Is pure sidespin on serve possible?

[Opalescent]

Firstly, What is the spin on this serve of FZD's?? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyjdsB85h2I - somebody said that this serve is only sidespin, not really any topspin, very little if any.


And so i was thinking is an only sidespin serve possible or is it always going to be at least a certain amounts of side+back or side+topspins ?


I know pure top and pure backspins is possible but what about pure side spin?

 

[Xylit]

A ball that only rotates around its vertical axis is pure sidespin. I see no reason why this should not be possible. It is always difficult to generate any kind of spin isolated, often it is a mixture.

As for FZD serve, this definitely looks like a lot of sidespin to me. Can't tell from that video if there is some backspin involved as well or not but usually there is with this kind of serve, even though just a little bit.

 

[brokenball]

It is possible to hit the ball so there is pure side spin but once it hits the table the ball will acquire a little top spin too due too friction. This is more pronounced at lower speeds.

 

[yogi_bear]

Definitely yes, try doing a backhand sidespin serve with a 90 degree angle upon contact with the ball.

 

[Lightzy]

Yes. FZD reverse pendulum is usually short side+top though i cant watch that specific clip at the moment

 

[Atas Newton]

It is possible to hit the ball so there is pure side spin but once it hits the table the ball will acquire a little top spin too due too friction. This is more pronounced at lower speeds.

on heavy sidespin serves there should be enough rotation for gyro effect to take over any friction, you can see that happen in super slow-mo close up shots. I wish they shot and showed those more often, took me ages to find a single example but here you go, the ball arrives as a pure sidespin after 2 bounces:
https://streamable.com/62r6s
So to answer the OP's question: yes, absolutely.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Yes. FZD reverse pendulum is usually short side+top though i cant watch that specific clip at the moment

FZD, at that level, would be in big trouble if he could not disguise and vary the spin on his serves (side, back, top, all with very similar motion, from any of his serves: reverse or pendulum).

 

[Lightzy]

For sure, but it seems to me he favors the side-topspin reverse