Smashing backspin close to the net

Alois,

When I've played with my friends I have encountered a few balls that get lobbed high with backspin.  When the ball hits my side of the table it is maybe a foot or less away from the net.  If I let the ball continue to bounce I'm sure it would bounce 3 times on my side since the trajectory is so high.  I know you say to do a topspin on the ball because of the backspin rather than smashing it, but a ball like that confuses me.  Would it be better just to push it back even if I'd be returning the ball high?  My friends don't know much about spin so they'll say "Sergio you could have smashed that easy".  But it's not really that easy because of the back spin.  Once again my friends don't really know how to play properly so when they do things like this it's usually by accident.

Hi Sergio,

Yes this is a deceptively awkward ball and I see so many players making a mistake off this ball.

It is better to get it on the table than miss so if you are comfortable pushing the ball at first then that is OK. It is better than missing the shot.  Especially if you are not in a good position to hit the ball then a push may be your best option.

Of course ultimately, it is best to topspin the ball and win the point directly however, if you are not confident, then a push may be your best option.