Advice on 3rd ball

Usually if I do a backspin serve, my opponent will slice the ball back and I can loop the 3rd ball fairly well.

However, when I do a side-topspin serve, sometimes my opponent misreads the serve and chops it back. When this happens, the back pops up really high with backspin. I have a lot of trouble looping this ball. Most often, I will loop the ball straight into the net. Sometimes if I try to compensate, I may hit it really long. But basically I have no consistency with this. Any advice? Does this particular sequence cause the underspin to be heavier than normal?

Originally Posted by Michael Zhuang

Usually if I do a backspin serve, my opponent will slice the ball back and I can loop the 3rd ball fairly well.

However, when I do a side-topspin serve, sometimes my opponent misreads the serve and chops it back. When this happens, the back pops up really high with backspin. I have a lot of trouble looping this ball. Most often, I will loop the ball straight into the net. Sometimes if I try to compensate, I may hit it really long. But basically I have no consistency with this. Any advice? Does this particular sequence cause the underspin to be heavier than normal?

High ball with back spin: Just smash it. It is OK, nowadays with gigantuan 40++ ball you can do it.

Stop doing a serve where you get a return that you do not like. The purpose of the serve is to get a ball that you are good at.

Originally Posted by Michael Zhuang

Usually if I do a backspin serve, my opponent will slice the ball back and I can loop the 3rd ball fairly well.

However, when I do a side-topspin serve, sometimes my opponent misreads the serve and chops it back. When this happens, the back pops up really high with backspin. I have a lot of trouble looping this ball. Most often, I will loop the ball straight into the net. Sometimes if I try to compensate, I may hit it really long. But basically I have no consistency with this. Any advice? Does this particular sequence cause the underspin to be heavier than normal?

As Lula said, don't do serves where your 2nd shot is often under pressure.

Also, Gonzo is probably spot on with the smash route - Without seeing the play in question, if the ball is high and over the table, you can probably smash/drive through the ball, without needing to "loop" it too much.

Lastly, to answer your actual question.... Yes, often when someone topspins and it's chopped back, the ball will have more spin than if someone chops back a
backspin shot.

That being said, don't worry about the spin - In this example, you really want to be crushing that 3rd ball and then you have a good serve with an easy 2nd shot at your disposal.

Originally Posted by TableTennisTom

Here's a video I made on precisely this issue a couple of years ago. It may help...

Yes, this is almost the exact situation that I am struggling with. Although for me, the opponent usually makes a more forceful slice with more spin than you show in your video. Your video is encouraging though, and I think I need more practice with this shot.

Originally Posted by Lula

Stop doing a serve where you get a return that you do not like. The purpose of the serve is to get a ball that you are good at.

In theory, I should like the return. It is high, and gives me the chance to attack. But so far its tricky to handle.

I think you should continue doing that serve because as you said in theory that's the kind of return you want and your serve was successful.
With practice these will become easy points or at least easy attacks.