Table Tennis Stance: How to Stand — Feet, Knees, and Body Weight

Every strong shot starts from the ground. Before the racket, before the ball, comes your table tennis stance — the way you stand at the table. In this lesson, Captain Yasser Yehia — professional table tennis coach in Riyadh with more than 21 years as a player and 13 years as a coach — breaks the perfect stance into simple parts: feet, knees, body lean, and weight.

(This is Lesson 2 of the basics series. Lesson 1 was the ready position — read it first if you missed it.)

Why the Stance Is the Base of Every Shot

Think of your stance like the base of a house. If the base is weak, everything above it is weak too. A good stance gives you three things at the same time: balance, fast movement, and power for every stroke. If the stance is wrong, every forehand and backhand after it becomes harder.

Your Feet: A Little Wider Than Your Shoulders

Open your feet a little wider than your shoulders. This width must feel comfortable and balanced.

• Too narrow? You lose balance when you swing.
• Too wide? Your steps become slow and heavy.

The right width is the one that lets you push off fast in any direction.

Knees Bent, Body Leaning Forward

Bend your knees — light to medium. This brings your body weight down, and a lower body is a more stable body.

Then lean your upper body forward a little. Very important: the lean comes from the hips, not only from the back. Leaning from the hips keeps your back safe and your balance strong.

Weight on the Front of Your Feet

This is the golden rule of the stance: keep your weight on the front part of your feet — never on the heels.

Captain Yasser Yehia teaches his players to feel light and flexible, a little “bouncy,” like a spring. When the weight is forward, your first step is fast. When the weight sits on the heels, you are always one step late.

And remember: never stand stiff. A stance is not a statue — it is a body that is ready to move.

The Right Distance From the Table

Stand at a distance that lets you move forward and back with comfort.

• Too close — you have no room to swing.
• Too far — you arrive late to short balls.

Start from a comfortable middle distance, and adjust as you play.

A Simple 2-Minute Home Drill

You can train your stance every day, at home, with no table:

1. Stand in front of a mirror.
2. Check 4 things: feet a little wider than shoulders → knees bent → small forward lean from the hips → weight on the front of your feet.
3. Hold the position for 30 seconds. Relax. Repeat 3 times.
4. Extra: do 20 seconds of small, light bounces on the front of your feet — this builds the “spring” feeling.

Train with Captain Yasser Yehia in Riyadh

A good stance is easy to read about — and easy to do wrong without feedback. Captain Yasser Yehia offers private and group training programs for all levels in Riyadh, and the stance is one of the first things he corrects with every new player.

👉 Enroll Now (button → link to your Enroll page)

FAQ

How wide should my feet be?
A little wider than your shoulders — a width that feels comfortable and balanced.

Should I stand on my toes?
No. Keep the weight on the front part of your feet, with the heels light on the floor — not fully up on the toes.

Why do I lose balance when I hit?
The most common reasons are straight knees or weight on the heels. Bend your knees and move your weight forward.