Importance of Spin!

Producing more spin is important for several reasons… 1. More spin will give you more ball control when pushing allowing you to keep your pushes shorter and sharper. 2. More spin will allow you to hit stronger loops even from a lower position. 3. More spin will allow you to hit more consistent smashes against a variety of lobbing types. 4. More spin will allow you to widen the court with angled curving serves, pushes, lobs, and loops. 5. More spin will allow you to more easily trick your opponent with varying the type and amount of spin. 6. More spin will allow you to have a stronger contrast when you vary spin and no-spin shots. 7. More spin will allow you to control the ball even if you don’t perfectly read your opponent’s spin. 8. More spin will allow you to speed up and slow down the rally while still maintaining a low, quality ball. So, how do you produce more spin? On your serves, try to develop a relaxed swing using lots of wrist at contact. Instead of trying to serve low and short, first spend about 2-3 weeks trying to develop mega spin. After each serve, walk around the table and see the ball bouncing on the floor. A good sidespin serve should spin for 40-50 seconds on a wood or cement floor before it stops spinning. After you have a very spinny serve with good variation, then work on your placement, height, and depth. On your forehand loop, try to develop a good snap with your forearm while lightly brushing the ball. In order to properly do this, relax your bicep and try to straighten your arm about 90% of the way on your backswing. As you swing forward, allow your bicep and forearm to lightly contract. Start slow and focus on spin, not power. As you improve, then allow the ball to sink more deeply into the sponge and target combining spin and speed together. On your backhand loop, try to develop a good snap with the wrist and forearm together. In order to properly do this, try to hinge your stroke off your elbow while keeping your elbow fairly still. Allow the tip the racket to move through the full range of motion. You should contact the ball near the top ½ of the racket for the most leverage and spin through the contact point. If spinning with the backhand is a new concept for you, then try bouncing the ball 4” on the table and spinning over the net. Some coaches recommend bouncing and spinning the ball for 30 days prior to actually performing it with a training partner. As you begin using the spinny backhand against a training partner, start slow and focus on using your wrist and forearm at the contact point. As you improve, you can also add some slight waist rotation and additional power. Producing more spin on all of your shots will give you more control and make it more difficult for your opponent. You will also be able to adjust your game better and overcome all types of opponents. Spin, spin, spin – the key to improving your game.

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