How do I topspin a ball coming right at me?

devin the Asked 13 years ago

how do i do a topspin while the ball is coming fast right in front of me or a topspin right in front of me. 

Jeff Plumb Answered 13 years ago

Hi Devin,

If the ball is coming right at you and will be in front of your stomach, you can play a backhand topspin. If the ball is a little bit more towards your crossover point then you need to decide whether to play the backhand or shuffle across using some basic footwork and then play a forehand topspin.

The key to playing a topspin is to get into a good position using your footwork. That way you can play the same stroke that you practice all the time.

To help you get better you should incorporate some footwork drills into your practice. You can start with some simple 2 ball drills where the ball is placed to 2 positions and you alternate hitting them from each position. From there you can move onto 3 and 4 ball drills. Once you get quite consistent at these type of drills you can introduce some random drills into your training. This is where you are not sure where the ball is going and you have to adjust on each shot. This is much more match like and is a great way to train.