Attacking Plain Topspin Serves
Receiving
Faseeh Irfan Asked 9 years ago
Hi,
I always seem to be having trouble attacking plain Topspin Serves my friends give me in games as they know i can't return them well. Pls help me as I just can't figure out the bat angle and instead of attacking the serve I just lob it in the air and my opponent smashes for the point.
Would be awesome for you to reply ASAP as i have a tournament in 3 days. Wish me luck!
Thx.
Alois Rosario Answered 9 years ago
Hi Faseeh,
The first thing is to not try to do too much with it. You need to play a topspin stroke back and place the ball well. As you get more comfortable with the stroke you can speed it up slightly but a mistake a lot of players make is to try and hit the ball way too hard.
Good luck with your tournament. Focus on playing well rather than the results.
Recommended Video
How to Return Spin Serves in Table Tennis (and Stop Misreading Them!)
Struggling to return spin serves? You're not alone! In this video, we break down how to read spin, adjust your bat angle, and return serves effectively—so you stop giving away easy points.
What You'll Learn:
🔹 Skill Breakdown: How to identify different types of spin and adjust your return technique.
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Johan B Posted 9 years ago
Sounds like a simple counter hit or block to keep the ball low would be good short term advice..
Jean Balthazar Posted 9 years ago
Those serves are actually not that easy to deal with. They put you under pressure because you know that if you return them too weakly, there's a good chance you'll get punished on the third ball. Alois gave you the best long term development way to go. If you're getting really frustrated and if the serves are long, an occasional alternative can be to chop the ball. It's not as efficient as a good topspin return generally, but it's still better than a lob ball.
D K Posted 9 years ago
OOH
Jean, I did not think that someone will mention the chop option sooner than me :D
Though,I usually block that serve
D K Posted 9 years ago
or better said,I would block it if I was an attacker
Ujjal Chatterjee Posted 9 years ago
As you said 'Good ready position' will help to return a top spin serve with a proper placement.
kathy mckelvey Posted 9 years ago
Yes , trying to keep the ball as low as possible works for me!! thank you!!