How to return a forehand loop with side spin away from you

[rwk92]

Hi everyone,

I am still a beginner who recently joined a local club. I have some difficulty returning FH loops with additional side spin which move further away from me. Especially when it is done from opponent's wide FH side to my wide FH side. Could you please give me some tips for this?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Der_Echte]

For now, use a LOOSE grip... use a very short stroke, like 30-40 cm mostly lower arm... allow ball to come to the strike zone... use a little leg and hip, don't over-do it. Go for 30 percent power or less - no more.

You will not get a devastating shot in, but your shot will go in... and that counts for everything now.

You will also be developing timing of the ball to the strike zone, which later, when better developed, will allow you to use a longer stroke with more firming at impact to deliver a powerful return.

 

[rwk92]

Thank you for your reply @Der_Echte.
Should I try to do the normal FH loop stroke and hit the usual point, or counter the spin by hitting the inside of the ball, or follow the spin by hitting the outside of the ball?

 

[Nima Abadi]

What exactly is your problem with this shot? Is it that you miss the ball (timing/stroke issue), you're not in place to hit the ball (placement/position issue) or you just can't land your returns on the table (controlling side-spin issue)?

 

[NextLevel]

Thank you for your reply @Der_Echte.
Should I try to do the normal FH loop stroke and hit the usual point, or counter the spin by hitting the inside of the ball, or follow the spin by hitting the outside of the ball?

Table tennis is a sport you play more than you intellectualize, it is best to experiment to learn these things if possible. If not, don't stress over it, try things until something works, it is the pressure of the point that wreaks havoc on your patience to try things out, but once you let that go, you will adapt as long as you read the shot and let your body figure it out. All the approaches you listed work with different timings and stroke speeds and contact focuses, you just have to try them out and adjust based on how the ball responds to your efforts or based on how a coach instructs you to adjust.

Without seeing you play, we can only assume your diagnosis of the issue is spot on and given how table tennis works, this is not a given. But if you are self-aware, the main thing that is missing tends less to be knowledge and tends more to be the patience to miss and adapt.

 

[rwk92]

What exactly is your problem with this shot? Is it that you miss the ball (timing/stroke issue), you're not in place to hit the ball (placement/position issue) or you just can't land your returns on the table (controlling side-spin issue)?

Hi @Nima Abadi,

Thank you for breaking down the problems. I think it is more to controlling the side-spin issue even if I am in place to hit the ball

 

[vvk1]

One thing with returning loops, with side-spin or not, is that you cannot be too tentative with your counter. Otherwise, the spin on the incoming ball takes over and you basically lose control as a result. If you are in place to play a counter, then try playing a normal forehand shot aiming roughly at the middle of the end line on the opponents side and don't be afraid to firmly guide the ball where you want it to go.

 

[Kuba Hajto]

I usually just lightly slap them. I highly encourage to fund a player who can do the sidespin balls repeatedly a beer and ask him to feed you balls. I encourage you to try different things. In my opinion slapping it firmly is good option. Doing a counter side spin top spin is also good option, but harder to do.

 

[riemsesy]

I just needed to do a step more to the right.

 

[blahness]

Best bet is to continue the spin especially for loops - see my recent thread about going against the spin vs spin continuation. So if it spins anticlockwise you continue to spin it anticlockwise.

 

[NextLevel]

One thing with returning loops, with side-spin or not, is that you cannot be too tentative with your counter. Otherwise, the spin on the incoming ball takes over and you basically lose control as a result. If you are in place to play a counter, then try playing a normal forehand shot aiming roughly at the middle of the end line on the opponents side and don't be afraid to firmly guide the ball where you want it to go.

Iike the part about guiding a lot. You do your shot, see what happens to the ball, and then use that as feedback to figure out how to adjust the next time. Over time, you should get to a good shot with a decent placement. Too long, close and swing more over the ball. Into the net, make better contact and swing lower on the ball. It went right, hit it on the right to guide it more left. It went left, hit it on left to guide it more right. If nothing is working, let a coach tell you what to fix in real time if possible. But it is much more rewarding and sustainable if you get there through trial and error and adjustment with good technique than if you think there is some perfect descriptive formula that will never require you to learn and adapt and you can just execute it as described.

 

[S-Pin]

Try this, at least that's what I do and it works with me. Some of it is obvious, but it is important to register and not forget.
The very first thing you have to do is to watch his blade and the angle BEFORE he contacts the ball.
The sooner you realise there will be some side spin, the higher is the percentage of a good return.
If you see the FH with the side angle, that means the ball will have some side spin and will change its trajectory after the bounce - to your right.
By now you have enough time to position yourself. So don't wait for the bounce, immediately make a quick step ( or maybe two if you're away from the table) to the right - your right foot to the right and back, your left foot follows to the right.
Your body will turn a bit and you will face more sideways than usual as if you play a FH down the line to his BH.
You will be half a step further away from the table and get yourself a bit more time to evaluate the rebound.
The rest has been already explained in detail above.
One more thing - don't stay in that position ballwatching and marvelling your excellent shot, return asap.

 

[kindof99]

Really a lot of good advice here