heavy underspin and sidespin

dennis Unknown Asked 15 years ago

Hello coach,

I bought the three DVDs from you and I watched them. but I can not create the same heavy underspin that you demonstrated in your DVD (e.g. it bouches back on the table) and the heavy sidespin you demonstrated in your DVD (e.g. curves out on the other side of the table). What did i do wrong? what is the problem?  How to improve it?

I would appreciate it if you could let me know.

Thanks and Best Regards,

 Dennis

Jeff Plumb Answered 15 years ago

Hi Dennis,

The first thing you should check is that you have a decent Table Tennis rubber on your bat that is able to grip the ball. Without this it will be impossible to generate any spin. You can rub your finger over the rubber and if it is not grippy at all, it is time for a new rubber or a new bat.

Once you have some decent equipment, you can start to work on generating spin. You need to have a fast swing and a brushing action when you contact the ball. You need both of these things to generate spin. It is a difficult skill to master. This is because when you swing the bat fast, it is harder to generate the brushing contact. We recommend that at first you get away from the table. This allows you to swing the bat really fast and not even worry about serving. Take another look at our Serving Secrets Revealed DVD where we demonstrate this. Just swing at the ball and work on getting a fast contact and a brushing contact. Practice this until you start to see the ball curving in the air. Once you have mastered this, then you can come back to the table and attempt to incorporate it into your serves.

Don't be disheartened as this will take some time. But the more you practice the better you will get. Please let us know how you get on.