Defending against top spin

Adam Shinn Asked 12 years ago

I've watched the video on how to defend against top spin but it is not completely working for me yet so I am trying to figure out what I am doing wrong.

I play against a guy who hits hard and with lots of top spin and when the ball hits my bat it flies high and long. I use a soft grip and no push but it almost always goes long. I have been trying to avoid this by keeping the ball low and to his backhand so he can't get the chance to hit that way, but it is inevitable.

Do I need to angle the bat downward more?  Does it matter where the ball hits on the bat?

Any help would be great.

thanks,

Adam

Alois Rosario Answered 12 years ago

Hi Adam,

I think you are on the right track.  Perhaps angling the blade down a little will help.  You could also think about getting a slight brushing contact on the ball to get a little topspin to help to get the ball down after it goes over the net.  Blocking is a matter of touch and a lot of practice.

In training, make sure you use the time when your opponent is doing a drill to practice your blocking for them.