Forehand Topspin from cramped positions

Wilburne Mathurin Asked 12 years ago

Hey guys, I'm having problems when I topspin the ball because my opponents put the ball in the middle of the table, half long, or into my body. How do I prevent them from doing this, and in case they do it, how must I move and what changes must I make to do the forehand topspin in these positions?

Alois Rosario Answered 12 years ago

Hi Wilburne,

If you are serving try to serve with more speed on the ball.  This will make it harder for them to return the ball to that half long position.

If they do get the ball to there then move really close to the table to make the topspin.  You can even put your left leg right under the table to get yourself closer to the ball.  Also make sure you are down really low with your legs to get the ball as it just comes off the table.

If they put the ball into your body, you need to be able to move sideways to get into a better position to make the stroke.  If you don't have time you can sway the top half of your body out of the way.  Then try to get back into a balanced position after that.