Forehand Topspin / Loop Swing

Hi Alois and Jeff,

I am trying to learn the forehand topspin stroke and I've watched your videos about it (your videos are awesome by the way). However, I'm still a bit confused on the swinging motion. The moment the racket makes contact with the ball, is the racket face supposed to be facing square on the direction that you want it to go? It's kind of hard to describe my question in words though. The closest thing I imagine it to be like is this: Is the racket face facing the same direction throughout the whole motion? Like wiping the windshield of a car with your hand using a cloth? Is the racket face and swing identical to moving your hand on the windshield or a flat plane surface? Or will the racket face be in a slightly diagonal angle at the moment it makes contact with the ball?

I am asking this because for the forehand counterhit, at the start of the stroke, the racket is facing the direction where you want the ball to go, but at the end of the stroke, it is facing the left side of your body if you are a right hander.

Can you please help clarify this?

Thanks a lot!

Hi Carlo,

The most important thing is that when the bat contacts the ball it is facing the direction that you want the ball to go.  That direction determines where the ball will go.

While the bat is swinging upwards towards your finish position you will also be turning your body forward.  This will give the bat its forward momentum.  So the bat is moving in two ways, both up and forward at the same time.

If the ball is moving fast or has a lot of topspin on it, you can turn your bat over the ball a little so that the ball stays on the table.  If the ball is slow and flat then your blade can be flat.

I hope this clears it up for you.  Let me know if you need more help with it.