Why Do Table Tennis Players Stamp Their Feet?

Last Updated on June 26, 2024 by Alex Horscroft

So you’ve probably seen some high-level table tennis and witnessed players stamping their feet and thought, what on earth is that all about?

And I don’t blame you, the practice of foot stomping seems very peculiar to those who are not in the know. So let me strip away the mystery of this practice and tell you what’s up.

The Benefits of Stomping

Table tennis is a game of deception. You might not think it is, but it is.

Every competent player has their own game plan, and they will do whatever they can to enforce it. Sure placement and speed are effective, but table tennis has another trait that most racket sports barely possess, and that’s spin.

Even in the likes of tennis where spin is highly useful, it pales in comparison to the power spin has in table tennis if you use it effectively. The thing is, spin is great and all, but if your opponent can read your spin it won’t get you very far. That’s why you need to be deceptive with the spin you produce. Foot stomping helps you do this.

1. Helps Hide Your Serves

It’s not as if table tennis players are stomping around like elephants all game, we generally reserve our stomps for serving as this is when they are the most effective.

So what does stomping do exactly? Well, the answer is pretty simple. It takes away the sense of hearing from the receiver.

Skilled table tennis players to an extent, can determine the spin of a ball based on its sound when struck alongside the normal visual cues. Therefore, taking this ability away ever-so-slightly diminishes the likelihood your opponent can make a return. And in a game of margins, you should take every advantage you can get.

A Brief History

Stomping is a practice that has been around for a damn long time. What’s fascinating, is that it first arose to cover the weakness of a particular style.

While pairing inverted rubbers with the likes of long pimples and anti-spin is still around today, it was much more powerful back in the day. This is because rackets could be any color, so players were often facing combination style bats with two of the same rubber color – almost impossible to read consistently.

However, they had a small weakness and that was that you could often tell which type of rubber struck the ball based on the sound. Hence stomping entered the scene and it has remained ever since.

Today, rackets must be two separate colors (at least one black), so pairing different types of rubbers isn’t as effective. What’s more, players are no longer able to obscure the ball from their opponent during serving. The removal of these two powerful strategies makes stomping one of the few means of deception left.

2. Intimidates/Distracts Players

This point is a little more unethical, nevertheless, it requires discussion. Foot stomping not only helps conceal spin, but it also intimidates and distracts opponents, especially if the stomps are really loud.

This certainly does seem a little unfair, so what do the rules say?

Unfortunately, they say diddly squat. There used to be a rule relating to foot stomping but it has since been removed.

Despite its removal, I still feel that most umpires will operate on the same basis. A little stomping is fine, but excessive stomping is not. What do I mean by this? If you’re shaking the sports hall with your stomps, sooner or later an umpire will probably call you up on it.

Similarly, if you stamp unnaturally i.e. not when you serve, but rather as your opponent is about to hit the ball. I can almost guarantee you will be pulled up. That being said, I’ve never seen this because nobody is that blatantly shameless.

Ultimately though, it depends on who you get as an umpire. And I feel that most people are likely to just let it go even if you are pushing out the boat a bit far.

3. Natural Transfer of Bodyweight

The final reason players stomp is to follow through with the transfer of their body weight. For this reason, we see players stamp both when serving and during rallies.

Take a look at this match between Ma Lin and Joo Se Hyuk. Ma Lin stomps not only when serving but also for his power loops

Joo Se Hyuk, similarly, stamps when serving but also for many of his chops. However, I would argue this is likely more a result of trying to hide his spin than a natural transfer of body weight.

The Time I Got Pulled Up for Stomping

As a player with over a decade of experience, there is only one occasion when I was ever pulled up for stomping. And that was by a player rather than an umpire.

As I recall, the fella I was playing was struggling against my offensive style. He was heading for a 3-0 loss and was clutching at straws to help turn the tide. He stated that stamping my foot was illegal.

I explained that stomping was a part of my game and it wasn’t overly loud so it fell within the rules. Of course, he held strong that I should be forced to stop. Fortunately for me, the umpire who was on his team remained impartial and did not penalize me.

My Take on Foot Stomping

As a foot stomper, it’s pretty clear where I stand. One of the strongest areas of my game are my deceptive serves. And I feel it would be silly to not stomp when it helps give me a small advantage.

Now does this mean I take the mick and stomp as loud as I possibly can? No, I’m not heartless. I keep it in check and play fairly.

On the flip side, I’ve played my fair share of thunderous stompers over the years. Did it affect me? Sure, a little bit. But personally, I don’t mind all that much. I’m far more concerned with players hiding their serve with their non-playing arm.

Unlike stomping this is explicitly illegal under the ruleset, and you will find waaaay more players hiding their serves in such a way than stomping too loud.