How much spin am I getting
Serving
Mercedies Green Asked 12 years ago
I don't have a table tennis partner so I have been practicing by myself. I am trying to perfect my serve, but can't tell if I am putting spin on the ball? Is there any way of knowing if I am putting spin on the ball? Thanks
Alois Rosario Answered 12 years ago
Hi Mercedies,
Yes you can tell if you watch the flight of the ball and what it does after it bounces. If the ball curves a lot on the floor then you are getting a lot of sidespin. If the ball comes back towards you then you are generating backspin and so on. This is important when developing serves. It is something a lot of players don't do which means they are not getting good feedback about what their serves are doing.
Recommended Video
The Kicker Serve
The kicker serve is one of our "must learn" serves. It's fast, fun, and has lots of topspin. It can be dangerous because if it's not fast enough and if you don't surprise your opponent then they may be able to attack it forcefully putting you on the defensive straight away. Used well though, and sparingly, it can be a great weapon. It can win you a point outright and it will stop your opponent from standing over the table waiting for your short serves since they need to be ready for anything.
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T K Posted 12 years ago
I have a set of balls that I use for practice and I used a permanent market to draw a thick solid line across the seam of the ball. This way, you'll know how much spin you're able to put on the ball when you practice your serves.
Hi Tony,
That is a good suggestion.
Orr Margalit Posted 12 years ago
yes i tried to draw a part of the ball and see