothing. His forehand is lightning-quick, and he’s not afraid to commit to forehand loop kills. He throws everything into these shots, leaving the entire table open for a block. The thing is, they’re so damn quick they almost always win him the point!
He’s one of the most high-risk high-reward players I have ever seen, and it’s a shame we don’t see more players who sport a similar style.
4. Zhang Jike’s Backhand Flick 🌀
Zhang Jike was very dominant during his prime. What gave him an edge on the competition was his impeccable backhand flick technique. Few players could match him close to the table on the backhand side. I wonder how he would have faired in today’s game if he hadn’t retired prematurely!
5. Ding Ning’s Tricky Serves 😵
There are a lot of players with crazy looking serves, but Ding Ning takes the cake. This is because she uses tomahawk serve variations which is very rare. Only a handful of other players such as Kenta Matsudaira are able to pull this off at the top level.
Ding varies between a standard tomahawk and a backhand tomahawk which has the opposite type of spin, making it quite troublesome to return. I try to do the same serving strategy every now and again, but my serves have nothing on this legend!
6. Timo Boll’s Hand Switch 👋🏻
Fan favorite Timo Boll is a joy to watch. He has a beautiful backhand and an insane ability to keep the rally alive. Yet as far as signature shots go, I’d have to give it to his hand-switch shot.
He switches hands a crazy amount considering it puts him at a disadvantage, and he even does so in serious matches — we’re not talking exhibitions here.
Timo is by no means elite with his right hand, yet he’s won a load of points with it! Check out some of his best hand-switch rallies below.
7. Michael Maze’s Lobs 🌫️
Lots of players lob when they are on the defensive, but none seem more at home than Michael Maze — he was one of my favorite players to watch before he retired. His love for sidespin made his defensive abilities all the more exciting.
Quite often he’d spice up his lobs with heavy sidespin and he’d also switch to sidespin loops on his forehand and backhand too. You can’t help but smile when you watch his style.
8. Wang Liqin’s Fade 🌀
Wang Liqin is one of the most successful players of all time. He holds three majors at the World Championships and was ranked number 1 in the world for 25 consecutive months.
While he doesn’t technically have a signature move, one shot he pulled off was so incredible, that I just had to put it on this list.
The shot in question was a very fast and spinny fade. This is a type of loop where the paddle contacts from the outside to the inside. It’s the opposite of a hook and much more difficult to pull off.
The poor receiver was Timo Boll who was helpless to make a return. The below video has the perfect angle that demonstrates just how much sidespin was on the ball.
9. Koki Niwa’s Chop Block 🪓
Koki Niwa is right up there with Jan-Ove Waldner when it comes to creativity, and one of his favorite unusual shots is the chop-block.
He uses it to great effect against the world’s best, disrupting their rhythm so that he can begin to counterattack.
10. Vladimir Samsonov’s Brick Wall Blocks 🧱
There are lots of excellent blockers out there, but to me, Samsonov is the very best. Countless times players like Ma Lin have attempted to hit winners only to be met by the wall that is Vladimir Samsonov.
Yet he isn’t just a one-trick pony, Samsonov is an elite attacker in his own right. He is just one of the few players at the top of the sport who was happy to have blocking as a significant portion of their game.
11. Dimitrij Ovtcharov’s Backhand Serve
Although Ovtcharov largely uses his pendulum serve now, his backhand serve is one of the most iconic in table tennis! In fact, it was so revolutionary that Time Magazine named it as one of the best inventions back in 2008.
His sidespin backhand serve differs from the way most players perform it. He strikes the ball to the side of his body to get better rotation, and he also squats down very low to strike the ball. It’s a shame he doesn’t use it more often.
Closing Thoughts
That marks the end of my list of the top table tennis players and their signature moves. Did I miss any? I’m sure there were some you thought would be here but didn’t feature. Let me know down in the comments. Maybe I’ll have to add a few more!
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I've been playing table tennis since the age of 14 and have competed against some of the top players in England. While I love playing, I also really enjoy coaching too!
Blade: Butterfly Timo Boll ALC | Rubbers: Nittaku Fastarc G-1