Returning sidespin serves
Receiving
john bell Asked 14 years ago
if my bat is parallel to the table which way will the ball go if their bat goes to the left (my left)? so that if it goes to the left, i have to angle my bat to the right
Jeff Plumb Answered 14 years ago
Hi John,
It sounds to me like you are on the right track. If they contact the ball by swinging the bat from your right to your left, the sidespin they generate will cause the ball to spin off your bat to the left (the side their racket ended up on). And to counter this sidespin you can angle your bat to the right.
The best way to get used to the effect of sidespin is to have someone serve exactly the same serve to you over and over. This way you get used to the effect. If they keep changing the serve on you it makes it harder to understand what is happening. So find a good server and ask them to repeat exactly the same serve a number of times until you get used to it. Then you can ask them to move onto another serve. I really like this way of practicing how to return a new serve.
Good luck!
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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Kent Ping Posted 14 years ago