How to Spin the Ball in Table Tennis

Most people think of table tennis or ping pong as a game that is all about hitting a lightweight ball back and forth. As such, the majority of them believe that it doesn’t offer much scope for applying skills. However, skill plays an important role in table tennis as much as it does in the other sports.

The number of table tennis spin a player generates every second act as the benchmark to measure their skill in this table tennis.

Achieving a minimum number of spins is commonplace for any player in a game. However, the real challenge for them is to get more revolutions per second which is easier said than done.

On average, professional players generate as many as 150 revolutions per second. Apart from the right technique, it also takes the right skills to achieve such an incredible feat.

Along with these factors, certain other aspects also play a role in determining the number of spins or revolutions a player can make in a second’s time in a table tennis game.

This post will help you crack the code for more table tennis spins per second and other information related to it.

Work on Your Basics to Improve Your Chances of Applying Spin

Your technique may either make or break the deal for applying spin. Therefore, it is important that you pay attention to it and try your best to adopt the right set of practices.

Wondering what is the easy way to do it? You need to pay attention to the grip, strokes, and serve for this purpose. By focussing your attention on these aspects, you can increase your chances of applying spin while playing the game.

Once you are able to control these aspects, moving to the advanced level to spin the all in ping pong would become simple and easy for you.

Different Types of Spin

After knowing the basics in detail, you are ready to make use of the spins.

If you are new to table tennis, you might want to know about the different kidneys of spin in the game.

In broad terms, spins are of three kinds: the topspin, the backspin, and the sidespin.

If you go by the physics of these three spins, you will notice a striking similarity among them. These spins show the similarity of certain aspects such as the revolution of the ball in the mid-air, and the difference between the air pressure in the top back and side of the ball.

It is this difference in the air pressure of the ball that causes it to either dip or curve. The other reason for it is the physical contact of the surface of the ball with that of the table.

Read on to how to spin a ping pong ball along with curving it.

How to Curve a Ping Pong Ball

When one starts playing the game of table tennis, the first thing one wonders is how to put spin on ping pong ball.

In the beginning, you might want to master the art of playing straight backhands and forehands to cover all bases. There’s a good reason for it, though. Whether you are a beginner or have been playing the game for some time, learning this skill can help you in both cases.

After perfecting the technique to play these shots, you can proceed with your plan to unlock the secrets of curving a ping pong ball.

By learning this important skill, you can make your opponent move left or right at your will throughout the course of a table tennis game. By compelling the latter to change their strategy, it will give you a clear advantage.

Now, it’s time to learn the basics to curve a ping pong ball. By learning this technique, you will be able to generate simple sidespin, forehand topspin curve, and backhand sidespin flick like a pro.

Steps to Generate Simple Sidespin

• To ensure you are able to return the ball to your opponent in the right manner, grasp the paddle at your comfortable height. Make certain that you position the paddle in a way that it is parallel to the net.
• After gauging the return from the opponent’s end, position the paddle either to your right or left. If you wish to play a curving backhand being a right-handed player, move the paddle to your left side. Likewise, you can move it to your right sie to facilitate the objective of hitting a curving forehand.
• When striking the ball, pay attention to the position of your arms. They should move sideways while being a little forward. For playing backhand shot as a right-hander, swing the table tennis bat from left to right; it will curve the ball to the left. Likewise, consider playing sidespin forehand to curve the ball to the right. The more power and lesser curve you apply before making contact with the ball, the farther away the paddle will move.

Steps to Generate Forehand Topspin Curve

• Adjust the position of the paddle slightly below the height at which you plan to hit the ball. This step will help you set the return for your opponent in the best possible manner.
• When you see the ball approaching from your opponent’s end, position your wrists either upwards or downwards depending on the type of curve you wish to generate. For the right-handed forehand, the ideal position of the wrist and the paddle is to bring it downwards to direct the ball to the left. Likewise, the position of your wrists, as well as the ball, should be upwards for moving the ball to the right.
• In case you drop your wrists to spin the ball to the left, swing your arms in the shape of an arc and hit the lower right portion of the ball. If you want to turn the ball to the right with your wrists in the upper position, then aim at the lower-left portion of the ball.
• Keep an eye on the direction of your swing. Besides, also consider how you are hitting the ball. If you happen to be a right-handed player and wish to curve the ball to the left by hitting the outer portion of the ball, the position of the paddle after your follow-through should be right in front of the left shoulder. It will be the other way around if you wish to curve the ball to the right.

 Steps to Play Backhand Sidespin Flick

• Focus on the top as well as the wider portions of the paddle. Hold it in such a way that its top portion faces the edge of the table, whereas the wider portion is pointed towards your opponent. If you use more of your right hand to play table tennis, make sure you grip the paddle in front of the right hip. For best results, ensure that the paddle faces downwards and slightly on to the right side from the direction of the ball when your opponent sends a return.
• At the time of hitting the ball in an arc to push it backward, come a little closer on your right foot. It is the first step for playing a backhand sidespin flick if you use your right hand. In case you are left-handed, it should be just the opposite of what a right-handed player would do. To achieve your desired level of impact while hitting the ball, the paddle should be on your non-dominant side. For maximum impact, try to ensure that the ball comes in contact with the upper portion of the paddle at the time of hitting.
• Before your follow-through, roll the paddle and position it in a way that it remains parallel to the table while extending your forearm. Along with it, you also need to position the paddle on the dominant side.

Conclusion

By bearing the aforementioned steps and tips to spin the ball in table tennis, you will not have any problem in executing a spin at your will. However, just as the saying goes, “Rome was not built in a day”, you will not start executing the topspin straight away after learning the skill.

It takes both time and effort for a player to master it. But if you practice this skill regularly and make a point of doing it by following the right technique, you will soon start generating all kinds of spin just like a pro.