Do you like to topspin, flat hit or both?

TableTennisTom · Oct 16, 2017

Hi

I have post a new article on my website "Topspin or flat hit?" (http://www.tabletenniscoach.me.uk/topspin-flat-hit/)

In the article, I explain when you should topspin and when it is ok to flat hit.

My question for you is: do you like to topspin, flat hit or both? When do you use topspins and when do you flat hit? What do you find most effective?

Tom

Jaffar Lone · Oct 16, 2017

That is a great question.. i like to open up the rally with a heavy loop and depending on the return i go for a flat top spin drive. Usually i do not go for the flat hit right away but sometimes if i get a really easy floater ball i take my chance.
Usually i notice that it is the alternate balls that are easier to flat hit.. like the 5th or the 7th ball... following the opening loop of course.

Takkyu_wa_inochi · Oct 16, 2017

I used to be an all FH hitter (serve long and kill) when i was young, and was quite good at it
i can't move as fast as i used to but i keep a good flat hit and sometimes i still do some "reflex" hits which are really very good. I often take my chances more than I should on mid-high balls (notably against defenders) and go for very risky shots. My % is relatively quite good, but its always very risky to try this especially under pressure its not a good idea because its low % shots

So I like to flat hit, but in reality i've been trying to go against my nature and go more often for the topspin drive.

my little secret when i flat hit the ball, is that open max my wrist. I feel I have more power and control. And i also avoid to play cross, i hit the ball forward or on the right side. if i use my too much the waist during the shot, because i want to play cross thats how i miss most. if i wanna aim the left side then i try to position my body accordingly first to avoid using the waist.

NextLevel · Oct 16, 2017

I almost only flat hit when jammed or when flicking/blocking. Almost all my full strokes even against high balls are topspins.

ttmonster · Oct 16, 2017

depends on the incoming ball , normally if I see a ball with less spin , high enough and short enough and if I am in position I will go for a flat hit , if the ball is low I will typically add spin to it less or more depends really on how much time I have , for long balls , I generally prefer topspin the degree depends again on the quality of the incoming ball and how good position I am in ... basically this is a kind of an instinctive decision ... I don't follow any specific rule as such but I am sure there is a pattern ...

OldschoolPenholder · Oct 16, 2017

i'm an oldschool penholder and oldshool penholders love to flat hit

SFF_lib · Oct 16, 2017

80% of the time I do top spin. I am a penholder and my style is similar to Xu Xin.

Passionate about TT

ajtatosmano2 · Oct 16, 2017

I hate flat hits. I do powerloops with little spin, but flat hits: no. The movement feels very awkward to me.

Der_Echte · Oct 17, 2017

Spin First... Ask questions later... like when you get a dead higher ball closer to net.

yoass · Oct 17, 2017

TableTennisTom said:
My question for you is: do you like to topspin, flat hit or both?

I like big arcs and I cannot lie. However, I also like to get in close and really speed up the pace.

Your diagrams on flight paths are instructive, and they reveal common pitfalls, maybe some misunderstandings too.

If you get inbound high topspin, it is tempting to hit flat. However, on really heavy spin I find I'm more stable counterspinning it over the table (off the bounce), and that's still very effective at my level. After hitting a powerful loop, not many are able to reset to position that fast when confronted with a speedy off-the-bounce response. At the absolute top level, that's a different story altogether of course.

Topspin (the more the merrier) for me is usually the right way to deal with incoming underspin, be it light or heavy. However, should that ball pop op sufficiently to give good net clearance, I really do like to hit through the underspin, slightly contacting the upper half of the ball, and a swing that's first and foremost explosively forward, and only marginally upwards. Light or heavy, as long as you're committing fully the existing underspin actually helps there. When playing a defender of Joo Saehyuk caliber this might not work anymore, of course.

ajtatosmano2 · Oct 17, 2017

Takkyu_wa_inochi said:
I used to be an all FH hitter (serve long and kill)

That can cause a little misunderstanding: what counts as 'flat hit'? I think only when you 'slap' the ball with open racket angle. T_wa_inochi places the 3rd ball kills there, where he (I assume) uses a looping motion but without much spin.

Takkyu_wa_inochi · Oct 17, 2017

ajtatosmano2 said:
That can cause a little misunderstanding: what counts as 'flat hit'? I think only when you 'slap' the ball with open racket angle. T_wa_inochi places the 3rd ball kills there, where he (I assume) uses a looping motion but without much spin.

no no a real flat hit, not a looping motion, i used to do it a lot, now i DONT try it a lot except after the fast flat long serve. I don't do this serve often, except against choppers. normally on the 3rd ball attack i will loop it of course

ajtatosmano2 · Oct 17, 2017

Takkyu_wa_inochi said:
no no a real flat hit, not a looping motion, i used to do it a lot, now i DONT try it a lot except after the fast flat long serve. I don't do this serve often, except against choppers. normally on the 3rd ball attack i will loop it of course

Ok. It's a rare thing to see, except short pip players.

Takkyu_wa_inochi · Oct 17, 2017

ajtatosmano2 said:
Ok. It's a rare thing to see, except short pip players.

its a very risky and low % shot. When i was young i moved faster and got in good position quickly, it was my play style (with MarkV) and i was good at it, and i managed to go up to some level but i quickly stalled as soon as my opponents were able to keep the ball low with spin. Now i will try it sometimes if i feel confident or just because its a reflex. but i'm not basing my game on that. Its more like a gamble.

I will try it more against choppers because I'm not very good at looping consistently against backspin and i will take the risk of the flat hit as soon as i have a chance.

Baal · Oct 17, 2017

I don't even think about stuff like this. I play the ball in a way that seems to make the most sense tactically and based on where I am and what I can do at that moment. Table tennis is zen and thinking too much about this is anti-zen.

In practice, I flat hit if the ball is high and if I think it will do a lot of damage that way. It is an instant and non-conscious decision based on having played a long time -- with the same blade I should add. I suspect my instincts are to spin if it is not immediately obvious. It is the safer shot. But I suspect it is always obvious.

OldschoolPenholder · Oct 17, 2017

Baal said:
I don't even think about stuff like this. I play the ball in a way that seems to make the most sense tactically and based on where I am and what I can do at that moment. Table tennis is zen and thinking too much about this is anti-zen.

+100

OldschoolPenholder · Oct 17, 2017

ajtatosmano2 said:
Takkyu_wa_inochi said:

no no a real flat hit, not a looping motion, i used to do it a lot, now i DONT try it a lot except after the fast flat long serve. I don't do this serve often, except against choppers. normally on the 3rd ball attack i will loop it of course

Click to expand...

Ok. It's a rare thing to see, except short pip players.

After my rocket serve, if returned to my BH, i punch down the line, if to my FH, i 99% of the time will step over and flat hit.

James Livesey · Oct 19, 2017

Because I learned with tacky rubbers, and they are fairly useless speed wise when flat hitting, I always tried to top spin everything as aggressively as possible. Whilst I maintain that this is optimal in most circumstances, I've begun to realise that optimizing placement is more effective, albeit sacrificing speed and spin. In other words, because placement>speed>spin, and wherein it is more likely that I will have better placement with a more direct, flat stroke, having that weapon in the arsenal is really really useful. Furthermore, building an understanding of your drive-> loop capabilities increases your feeling and control, and if you want to be a serious offensive oriented player, you have to vary spin in the rally.

prince121090 · Oct 19, 2017

side spin, too

Baal · Oct 19, 2017

James, I would say that backing off just a little bit from "as aggressively as possible" and making sjre you can attack tbe next ball too is a quick mental shortcut to get you to the same place. Or as coach Li Kewei tells me sometimes "Ma Long can do that. Maybe not you."

Do you like to topspin, flat hit or both?

Member

Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Member

Member

Well-Known Member

Similar threads