Side spin serve and backhand topspin

Hi, Pingskills

I have great trouble with my side spin pendulum serve. Here's the deal: When I serve normal side spin, standing on my backhand side, with movement across, the ball goes down the line, but with spin, of course. Players often place their blade towards my forehand side, and return it without problem, and then I have to run for it and try to do anything to keep the ball in the game. Tell me, how should I serve? What do you prefer, brushing contact on the side, or across? Should I direct  the ball down the line, or more diagonally? How to make it more comfortable, and add more spin, maybe?

And one more thing, do you have a lesson Backhand Topspin on Topspin? I would like to see that, because, sometimes I struggle with that shot too.

Hi Peter,

Try serving the pendulum serve cross court.  This will mean they are more likely to hit it back to your backhand side where you are.  It doesn't matter so much whether you brush across the back or side of the ball the more important thing is the direction of your serve.

We don't have a lesson on the backhand topspin to topspin at this stage.  Use the principles we show you in the forehand topspin to topspin though and see if you can work through it.