Receiving
Hi!Alois.How can i distinguish between the sidespin backspin and sidespin serves.most of the better players in our club have such deceptive actions that it becomes quite difficult to read the serves.what other option do i have if i am not able to read the serve from the point of contact. The sidespin backspin and sidespin serves are proving to be specially troublesome as it is pretty difficult to distinguish between them after being served.
Hi Aahel,
You are right it can get really tricky to see what spin is on the ball.
The short answer is there is no easy solution. What you need to do is practice against as many serves as you can and you will start t o see some things that differ, like the height of the ball and the flight of the ball. If you are unsure, the best thing is to give yourself a little margin for error with your strokes. So aim for the middle of the table and hit the ball a little higher over the net just to make sure you are getting the ball back on the table.
The backspin serve will skid through a little more and the sidespin serve will curve in the air and also after it bounces. Don't stress too much if you miss a few. With practice you will start to see it easier. We also have a course on Receiving Secrets that will help you.
Struggling to return spin serves? You're not alone! In this video, we break down how to read spin, adjust your bat angle, and return serves effectively—so you stop giving away easy points.
🔹 Skill Breakdown: How to identify different types of spin and adjust your return technique.
🔹 Common Mistakes: The biggest errors players make when returning spin serves—and how to fix them fast!
🔹 Viewer Q&A: Answering your top questions about handling tricky spin serves.
🔹 Train Smarter: Drills to help you practice and improve your serve returns.
Mastering serve returns is one of the fastest ways to level up your table tennis game. Try these tips and let us know in the comments: What’s the toughest spin serve you face?
Watch NowBecome a free member to post a comment about this question.