Too much brushing when lifting backspin

John Robert Asked 14 years ago

Is it possible to be brushing the ball too much when trying to lift backspin? I've had a lot of instances when trying to lift backspin, especially on the forehand side that the ball seems to still hit the net despite a practically vertical stroke. Once the ball does hit the net it basically spins into the bottom of the net and barely moves away. The backspin balls I'm getting generally have a moderate amount of spin but it shouldn't be enough to cause the ball to barely move away from the net until the spin dies down. I realize the problem is in my technique but am I not  pushing the ball forward enough or am I still not vertical enough at the point of contact? I appreciate any insight you can provide.

Alois Rosario Answered 14 years ago

Hi John,

It sounds like you are too vertical with the stroke.  To get a good topspin there is a trade off between vertical brushing and flat hitting.  If you are hitting it into th net despite a good brushing contact then you are not getting enough forward momentum on the stroke.

Just try flattening the contact, but only a little and see if it makes a difference.