How to improve on looping under spins so that I don't get attacked?

[NewGuyHere]

I've been trying to return under spin balls with a top spin loop but the problem is whenever I change the under spin ball to top spin, I get attacked.

Do you have any tips? I think it's because my top spin loop doesn't generate much power so it's easy to attack. I'll work on creating faster top spins.

 

[NextLevel]

I've been trying to return under spin balls with a top spin loop but the problem is whenever I change the under spin ball to top spin, I get attacked.

Do you have any tips? I think it's because my top spin loop doesn't generate much power so it's easy to attack. I'll work on creating faster top spins.

Playing level is important, but since you are asking, I will assume you are at the starting intermediate level.

Without video, it is impossible to fully answer your question as technical questions require you to make adjustments and try things based on what you are doing wrong. But the first thing I will tell you at the beginning intermediate level is that faster topspins vs backspin are usually not the answer. Spinnier topspins are. Spinny topspins increase consistency and are usually blocked high,

Now if you are a high level player and are having your opening spinny topspins punched and counterlooped, then the answer is not necessarily faster topspins though those are part of the equation. The problem is usually playing around with height, speed and placement. So you don't need blazing fast, but you need faster as one variation out of many.

But I would start with increasing the spin first,

 

[NetProphet]

Playing level is important, but since you are asking, I will assume you are at the starting intermediate level.

Without video, it is impossible to fully answer your question as technical questions require you to make adjustments and try things based on what you are doing wrong. But the first thing I will tell you at the beginning intermediate level is that faster topspins vs backspin are usually not the answer. Spinnier topspins are. Spinny topspins increase consistency and are usually blocked high,

Now if you are a high level player and are having your opening spinny topspins punched and counterlooped, then the answer is not necessarily faster topspins though those are part of the equation. The problem is usually playing around with height, speed and placement. So you don't need blazing fast, but you need faster as one variation out of many.

But I would start with increasing the spin first,

The most simple additional thing I can think of, while you work on your loops to add spin etc as suggested above, is to anticipate where the attack is going and be ready for it.
If you loop to a right handers FH then expect the attack to come cross court to your FH, 90%+ do.
And if you loop to a right handers BH then expect the attack to come to your BH and be ready for it.
It's basics anticipation and preparation that is correct around 90%+ of the time at begin/intermediate level.
You're ready so you block it back where you want and retake the initiative in the point.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

I've been trying to return under spin balls with a top spin loop but the problem is whenever I change the under spin ball to top spin, I get attacked.

Do you have any tips? I think it's because my top spin loop doesn't generate much power so it's easy to attack. I'll work on creating faster top spins.

You have to put more quality with your reveive

Actually it’s much better to focus on

1) generate a maximum of spin not speed
A spinny ball is very difficult to control even for advanced players.
You must privilege this against everything else , ie speed and placement

2) focus on placement
Here are some difficult placements for the opponent
- low and short, possibly with sidespin going to the short side of the table . It will be difficult for an opponent to smash it. If they block it will pop up if it’s spinny .
- very long . Forces the opponent to go back a bit. Again if it’s very spinny it will be difficult to control whether he blocks or counters or chops

3) surprise and variation
- If the opponent is anticipating too much play on the other side. If you keep playing the same receive you’ll keep on getting the same punishment.
- create variation by changing your timing . Play the ball faster on rising phase or on the contrary later.
- pushing from time to time. If the guy doesn’t know if a push or a loop is coming it will be more difficult
- move the opponent. If the guy is positioned in one corner try to move him the opposite way. If he plays while moving he can make mistakes.

Watch YouTube tutorials ! Global TT Studio or TT Spinmaster for example

 

[merlin el mago]

I've been trying to return under spin balls with a top spin loop but the problem is whenever I change the under spin ball to top spin, I get attacked.

Do you have any tips? I think it's because my top spin loop doesn't generate much power so it's easy to attack. I'll work on creating faster top spins.

You must train that your topspin will goes low, if not you always can be attacked, so train train train....

 

[Nima Abadi]

For me, the most important part of opening up a backspin is the height. Doesn't matter how much spin or speed you put on your open up topspin, if you open it up too high, it will be hard countered regardless.

Everything else comes after this, speed, spin, placement.

Keep the height low to the net but this is also the hardest part to master as you need to be good at judging the incoming spin/placement and good enough to know how much spin/force you need to add to keep the ball low. And it varies based on how spiny or fast you want your open ups to be.

 

[jaghaimo]

I've been trying to return under spin balls with a top spin loop but the problem is whenever I change the under spin ball to top spin, I get attacked.

Do you have any tips? I think it's because my top spin loop doesn't generate much power so it's easy to attack. I'll work on creating faster top spins.

I assume your loops have at least a decent amount of backspin (can't be pushed). If there's hardly any spin and they are high, then you will always get smashed back – it's not a loop; it's a gift to the opponent in this case. If your loops are high, they have to be spinny (e.g. blocking flat pings the ball off the table).

In my book, variation in placement is more important than power (converted to either speed or spin). A high-quality loop to the same place (say, always crosscourt) will be much easier to counter than a lower-quality one to different places (down the line, to the middle). Once your opponent can't anticipate the placement and once they have to move, you won't get kill-attacked (unless their level is MUCH higher than yours, in which case you can't do much anyway).

 

[Lula]

will add this:
- maybe the ball before the opening loop have to little quality
- do not get these balls in matchplay. serve and return so you get topspin against you
- but maybe a non issue? if you know they will counter you van be ready to block
- just practice opening loops and it will get better. Try to relax the arm, brush with forearm, stop the motion when you hit the ball, jump back, racket high and play forward

good luck

 

[banbekas]

There are a lot of small things you can improve, but the main idea is simple: don’t let your opponent get comfortable. Make them guess.

When you’re playing against better players, especially advanced ones, they can easily counter a slow, spinny loop if they’re expecting it. That’s why variation is key. You need to disrupt their timing and rhythm by changing both spin and placement.

When players execute a slow, spinny loop, they usually load it with as much spin as possible. The standard way to counter that is to close the racket angle and drive the ball downward. That’s basically the golden rule for handling heavy opening loops.

This is where you can exploit them. Instead of always maximizing spin, vary it. If you give less spin than expected, their counter, which adjusted for heavy spin, will often go into the net. Then, once they start thinking your spin quality is lower, you suddenly increase the brushing and add more spin. Now their stroke, adjusted for lighter spin, sends the ball long.

After that, it comes down to placement and your game intelligence, how well you can read, adapt, and stay one step ahead.