Return of serve on Tomahawk sidespin
Receiving
Simon Lewis Asked 12 years ago
Hi Pingskills,
I am looking for some advice who has a strong serve and 3rd ball routine...
The serve is a left handed sidespin tomahawk serve from the backhand side. Using the bat angle, I can comfortably touch the ball back towards him, however this sets him up for a backhand opener.. which puts him on the front foot. I have tried flicking the ball across table to his forehand... but the ball is tough to flick as there is no topspin on the ball...
Could you give me any suggestions?
Alois Rosario Answered 12 years ago
Hi Simon,
I would think about pushing this back short. Come down on the ball with very little forward momentum with a really soft hand. You could also try flicking the return with a more open bat angle. It is difficult to get a lot of backspin with the tomahawk so flicking should be possible if that is a good tactical option.
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 NowNo comments yet!
Become a free member to post a comment about this question.