Contact of the forehand topspin

hi pingskills

i have two questions first in the forehand topspin against block do we purely brush the back of the ball keeping the start and finish positions and the angle close or the contact is something between hitting and brushing at the same time or that depend on the speed and height of the ball or how fast do we want the ball to go and which is more accurate ?

second about anticipation especially tracking the ball with our eyes do also concentrate on the angle of the other player and how he hit the ball and anticipate the placement of the ball from there ?

and thanks for your great effort on this website :)

Hi Mohamed,

For the topspin, the stroke will vary slightly depending on the type of shot that is coming to you.  If the ball has more topspin on it then you can get your stroke more forward and hit on the top of the ball.  If it has less topspin or even backspin then you need to start lower and brush more up the back of the ball.

Regarding anticipation, it is all about watching the ball.  You will see what your opponent is doing though your peripheral vision.  This will give you the best chance of reacting quickly to the ball.