return strategies

I have this friend that I commonly play against who uses a paddle with practically no grip, so he doesn't have much spin at all on his serves and returns.  On the other hand, using different types of spin is a big part of my game, but it doesn't seem like my spin has much effect on him due to the lack of grip of his paddle.  I was wondering if there are any particular strategies you would suggest when playing against an opponent who does not use spin and serves the ball fast?  For instance what kind of serves should I use, where should I place them, and anything else that would be of use. Thanks!

Hi Ryan,

My first advice would be to serve and play with some backspin.  This will mean that it is harder to hit the ball with the no spin bat.  When they do return the ball it is likely that it will have some topspin and easy to attack.

If you place the ball to their weaker side to start with then think about whether you should keep it short or long depending on what they don't like.   If they attack well, you may want to keep the ball shorter.  They may however, have a good attack off a short ball so in this case, keep the ball low and deep on the table.

The main thing is use a lot of backspin early in the rally,