How to return a sidespin
Receiving
joshua troy Asked 13 years ago
i played yesturday a professional player he served me a short sidespin into my backhand and i dont know how to return it, it always going away. pls.
Alois Rosario Answered 13 years ago
Hi Joshua,
You should watch where the ball is going when yo hit it. If the ball goes off to the left then you need to angle your bat to the right and vice versa.
Question actions
Recommended Video
How to Return Spin Serves in Table Tennis (and Stop Misreading Them!)
Struggling to return spin serves? You're not alone! In this video, we break down how to read spin, adjust your bat angle, and return serves effectively—so you stop giving away easy points.
What You'll Learn:
🔹 Skill Breakdown: How to identify different types of spin and adjust your return technique.
🔹 Common Mistakes: The biggest errors players make when returning spin serves—and how to fix them fast!
🔹 Viewer Q&A: Answering your top questions about handling tricky spin serves.
🔹 Train Smarter: Drills to help you practice and improve your serve returns.
Mastering serve returns is one of the fastest ways to level up your table tennis game. Try these tips and let us know in the comments: What’s the toughest spin serve you face?
Watch NowThoughts on this question (4)
Become a free member to post a comment about this question.
John Hamstra Posted 10 years ago
I got beat by huge margins because I could not handle this guys serve sidespin. The ball would miss the table by a couple of yards (left and right). This was embarrassing. I finally started to return some; however they were soft (not fast) returns. My question:
If the balls is jumping off the table left and I angle the paddle right can I go after the shot (aggressive)?
Hi John,
To start with you need to learn the racket angle you need to get the ball back. This is important for your overall development. Then you can start to hit the ball faster to get a more effective shot.
Don't worry, everyone goes through the same thing when they play against players with good serves for the first time.
Judy Whorton Posted 10 years ago
There must be some formula/rule for returning side spin balls. For example, if a ball take a sharp angled bounce toward the right side of the table, does one angle the paddle toward the right or left to return it successfully? I too often miss the table entirely when attempting such a return. Thanks very much for your advise. Judy W
Hi Judy,
If the ball is turning to your right then you should also face your bat to the right. As a Premium member you can take a look at the lesson on Receiving Principles which will help.