Can I top spin all kinds of long serves

Table Tennis Service Return

Last updated 10 years ago

Abhinav Upadhyay

Abhinav Upadhyay Asked 10 years ago

Hi,

At my office where I play Table Tennis, I have noticed that almost everyone makes long serves. Earlier, I used to play mostly use push or sometimes forehand counterhit to return these serves. Now a days, I am trying to use only forehand topspin. While I am able to return some of those serves quite well but now that my opponents are realizing that I am getting good at playing topspin, they are starting to vary their serves a bit. Although their serves are still long enough to play top spin but I am not able to adjust my shots, and as a result, sometimes I hit the net or hit it outside the table. Now, everyone is starting to advise me that I can't play the same shot to all the serves, but I am not willing to agree. What do you suggest? Do I need to really think twice before playing this shot when the serve is long? Their constant pestering is making me lose confidence from my shot. 

 


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario Answered 10 years ago

Hi Abhinav,

You can play a topspin on all the long balls but you need to make small adjustments for each serve and the variation of spin.  It will take time to get this right but it is the best way to go in the long term.


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Thoughts on this question

Douglas Hill

Douglas Hill Posted 10 years ago

If you only play at the office and you only play doubles, you may not have enough practice time to master these variations. I can see how your partners might be annoyed. If you could get someone to practice with outside of your office games that would be ideal.


Abhinav Upadhyay

Abhinav Upadhyay Posted 10 years ago

Thanks Alois, for reaffirming it. I am trying to make those adjustments but it will take time.

 

Hey Douglas, yes, you are right. My partners are getting annoyed that I'm sticking to only one shot and making them lose points. While I am getting annoyed that they are making me lose confidence in my shot. Since, it is really difficult to find a training partner for me, I try to experiment with my shots when I play with players who are not that good, they don't mind when I hit the ball into the net a bit too many times :)


Timothy Woo

Timothy Woo Posted 10 years ago

Hi Alois,

Just wondering, how would you adjust your bat when top-spinning a side-spin long serve, as you do when you alter your bat angle to push a short side-spin serve? 


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 10 years ago

Yes that is what you need to do.  Depending on how fast you hit the ball yourself.  If you hit the ball really fast then you don't have to adjust the angle much at all.  If you are allowing the spin to sink into your rubber and hitting the ball with control then you will have to adjust the angle more.



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