Last updated on 01-Apr-2013 08:17:30 PM
Hi everybody,
I would like to have some advice about the forehand topspin. I think my preparation to the shot is quite good (right foot behind to form a side angle of 45 degree, bat behind the right knee) but i still have some trouble with the follow-up after hitting the ball. I know I have to swing the arm till , as you say, the imaginary line between head and shoulder. If I am able to do it during shadow playing when I actually hit the ball (as friends told me) I instinctively stop the swinging too early with the result that the ball has little spin. Moreover it seems I tend to lean backward with back when I'm taking the shot. I've been trying for weeks to correct such mistakes but I can't find the way out. Are there any exercises that can help me ?
Thank you very much
Vito
Hi Vito,
When you practice the topspin for a while, I want you to play them slowly to start with. At the end of each stroke I want you to actually follow through and touch your right eyebrow, very gently. Don't swing back and get ready for the next ball until you have touched the eyebrow with your bat. This will feel strange. Be strong enough to do this for a good 5 minutes or so when you start your forehand topspin practice and you will soon find a difference.
Keeping the ball slow is a key. Don't worry if the path up to your eyebrow is crooked or it even takes half a second when you finish your stroke to get the back up to the right position. Eventually you will start to get the bat through on a straight path and smoothly through your stroke.
Good question - I have exactly the same problem.
And an interesting answer - I'll give that a try.
Do some shadowing without the ball for 10minutes or more. You can also do shadowing with footwork. Forehand to the far right, forehand to the middle, backhand to the far left then big side step back to forehand on the far right of the table. Do this repeatedly every time you practice without a ball. This is very effective. Chinese kids do this for hours.
Cheers! Hope it helps.
Thank you for a very good tip!
What about the follow through of backhand topspin, Alois :)?
Hi Alois,
I really appreciated your video. You're so good. This evening I will try the drill. Just hope my sparring partner will have the patience to feed me smooth balls. (:-) I'm sure he will ).
I wish I could come to Australia to practice TT with you !!
Bye
Hi Vito,
Let me know how it works for you.
Alois, do you really mean the RIGHT eyebrow, not the left? I find that my bat tends to stop more on the left side of my face - touching my right eyebrow feels strange.
Or was that the answer for left-handed players? ;-)
Hi Claus,
Yes, I find the right eyebrow for right handers works best, otherwise you tend to swing across your line of vision.
Hi Alois,
I performed the drill you suggested me with your great video. It really worked for me and my topspin (still not as speedy as I would like it to be) seems to be much more spinny. I can see that from my opponent which now struggles to return the ball.
Now I have to improve my backhand in order to be an allround player. I have the following issue:
when I hit the ball (backhand counter hit), most of the times the ball tends to go on the left (I'm righthanded). I suppose this depends on a wrong finish position. Some suggestions or drills I can do to correct this ?
Thank you in advance !!!
Hi Vito,
Again the correct start and finish positions are vital. If the ball is going to the left you may be starting too far back or you may be hitting the ball a little late. Watch the lesson on the Backhand Counterhit and take particular note of the stat and finish. Get the bat to start and finish correctly and your stroke will start to come together. At first don't worry about where the ball is going, only on the stroke.
I like it!
Hi Coach,
I found this tip so good. What about the start position for topspin vs backspin or topspin vs block?... do you have ideas for this? so we can learn the movement, and teach to the body and mind to do the movements better.
Thanks for the feedback. Take a look at our lessons on these strokes. Forehand Topspin Against Block and Forehand Topspin Off Backspin.
Hi fellows pingskillers,
This is a great tip if you want to improve your forehand topsping skills and form. I started trying this in the morning and in the afterrnoon same day I went to the table tennis club in my city and I felt so diferent and better with the form of my topspin stroke. But be carefull touching your forehead with the racket, I did it very very softly and carefully... but even that, i got a very small bump in my forehead, is acctually very funny, because I prefeer to learn the final position quickly. This kind of tips is exactly what we need to improve in table tennis.
This video is troubling to me. I have only been playing seriously for about a year and I tried to copy all the pingskills strokes, however I know that on some stokes I am not aware of my flaws. My forehand topspin (actually I think I hit it flatter than most) against topspin or block has improved greatly over the past few months and I win a lot more points with it, however after seeing this video I checked my stroke and found that I start out low but finish in front of and about at the same elevation as my left shoulder. This stroke feels very comfortable to me. I guess I picked it up because I use to play a lot of tennis and it is the same stroke essentially that I used in tennis except in tennis I would continue my follow through around my neck. I feel very uncomfortable trying to follow the video but I am looking at long term results and do not mind changing if it will make me a better player in the long run. On my forehand against backspin my finish position is correct, I use a more vertical motion. Please advise.
Hi Mark,
I understand the uncomfortable feeling however, I would still make the change. It will give you better consistency and you will still be able to generate speed.
This video is useful, my FH topspin is better than before. Thanks!
Great to hear it Dang.
I thought I had a great task ahead of me in changing my finish position, but after several days working on the proper finish position, I am back at the same consistency that I had before. I feel a lot better knowing that I have the proper stroke. Thanks.
That is good to hear. You are right it is something that seems simple and when done properly players can change this quickly. I am not sure why more players don't make this change.
thank you so much! :)
