Forehand Topspin

dion koh Asked 14 years ago

Hey coaches,

I received some tips from my seniors in table tennis about getting the bat down low and topspin the ball back. I tried it but i ended up missing or hitting the edge of the bat. Any tips?

Regards, 

Dion

Jeff Plumb Answered 14 years ago

Hi Dion,

Start by watch the forehand topspin video again. Try and get a clear picture of this stroke in your mind. You can even practice it at home without a ball just by doing some shadow swings. Think about the position of your legs, your start position and the finish position of your stroke. This will help you to groove the stroke into your mind.

Then next time you get a chance to practice make it a focus of your session to work on this stroke. Get someone to hit one ball at a time to your forehand and try and play the stroke. Don't worry if it takes a while to get this right. Just make sure you are hitting a lot of forehand topspins and watch carefully the result of your stroke. When you start to hit a few on you'll begin to get the correct feel.

The other tip that will help you out is to "track the ball". Basically this means watch the ball but it is more than that. Try and watch the ball intensely. By focusing carefully on the ball you'll have a much better chance of making your shot.

Try out these tips and let me know if it helps.

Good luck!