Correcting faulty sidespin

Prosenjit Das Asked 8 years ago

I started learning TT almost 12 years ago. I learned it by looking others playing and nobody guided me. One year ago I participated in a tournament and came to know that difference of the levels of my playing and others who are defeating us. As I asked the winners, I came to know that they took extensive coaching and hence came to know about PingSkills on surfing YouTube TT tutorial channels.

Your videos help me correct actions and build the techniques a lot; and I am improving slowly. One action I failed to correct, and I need your help. Due to faulty style of play for so many years I prone to make "hook" while taking forehand top spin shot; i.e., my wrist does not remain straight; and therefore while taking forehand top spins shots, I am always delivered with side spin or side-top spin. This makes me very difficult to deliver a good shot while countering a heavy backspin.

As I do not have a good partner who can indicate my faults, it is becoming extremely hard to correct my faults. Due to this I sometimes do shadow-practice in front of mirror; but it is not much effective. Please guide me how to correct my action.

Alois Rosario Answered 8 years ago

Hi Prosenjit,

The best feedback you can get is from what happens to the ball.  So watch the flight of the ball and see whether it is curving.  Even try to get the ball to curve the other way, left to right.  Once you experiment with this you will start to feel where the wrist needs to be for a straight topspin as well as where it is for the curved topspin going both ways.