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can you table tennis bat hold with both hands? A common question among players, perhaps because you've seen it once and wondered if it's actually allowed.
In this article I want to cover everything around hitting the ball with your bat. What is allowed and what is not.
What we discuss in this comprehensive post:
Can you hold your bat with both hands at the same time?
On one serve, someone managed to return by using his normal hand with the support of his other to better stabilize the bat. That's allowed?
In ITTF Guidelines stayed
- 2.5.5 The racket hand is the hand that holds the bat.
- 2.5.6 The free hand is the hand not holding the bat; the free arm is the arm of the free hand.
- 2.5.7 A player strikes the ball when he touches it during play with his or her bat in hand or with his or her racket hand below the wrist.
However, it does not say that both hands cannot be the racket hand.
Yes, it is allowed to hold the bat with both hands.
Which hand should you hit the ball with on a serve?
During a serve it is different and you have to hold the bat with one hand, because you have to hold the ball with your free hand.
From the ITTF handbook, 2.06 (the service):
- 2.06.01 The service begins with the ball resting freely on the open palm of the server's stationary free hand.
After the service you no longer need a free hand. There is no rule that prohibits holding the paddle with both hands.
Can you switch hands during a match?
The ITTF Handbook for Match Officials (PDF) makes it clear that it is allowed to switch hands during a rally:
- 9.3 For the same reason, a player cannot return by throwing his or her bat at the ball because the bat will not “hit” the ball if it is not held in the racket hand at the time of impact.
- However, a player may transfer his or her bat from one hand to the other during play and strike the ball with the bat alternately held in both hands, because the hand holding the bat is automatically the “racket hand”.
To switch hands, you have to hold the bat in both hands at some point.
So in short, yes in table tennis you can switch hands during the game and keep your bat in the other hand. According to ITTF rules, there is no point losing if you decide to switch your game hand between a rally.
However, you are not allowed to use the other hand with a different bat, that is not allowed. A player may only use one bat per point.
Can you throw your bat to hit the ball?
Also, if you switch by throwing your bat to your other hand, you don't get a point if the ball hits the bat while it's in the air. Throwing the bat to win a point is not allowed and it must be in full contact with your hand to win the point.
Also read: rules to make the most fun around the table
Can I use my hand to hit the ball in table tennis?
2.5.7 A player hits the ball when he touches it during play with his/her hand-held bat or with his/her racket hand under the wrist.
Does this mean I can use my hand to hit the ball? But only my racket hand?
Yes, you can use your hand to hit the ball, but only if it is your racket hand and below the wrist.
A quote from the rules reads:
It is considered permissible to hit the ball with your fingers, or with your racket hand below the wrist. This means that you can return the ball well by:
- to hit with the back of your racket hand
- to hit with your finger resting on the rubber
One condition is: Your hand is only your racket hand if it's holding the bat, so this means you can't drop your bat and then hit the ball with your hand, because your hand is no longer your racket hand.
It is also not allowed to hit the ball with your free hand.
Can I hit the ball with the side of my bat?
It is not allowed to hit the ball with the side of the bat. A player earns a point when the opponent touches the ball with a side of the bat whose surface does not meet the requirements for the rubber surface of the bat.
Lees meer: the most important rules of table tennis explained
