The truth is returning a spin serve is really tough. Don’t think you are the only one who is fighting with the spin serve. Every beginner gets stuck while facing spin serves at a certain time. Even some of the intermediate players cannot understand which spin the ball is going to be and how to return. You cannot return a spin serve by following only one way of returning serve. You have to go through some more ways.
How to Return Spin Serve in Table Tennis
- Read the serve
- Define the serve
- Make the correct decision to return
- Use your experience
Knowing how to make spin serve in table tennis is as important as knowing how to return spin serve in table tennis. If you give more effort to making the spin serve and less on the returning, It would be the biggest mistake of your table tennis career. Because every time you get a chance to serve, exactly your opponent will. And he will serve as spin to defeat you. But, you have to face it.
So, today I will discuss with you how to return spin serve in table tennis and dominate the game.
How to read the spins
So, most of the ping pong trainers say that the first step to read spin is, you must look at the contact of the paddle of your opponent. But I think if you keep looking at the paddle while your opponent doing a serve. You would not clearly understand which spin it is going to be. Because looking at the paddle, seeing the act of the ball, defining the spin, and making a decision is more time consuming than a ball’s speed. Doing all of these kinds of stuff, in the meantime, the ball will pass away from your table.
In my opinion, understanding the acts of the ball is the easiest way to read spin.
Let’s get introduced to some popular spins in table tennis.
Backspin: The ball will bounce two or three times on your side the ball speed is slow.
Topspin: The ball will bounce only once on your side. And the ball speed will be high.
Sidespin: The ball will bounce whether once or more but the ball will mostly travel over the sideline of your table.
So, if you understand a spin, you can easily read and return them.
Let’s see how you can return the spins. Grab the best ping pong robots
How to Return Backspin
I think backspin is the most difficult serve in table tennis. Most of the advanced players use backspin serve to dominate their opponents. On the other hand, most of the beginners put the backspin serve into the net instead of returning them. Don’t worry I will show you some different ways to return every backspin.
Push: When a player can read and understand the ball that this is backspin, he usually pushes the ball and takes his position to attack for the next shot. Since the ball bounces on your side twice. You cannot loop while returning the ball. The maximum you can push hard to return.
Flick: If you are a beginner, I would say you should skip the flick. Returning a serve with flick needs to be more experienced. Because you can not maintain the timing at the beginning. Returning a serve with flick you have to be prepared before. So, if you are seen by your opponent that you are prepared for the flick, he might change his decision to serve instead of backspin. And you would be confused unless you can maintain the timing. The advanced players can control the timing. That’s why they can be repositioned soon. These are actually the consequence of practice and experience.
So finally, you can do both push or flick. But the push is safer than the flick and the flick is harder than the push.
What You Shouldn’t Do While Returning a Backspin
As we all know, the backspin is usually bounces more than once on the opponent’s side. Then turn the ball back. So, you cannot loop the ball. Even you will not get a chance to loop.
How to Return Topspin
Most of the beginners struggling with backspin but they don’t notice the topspin. They don’t think that topspin is also able to finish off from a game. Let’s see the different ways to return a topspin.
Lock: Lock is the safest way to return a topspin. When you understand the serve is topspin, you can lock the ball with the forehead or backhand of your paddle. Then you can take the position to take the next shot to your opponent. You can also add some hits while blocking the serve with your wrist. Don’t try to use elbow for more hits. You cannot make your elbow ready by this time that the speed with the ball comes to you. You might lose your control.
Topspin: The best way to return a topspin serve is topspin. For the beginner, it becomes a little difficult. You can whether return the serve with backhand topspin or forehead topspin. As we all know, topspin serves bounces only once on the opponent’s side. So experienced players easily return the serve with topspin.
What You Shouldn’t Do While Returning Topspin
Before knowing what to do while returning topspin, it’s important that what not to do. So, what you shouldn’t do while returning the topspin is don’t try to push the ball. The ball might go over the table without dropping your opponent’s side. Looping might also be a little bit risky.
How to Return Sidespin
I think sidespin is the trickiest serve in table tennis. You have to notice the paddle’s angle of your opponent. If the paddle goes to the right from left, the ball will go to the right. If the paddle goes to the left form right, the ball will go to the left. Let’s see how you can return sidespin.
Push: If you are a defensive player. The push will be the best way to return sidespin. Positioned yourself in the middle of your table. Then push the ball targeting the middle line of your opponent’s side.
Flick: You can also flick the ball. If the ball is spinning on your right side just flick the ball with your forehead. If the ball is spinning on your left side flick the ball with backend.
Topspin: Topspin is the best return for sidespin. The advanced players use topspin while returning the sidespin.
What You Shouldn’t Do While Returning Sidespin
Don’t try to block the ball. If you block the ball, the ball will go over the table on your side.
Final verdict
Having said that, if you want to successfully return a spin serve. You have to read and understand the serve. It will only be possible through practice and hard work.