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
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.
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Kent Ping Posted 14 years ago