Receiving
Dear Coach:
I lost the match in a tournament that was going on in my office. In the first set, I was having trouble returning my opponent very low serve. It was going into the net. My mind was telling me to lift the ball above the net, but I could not do so. The second set went very close and he won the match. I was going for the smash at critical moments of the game and the smash went away. Moreover, I was a bit nervous while playing. In the end, even though I lost, I was happy with the way I played, but I felt a bit disappointed with the loss and it was hard to sunk in.
Kindly give your valuable guidance on how to return serve very close to net whether the serve has backspin, topspin or no spin and also whether we need to change the bat position depending upon my opponent's serve.
Regards,
Ram
Hi Ram,
It is good to hear that you have played well. It is natural to get nervous in a match. Each time you play a match you will get better and better because you will have more experience.
If the serve is close to the net, it is best to push the serve back. If the serve is a little high you can flick it. If there is topspin or no spin then a flick is a good option. If there is heavy backspin then use the push.
Struggling to return spin serves? You're not alone! In this video, we break down how to read spin, adjust your bat angle, and return serves effectively—so you stop giving away easy points.
🔹 Skill Breakdown: How to identify different types of spin and adjust your return technique.
🔹 Common Mistakes: The biggest errors players make when returning spin serves—and how to fix them fast!
🔹 Viewer Q&A: Answering your top questions about handling tricky spin serves.
🔹 Train Smarter: Drills to help you practice and improve your serve returns.
Mastering serve returns is one of the fastest ways to level up your table tennis game. Try these tips and let us know in the comments: What’s the toughest spin serve you face?
Watch NowBecome a free member to post a comment about this question.
Anton Keay-davies Posted 13 years ago
i try and try to get my serve close by it allways gos far
To get it closer to the net get a finer contact on the ball. A flat contact will go further, a fine brushing contact will go shorter.