backhand sidespin serve

Shripathi ramakrishnan Asked 14 years ago

hi alois and jeff,

can you give me any advice for playing a fast backhand side-back/side-top serve? i can play the backhand serve but without the sidespin.

much appreciated

Alois Rosario Answered 14 years ago

YHi Shripathi,

To return the sidespin you need to alter the angle of the bat to get the ball to go forwards. If the ball is going to the left then you should angle the bat to the right and vice versa.

To counter the topspin and sidespin you need to angle your bat again either up or down to get the ball on the table.

Return of serve is an art that will improve with time and patience.

We also have the Receiving Secrets Revealed DVD which will give you a lot of information and tips about how to return a vast array of serves and will also give you the key principles to learn about return of serve.

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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Shripathi ramakrishnan Posted 14 years ago

hi guys,

sorry, but im not sure you understood my question. i wanted to know how to GIVE a backhand sidespin serve with topspin or sidespin.

thanks!