Why power fails against a soft game
A "banger" is a player who relies on hard, flat shots rather than placement or patience. Power works when there's pace to redirect — take that pace away and a banger has to generate all their own power from scratch, which is far less consistent. This is why the dinking game is the single best counter to a hard hitter.
Trying to match a banger's pace plays directly into their game. The moment you start swinging hard back, you're in a power rally, which favours the harder, more aggressive hitter almost every time.
Blocking instead of swinging
Against a hard-driven ball, resist the instinct to swing. Instead, hold the paddle firm and let the ball rebound off it — a block, not a hit. This softens the return, often dropping it into the kitchen, and takes the pace completely out of the exchange.
Blocking pairs directly with the kitchen positioning guide — you need to already be at the net, paddle up, for a block to work.
Keep the ball low and in the kitchen
Bangers thrive on balls that sit up. Every dink or drop that lands low and deep in the kitchen denies them the height they need to attack. This is more about consistency than any single shot — stringing together low, controlled balls forces errors over time.
Stay patient
The soft game is a patience contest. A banger will often try to force the pace by going for a low-percentage winner rather than staying in a slow rally, especially once they realise power isn't working. Stay in the point, keep the ball low, and let their own aggression create the error. This mental discipline connects to reading and anticipating opponents — recognising when a banger is about to force a shot.
