Too much brushing when lifting backspin

John Robert Asked 13 years ago

Is it possible to be brushing the ball too much when trying to lift backspin? I've had a lot of instances when trying to lift backspin, especially on the forehand side that the ball seems to still hit the net despite a practically vertical stroke. Once the ball does hit the net it basically spins into the bottom of the net and barely moves away. The backspin balls I'm getting generally have a moderate amount of spin but it shouldn't be enough to cause the ball to barely move away from the net until the spin dies down. I realize the problem is in my technique but am I not pushing the ball forward enough or am I still not vertical enough at the point of contact? I appreciate any insight you can provide.

Alois Rosario Answered 13 years ago

Hi John,

It sounds like you are too vertical with the stroke. To get a good topspin there is a trade off between vertical brushing and flat hitting. If you are hitting it into th net despite a good brushing contact then you are not getting enough forward momentum on the stroke.

Just try flattening the contact, but only a little and see if it makes a difference.

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John Robert Posted 13 years ago

Thanks Alois, I think I was trying too hard to put spin on the ball. I practiced the form for the correct stroke a few times and slowed it down during a match. Every ball I hit now appears to be on the table with a lot of topspin. Now I just focus on the correct technique and let the paddle do the work. Thank you very much for the advice. :)