Smashes, Drives, and Topspins

Kitsa Thanya Asked 14 years ago

Hi Jeff,

I've been wondering about these strokes, smashes, drives, and topspin. what are the main differences between each of these strokes?

Alois Rosario Answered 14 years ago

Hi Kitsa,

These are extensions of each other and have only slight differences. 

A drive tends to be more of a controlled stroke.  The topspin is a similar stroke but with more of a brushing action and thinner contact on the ball to generate more spin.  The smash is a flatter contact to get the ball moving faster.  It will also be a longer stroke to generate more speed on contact.