When should the ball dip

Dakota Castleberg Asked 10 years ago

Hey Alois & Jeff,

I notice that with my faster bat/rubber combination, with a topspin stroke, I notice that the ball doesn't begin to dip towards the table until the ball is almost half way across the opponents side of the table. I play at the table. Because of such a late dip, I have adjusted my swing to be more horizontal than you show in your videos, to decrease the amount of rise on the ball.

When I play with anyone else's paddle, I notice that with my same stroke, the ball begins to dip directly above the net, giving me much more of the opponents table to work with. My rubber and bat are still fresh, in case that eliminates the possibility of low friction on contact being the issue.

My accuracy is still very solid with my bat, but I'm wondering if a slower paddle with a more vertical stroke like you show in your videos would be better for me moving forward as it allows more room for error with the dip occurring sooner in the flight.

As well, is there a preferred distance over the table when the ball should begin to dip, or will there be benefits of earlier or later dip of the ball?

Alois Rosario Answered 10 years ago

Hi Dakota,

The dip will occur when the effect of the speed starts to wear off.  So the faster the stroke the later the dip will occur.  Some physicists may be able to explain this better...

For more safety with your stroke you can use a slower stroke.  But there is still room for a faster stroke to finish a point quicker as well.  It is a matter of being able to do both of these strokes when you require them.