Observe the bounce of ball on the table for receiving

[kindof99]

Timing is so important but quite often ignored or not talked enough. Observing the ball bouncing on your side of the table is an important part of receiving.

Do you observe the bounce very well or you totally don’t pay attention? For fast service, do you observe it and time it well? One option is to hear the sound of the ball bouncing on the table to help better timing. What other methods do you use?

 

[Dr Evil]

The closer you can get your eyes to table level, the better you'll see the trajectory including the bounces. If you can do this on a regular basis (without sacrificing back/knees/legs), there's no better receiving hack. With a little experience any significant spin becomes fairly obvious. Still better to judge spin right from contact, but that skill will improve also.