Sidespin In Table Tennis

 
By: Kasmono Monex, a fan of healthy living

Table tennis is a game that relies more on spin (spin of the ball) compared to other sports that use a racket as a bat. It can excite the viewer's eye as well as frustrate the opponent. Sidespin / side spin, if the spin is not resisted can cause the ball to come out and deviate from the opponent's bet at an extraordinary angle. So, how can we deal with side spins?

Side spin tends to cause the ball to curve in the air, so to deal with it, the first step is to observe the ball's speed and spin. The second step is to make sure we make good contact with the curve ball. For example, you can come back with brush strokes and control the ball's spin or tilt your bat to control the ball.

A side-spin shot is formed when the opponent's bat touches the ball in a sideways stroke, either from left to right or right to left. As a result, it is very important to understand how to interpret spins, especially side spins, in order to counter and handle shots successfully. With that in mind, let's take a closer look at reading side spins and returning side spins.

Sidespin serves are difficult to return because the spin of the ball pushes your shots wide to the right or left. Therefore, it is very important to read the sidespin direction carefully and accurately. It may seem a little complicated, but it must be learned. We often see when a player is about to receive a serve, he bends his body and looks seriously at his opponent. This is not a player's style, but it does require careful observation of the ball spin that we will receive.

The table tennis ball will bounce in the same direction as the opponent's bat. For example, the ball will bounce to the right if it moves from left to right. Vice versa, the ball will bounce to the left if it moves from right to left.

Just follow the direction of the bet, and the ball will be dragged in the same direction. So, for example, if we receive a side spin serve, we're going to be dealing with a short serve or a long serve, both of which can have side spins. So with that in mind, here's how to deal with it.

Returning Short Serves That Have Side Spin
In the short serve, also known as the low serve, we hit the short serve in front of the opponent's table, preventing them from taking an aggressive shot. When returning a short sidespin serve, you have many options.
We can return a short ball (touch), can launch the ball a considerable distance, can also use our wrist to attack the ball (flick).
To compensate for the altered spin on the ball, the angle of the bat and the motion of your shot must be somewhat different from a typical counter. You don't need to go too far under the ball if you use a pushback motion (long or short).

When approaching the ball with a flick, we may be more aggressive and move deeper into the ball. We don't need to lift or brush it too often. Remember to change your return location according to whether your opponent's serve has left or right sidespin.

For beginners this may seem like a lot of trouble at first, but with some practice and some skill in returning serves, you'll start to do it instinctively. Even experts claim that the automatic response to side-spin comes to us with time, practice and experience.

Returning Long Serves That Have Side Spin
The long serve bounces once off the side of the table, usually within six inches of the endline. The focus is on surprise and speed to push the opponent's ball into a weaker return, which the server may counter attack. When taking a long sidespin serve, you have two options. Topspin can be used to attack or backspin to direct the ball.
Reading and returning loops will take some time to perfect, but once we get the hang of it, we'll automatically make the appropriate changes. It all boils down to muscle memory.

In theory, receiving a topspin serve will go up from your bet, while a sidespin serve will drift to the side. Trying to return multiple methods of each type of spin to learn how to modify our betting angle to keep our ball returns low and on the table.

After that we will find the perfect angle and repeat it until it becomes second nature. Then, with practice we will improve our ability to recognize the power of sidespin shots and play more precise ball returns.

Also read: https://kasmonomonex.blogspot.com/2023/01/mengenal-spin-putaran-bola-dalam-tenis.html?m=0

Also read: https://kasmonomonex.blogspot.com/2023/01/training-shadow-pada-tenis-meja.html?m=0

Keep in mind that the type of rubber on your bat determines how much spin affects the direction of your shot, so practice returning a few rounds every time you get a new bat or replace your rubber.

For beginners like me who haven't mastered it, don't be discouraged. Even pro players make mistakes sometimes, especially when facing a new serve from a new opponent.

In the end, practice is the key to being able to read and identify the ball spin your opponent has applied.


Healthy spirit and greetings 🏓