Unpredictable serves to the backhand
Receiving
Chris Chin Asked 11 years ago
My friend is much higher rated than me and often coaches me. When we play matches he'll sometimes throw in a dead ball or sometimes a heavy side top spin serve fast into my backhand corner. And because I stand in backhand corner to receive I end up just trying to block it because of the speed but if its a dead ball it goes into the net and if it's the side top spin it goes out to the side. What can I do to try and practice to receive serves like this.
Alois Rosario Answered 11 years ago
Hi Chris,
Take a small step away from the table when you are receiving. This will still allow you to reach the shorter serves and it will also allow you a little more time to see the faster serve coming.
For our Premium members we also have a video response to this, Long, fast serve with lot of back spin that should help.
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Recommended Video
Returning Short Topspin Serves: Two Options
Returning a short topspin serve can be tricky because the spin wants to lift the ball up. In this video, we look at two effective options: developing an attacking flick and learning how to push the ball safely.
For the flick, the key is to be positive. Take a few risks, hit through the ball a little harder, and aim for a fast, flat contact. In practice, don’t worry too much about making mistakes as this is how you learn to control the shot under pressure.
The second option is the push. You can push a short topspin serve, but you need to adjust your contact. Instead of getting under the ball, come down the back of it more, almost feeling like your bat is moving slightly backwards. This helps counter the topspin and keeps the return lower and more controlled.
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