- Forehand
- A stroke played on the dominant hand side of the body, generally the more powerful of a player's two wings.
- Backhand
- A stroke played on the non-dominant hand side of the body, increasingly used as a primary attacking weapon in modern table tennis.
- Topspin
- A stroke that generates forward-rotating spin, causing the ball to dip sharply and accelerate off the bounce, the foundation of modern attacking play.
- Backspin (Chop/Cut)
- A stroke that generates backward-rotating spin, causing the ball to float, drop short, or die low off the bounce.
- Sidespin
- Spin causing the ball to curve in flight or skid sideways off the bounce, often combined with topspin or backspin on serves.
- Loop
- An aggressive topspin stroke and the primary attacking shot in modern table tennis, played with a low-to-high brushing motion.
- Loop Drive
- A faster, flatter loop that sacrifices some spin for extra pace, used to end points against a weaker return.
- Counter-loop
- Looping directly against an opponent's loop, an advanced topspin-on-topspin exchange requiring precise timing.
- Drive
- A flatter, faster stroke with less spin than a loop, used for quick, aggressive rallies close to the table.
- Push
- A short, controlled backspin shot used to keep the ball low and prevent an easy attack, most often played in response to a short serve.
- Long Push
- A deep backspin push aimed at an opponent's weaker side, harder to attack than a short push.
- Flick (Flip)
- An aggressive attacking stroke against a short ball, generated mostly with wrist and forearm snap rather than a full swing.
- Banana Flick
- A modern flick variation using heavy sidespin, popularized by top Chinese and European players for attacking short serves.
- Chop
- A defensive backspin stroke played well back from the table, the primary weapon of defensive-style players.
- Chop-Block
- A hybrid shot combining a short blocking motion with backspin, used to disrupt an opponent's rhythm close to the table.
- Block
- A short, compact stroke that redirects an opponent's attack using their own pace, requiring minimal backswing.
- Punch Block
- An active block with a small forward push added, generating extra pace rather than simply absorbing the incoming shot.
- Smash
- A powerful, flat attacking shot aimed to end the point outright, typically played against a high or slow ball.
- Lob
- A high defensive shot played from far off the table against a smash, buying time to reset court position.
- Fish
- A flatter defensive return played from mid-distance, carrying less spin than a chop and often used as a transition shot back to offense.
- Drop Shot
- A soft, short return that lands close to the net, catching an opponent out of position after they have moved away from the table.
- Serve
- The shot that starts a rally, which can carry topspin, backspin, sidespin, or a combination, and is often the most tactically important shot in a point.
- Short Serve
- A serve designed to bounce twice on the opponent's side if left untouched, limiting their ability to attack.
- Long Serve (Deep Serve)
- A fast serve aimed deep into the opponent's court, often used to catch a player expecting a short serve.
- Pendulum Serve
- A common forehand serve using a pendulum-like wrist motion, typically producing sidespin and backspin combinations.
- Reverse Pendulum Serve
- The mirror-image motion of a pendulum serve, producing the opposite sidespin direction.
- Tomahawk Serve
- A forehand serve struck with an upward chopping wrist motion, producing sidespin that curves away from a right-handed opponent's forehand.
- Backhand Serve
- A serve played from the backhand side, common in modern play for its deceptive spin variations.
- Return of Serve
- The shot made in response to a serve, considered one of the most technically demanding skills at high levels of play.
- Half-Volley Block
- A block taken very early after the bounce, close to the table, for extra speed and reduced reaction time for the opponent.
- Sidespin Loop
- A topspin loop with added sidespin, used to curve the ball wide of the table and pull an opponent off balance.
- Flat Hit
- A stroke with minimal spin and maximum pace, typically played against a high, slow ball.
- Touch Shot
- Any soft, controlled shot (drop shot, short push) relying on feel rather than power.
- Footwork Stroke Combination
- Practiced sequences (like forehand-forehand-backhand) that pair specific strokes with specific footwork patterns.