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Lesson 1 of 6
  • Year 11

Pushing and slicing to keep it in play

I can keep a rally going with push shots and add slice to make it harder for my opponent to return.

Lesson 1 of 6
New
New
  • Year 11

Pushing and slicing to keep it in play

I can keep a rally going with push shots and add slice to make it harder for my opponent to return.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Move: pushing the ball requires a short 10-40cm jabbing action.
  2. Think: adding slice requires a different bat angle to simply pushing it over the net.
  3. Feel: aiming the ball to a target and hitting it consistently with accuracy comes with practice.
  4. Connect: giving feedback to other people can help support others to improve.

Keywords

  • Push - a passive shot with underspin to get the ball back on the table

  • Slice - a type of backspin where the ball spins backward and stays low

  • Alternate shots - to take it in turns to hit shots

Common misconception

Pupils think they need to hit the ball hard to slice effectively.

Pushing and slicing require a light touch and controlled movements, not power.


To help you plan your year 11 physical education lesson on: Pushing and slicing to keep it in play, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

The final game will differentiate the class into ability/expereince which may be where you want to group pupils in subsequent lessons so you are able to support/tailor activities to suit certain tables. Print and laminate a class set of the battle ship cards so you can use them in other lessons too.
Teacher tip

Equipment

table tennis tables with nets (1 between 2), 1 bat each, 1 ball between 2 and 8 cards per pupil.

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - physical activity

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
Which is not a shot in table tennis?

Correct answer: putt
push
slice

Q2.
If you hit the ball with your non-dominant side what is it called?

left hand
forehand
Correct answer: backhand

Q3.
What score do you play up to in table tennis?

9
Correct answer: 11
21

Q4.
What is a rally?

a long game
hitting hard shots
Correct answer: hitting consecutively

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
How many times does the ball have to bounce on your side of the table before you can hit it?

0
Correct answer: 1
2

Q2.
What is most important when pushing the ball in a rally?

power
hitting it hard
Correct answer: accuracy

Q3.
Which direction should the bat face when performing a slice shot?

Correct answer: upwards
forwards
downwards

Q4.
What can you give to an opponent or partner to help them improve?

Correct Answer: feedback