Long tomahawk serve with a lot of sidespin
Receiving
Atanas Atanasov Asked 12 years ago
Hi Alois,
I have a partner who has very good tomahawk serve. We both are right handed. When playing against each other in doubles and singles, very often he serves the tomahawk serve long to my forehand with a lot of sidespin- combinated with a bit backspin or topspin. I found it difficult to attack because of the spin. I try to hit the ball straight down the line but it goes again off the table because there is a lot of sidespin. If I try to push the ball-his third ball attack is very strong especially in the singles when I have to play the backhand push.
Sorry for the big number of questions that I have send you and made you busy with them.
Nasko
Alois Rosario Answered 12 years ago
Hi Nasko,
It is best to attempt a topspin against this serve if it is coming long to you.
Just adjust the angle of your bat to allow for the spin on the serve. You may need to attempt a few different angles to get it right.
Recommended Video
Judging the Length of a Serve
A really important skill in table tennis is to be able to judge if a serve will be short or long. If it's short you won't be able to take a full swing at the ball and hence will need to use either a push or a flick to return the ball. However, if it is coming long then you can make a topspin attack. In this video we give you some tips to help you judge the length of the serve and hopefully this makes you a better returner.
Watch NowThoughts on this question
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Atanas Atanasov Posted 12 years ago
Where should I face with my bat?
Face it to your right to counteract the spin on the Tomahawk serve.
Rahul Kumar Posted 12 years ago
well if things get confusing, and you are sure its a tomahawk with lots of sidespin, then just hit to the centre line with a bit of topspin. It will go to the extreme corner of forehand......this works for me most times, so i also get the opportunity to attack this serve. Actually i too had problems earlier when i faced this service for the first time, but now its fine......JUST HIT TO THE CENTRE OF opponent's side of the table, and IT WILL GO TO THE EXTREME CORNER OF FOREHAND of opponent. Hope it works for you too.