Receiving
Hi Alois,
Some players claim that they can judge the spin on service receive by watching the logo. Recently I tried to spot those annoying no-spin serves by watching if the logo is visible. But I found that staring at the logo takes too much focus and disrupts my shot & placement selection; and it barely improved my receive at all. So do you think that it is doable and should I keep practicing it?
Hi Ilia,
I think watching the logo will help you to focus on the ball and then you will gain a whole lot of information without even knowing it.
The logo itself is difficult to spot and the lack of seeing the logo can tell you that the ball is spinning a lot and then if you do happen to see the logo you can tell that there is no spin. There are also lots of other cues that will help you such as the swing of the service action and the contact.
For Premium members you can also watch the lessons in the Receiving Secrets section that will give you more handy hints.
The pendulum and reverse pendulum serves are two of the most commonly used and deceptive serves in table tennis. In this video, we’ll break down the key differences between these serves and discuss strategies for returning them effectively. You’ll learn the basic principles of serve return, including how to read spin, adjust your positioning, and respond confidently to different variations of these tricky serves. Whether you're facing these serves in a match or looking to improve your overall return game, this video will help you take your skills to the next level. Watch now and master the art of returning pendulum and reverse pendulum serves!
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Dakota Castleberg Posted 9 years ago
Hey Alois,
Regarding service return, I'm curious what things you pay attention to? I've heard of looking for the logo, watching contact point and stroke direction on contact, the speed of the ball, the sound of the bounce. I'm curious which of these, or if others you take into account?
I feel like after a while experience plays a ridiculously large role, as it seems your brain is able to take in the factors you use to look for almost subconsciously.
As well as what factors, could you try and rate them regarding what % they consist of towards gaining your knowledge of what spin is on the ball? Like 60% direction of stroke on contact, 20% sound of bounce, ect.
Ilia Minkin Posted 9 years ago
>For Premium members you can also watch the lessons in the Receiving Secrets section that will give you more handy hints.
Thank you Alois. I think that I watched every single video on the internet about service return, including yours :) I'm also trying to practice it as much as I can, but service return is still my weakest side and causes a lot of frustrating losses.
>As well as what factors, could you try and rate them regarding what % they consist of towards gaining your knowledge of what spin is on the ball? Like 60% direction of stroke on contact, 20% sound of bounce, ect.
I don't think that you can quantify these factors, an experienced players judges the spin automatically by combination of them. And we yet don't know how our subconscious works...
Hey Guys,
Interesting discussion. For me it is definitely a combination of factors that I am seeing and reacting to. As you say it is now a subconscious reaction but it takes into account all of the factors that you are speaking about.
The subconscious has learned through experience and through missing a lot of returns as well.