ball contact in loops

gian crispino Asked 14 years ago

Hi

They say that in looping a backspin ball you should lower your starting position.

I'm just wondering if it's effective to hit under the center of the ball? becoz in normal loop, u hit the top of the ball right? this is becoz im still having difficulties in looping backspin ball

any tips?

Again, Gian 

Jeff Plumb Answered 14 years ago

Hi Gian,

I remember when I first started playing I had a lot of difficulty in playing a topspin off a backspin ball. In fact for a while I would just push the ball back in matches because I just couldn't play the stroke consistently. After a lot of practice I was able to get very good at it though so stick with it.

I don't think it is a good idea to hit under the bottom of the ball. This is because you want to generate a lot of topspin so you need to contact the ball with a brushing action. For a heavily spun backspin ball you can brush up the back of the ball more than the top but not from underneath.

Watch our video on the forehand topspin against backspin and imagine yourself playing the same stroke. Even practice the stroke yourself without a ball while watching the video. Try to get a clear picture in your mind of how the stroke should look and remember it when you go to practice. Try and set up some training drills where you can practice this.

One easy way is to serve a backspin ball and ask your opponent to push the ball to your forehand so you can topspin the ball. You can then play the rally out and start again. By doing this you will get the opportunity to play a lot of topspins in a short period of time which will help you improve.

I think it is important for people to analyse their own games and decide what areas need improvement. Once you understand what you want to improve, set up some drills that allow you practice this over and over. This is the quickest way to improve.