Video:Quick Tip: What Is Topspin in Table Tennis?

Transcript:Quick Tip: What Is Topspin in Table Tennis?

Hi I'm Jon Gustavson with Atlanta Georgia Table Tennis Association for About.com. Today, we're going to talk about topspin for a beginning player.

Identify Topspin in Table Tennis

This is the first thing you're going to have to look at on every ball that comes to you or every shot that you make: immediately identifying is it mostly topspin or is it mostly backspin or sometimes called underspin. It's really not that difficult once you get past that every ball isn't necessarily hit.

Use Friction to Create Topspin in Table Tennis

You're hitting the ball yes, that's the force element. But the big part for the beginner is to understand the friction element. You're spinning the ball by not just hitting it but the direction you brush, the direction that your paddle moves. If your paddle is moving up, you're creating topspin. A ball that has been spun with topspin, if you put your paddle completely flat and the ball comes into it that ball will have a tendency to go up.

How to Play Balls With Topspin in Table Tennis

It will always do this, and the more topspin it has, the more it's going to go up. You're going to have to take a ball that has topspin and get on top of it to keep it from going off the table. Without understanding the spin, you'll constantly be confused by better players and what they're doing and how they're getting points so easily.

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