Returning sidespin serve

Receiving

susheel kumar
susheel kumar Asked 9 years ago

Can i return any length side spin serve with a forhand/ backhand  push/chop. I find it very difficult to read and return side spin serve. So what is best strategy i can use.  


Alois Rosario
Member Badge Alois Rosario Answered 9 years ago

Hi Susheel,

I think one way is to get a training partner to just serve to you for about 20 minutes.  Get them to serve all different ways.  Watch the ball really carefully and make sure you are getting into position to make the return.

If the serve is coming long, think about making a topspin stroke rather than a push or chop.  This will put you in a stronger position in the rally.


Recommended Video

How to Return Spin Serves in Table Tennis (and Stop Misreading Them!)

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.

What You'll Learn:

🔹 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?

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Thoughts on this question


susheel kumar

susheel kumar Posted 9 years ago

many thanks alois. that was usefull but what do i do for a short side spin serve which iam not able to read properly. and is there a standard stroke which i can use for any kind of side spin.


Alois Rosario

Member Badge Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 9 years ago

Hi Susheel,

You need to learn with each return.  You can push the short serve but you need to get the feel of what type of spin and how much spin is on the ball.  With that you alter the angle of your bat slightly depending on the spin.  This is a long process but the more attention you pay to the result of your return the quicker it will be.


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