Yes! I started playing again after 27 years...It's a shame that there was no internet when I played as a young man. Now I understand a lot more than 30 years ago. But thanks to Tom I really improve from week to week.....
Wow, sorta the same for me! I loved to play when I was a kid, then rarely played for 35 years. Now at 55 years old I’ve gotten back into it and even started training with a coach. So fun!
Agreed but whilst this may not always work at higher levels of the game, this is a very useful approach for club players playing in local leagues. I only play in division 4 of my local league and I find that I can return most serves using a backhand top spin flick. At this level serves are usually short of pace, so I can just skip sideways to get into position to play it. What I like is the fact I can angle my return to make life difficult for the server - where I put it depends on where they are standing, of course. If they serve it long down my forehand side I simply hit a top / side spin return with good pace. If I catch it right I often win the point without having to play another shot.
I like how topspin generally can be played with anything. Well, I guess if you’re good enough (and I mean really good) you could also use backspin to an extent, but sidespin can be tricky. If you go at the wrong direction into a sidespin serve with your sidespin hit, that ball will fly so far from the table that it’s unreal.
I have recently startes playing tt and have developed a great love for the sport. This tutorial was a great clarification for a novice like me. Thanks a ton!!!
@@shahadat.hussain20 I know that your comment was 2 years ago, but maybe you will see my response :) I recently started playing table tennis in VR after 20+ years of not playing it. Highly recommend! No need for buddies, there are always thousands of people online playing, and the physics of the game are incredible (it feels like playing real table tennis) :)
Good video, but....> all serves you did was "long" and quite "high" - I mean, ball would not fall on table 2-3 times. On short and spin serve you can not use topspin return...
Great advice particularly for players starting to develop their game. If you get the ball back on the table you have a chance to win the point.Tom's videos are fantastic for players who are wanting to improve their game easily & quickly.The videos will really help my grandchildren.Many thanks Tom.
This might be good for novice servers. Once you receive heavy backspin short serves topspining them is very difficult unless you have an advanced flick in your arsenal.
Can you do a video on how to do a forehand/backhand flick as I cannot get the technique right and I feel it would help me win a lot more points! Thanks!
I tried your approach and it works , the most difficult balls to return are the very soft serve ''weak'' , then the flick becomes a must to master. I burn to play the next game.
Really? I thought that you could just slide under the ball at a slight angle to just tip it over the net. That might just be because I'm inexperienced and use the penhold grip, which is apparently really good for going under the ball.
I saw this a month ago and I thought this was a silly idea. I've changed my mind and am trying to do this with every shot. Not every topspin is very powerful, some not at all but I like the idea of having this game plan. If the ball really is short and heavy I can always push as a last resort.
Really happy you have given it a go. As you say, it's not as though you have to topspin everything, especially those shorter serves, but it's very reassuring to know you can topspin serves if you want to. It can be a game-changer.
@@TomLodziak , well said , i testify your strategy gives me a lot a points specially in doubles because people are surprised to see the ball coming back against a good server using a huge amount of spin.
looks good strategy for beginners, top players trained to read every single serve separately because each one is unique and have it is own fingerprint, speed, spin, angle, placement, contact point, deception, ball height, blade and rubber condition even player mental and physical condition, thanks
"Trained to read" Why can't they just read the position and get an idea? I mean, top players will find it easy to read. Unless some last second switch or whatever.
Thank youuu🌺 I'm already topspinnig almost every serve i receive but i wasn't confident that my technique is actually a good one and i was so discouraged but thanks to your video! It gave me am confidence to continue doing that
Yes, it is important to analyse your opponent as you play. Which serves does your opponent find difficult? Does your opponent have a weaker backhand or forehand? Doe you opponent prefer topspin or backspin rallies. If you can work this out, then you can develop specific tactics to help you win more points.
I disagree. A low quality top spin ball is the easiest ball to kill, unless you can top spin return with quality speed and placement. Most serves are disguised with spin, speed and placement variations to prevent a top spin attack, but can be pushed back with more quality. If you can top spin most of my serves with good quality, you are just a much higher level player than me. I mostly return with a heavy push and hope for a slower top spin counter push or a low quality top spin that I can attack.
Absolutely, the quality of the topspin / flick needs to be good. I'm certainly not suggesting you should do a very soft topspin - this would be easy to counter attack. You need to get some decent speed and spin on the return of serve. You could try pushing most serves also, but this tends to be less effective against stronger players in my experience.
The olymics in tokia made me re-join my TT club after 26 years. I wish i would have had such great input in my beginner days. Great help! Thanks so much!
I defaulted in despair to top spin returns when a new player kept serving heavily spun serves. It was my immediate reaction to what he was doing, now you confirmed my decision, thank you.
When he's describing the anxiety associated with returning serves, I feel personally attacked... That nervious prodding move describes me perfectly... :'(
Thank you for this great video. I never thought that this kind of approach could be useful but I will give it a go. I just would have added that sometimes you might be a little bit out of position for short serves and it can be just too late to do a flick because with flicks timing is everything. So in that case you do a push and tell your self 'I will topspin the next one'. I am trying to use less blocks and do more topspin shots with my forehand and every time I make a block I imagine how next time I use forehand topspin on that shot. Surprisingly it seems to help a lot.
Yes, you need good timing with a flick. But if you are already in the mindset to flick or topspin, you will find that you react to those short serves a little quicker.
One of the best advice in all the internet lessons , those days the serves are so tricky , no time to decyphir ...just watch the ball coming and Kill it...you are the Master !
Tom, you yourself need some training on some basic aspects of table tennis such as bat grip and leg work. Besides, your whole body evidences youve learnt to play too late, or I should say youre still learning, are you really a coach?
Sure I'm still learning - isn't everyone? I play at pretty decent amateur level but I'm not a pro. And yes I am a coach. There is much, much, much more to being a coach than having 'perfect' technique myself. Teaching other people good technique is not dependent on me being 'perfect'. I also have a very good understanding of tactics and the mental side of the game, which at amateur level is as important (maybe more so) than technique. How about you? What's your experience of playing table tennis? What level do you play at?
Tom Lodziak , I'm really sorry Tom, I didn't mean to be rude. When I read my comment above it is pretty rude, though. Yes, you're right, we're all learning; I've been playing for more than 30 years now and I'm sure I need to improve my own skills. For being a coach you need to have other skills which can benefit the player as you suggest. I guess my comment was based on my expectations as there is no label in the video suggesting the level it was intended to. I apologize.
No problem - I get a lot worse comments than yours on RU-vid! Perfectly fine to question me. I put myself out there with my opinions, so always hapy to have constructive discussions with people.
I have great struggle in returning short slow low sidespin serves on my forehand side corner where the ball spins towards outside the table. Can you suggest options what I should do apart from top spin return as it's difficult to top spin this most of the times as the ball comes low below the net. Banana flick helps a bit but again since I've not mastered it the returning ball rises high
I like topspin to attack......., but i have not mastered, my friend suggest to use wrist to create accelaration is it tru? thank for the tutorial coach tom.
All ur services come outside the table which makes it easy to top spin , but wat if it comes in the table then how can u top spin? Camon man seriously u trying to fool people
If the serve has lots of backspin and is long, you can topspin. If ball is short with backspin you can flick. So yes, it is possible to attack serves with lots of backspin.
What?, this is stupid, how to judge how much backspin the opponent is doing. If I overestimate it, I will overshoot. If I underestimate it, the ball will hit net.
Yes, you need to read what the spin is and how much spin is on the ball and adjust your stroke accordingly. But that's the same with every single shot you play in table tennis, not just returning serves.
your suggestion implies that one sees/knows what kind of spin is on the ball/serve. but that is exactly the main problem in most cases, good servers conceal the spin, which makes it hard to anticipate...
Yes, you are right. You need to be able to read the spin. I have a video on this too: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Tv6eSsZbLe4.html - But as you get better reading the spin, then taking a topspin approach to returning serves becomes possible.
I have a problem returning the side spin, especially short and long. Everytime i return those serves, always went to the net, although with topspin. Might be my topspin not powerfull enough?
Yes, you can topspin heavy fast topspin serves. You just need to close the bat angle and brush over the top of the ball. Of course, you could also drive or block these types of serves too.
Great advice as usual Tom, I'm struggling with a couple of guys where their serves are getting the better of me................Topspin is the order of the day mate, Thanks.
It's a bit of a bad habit. I wouldn't recommend copying. I hold my bat quite high up the handle and this means my finger sometimes comes onto the rubber too much. It doesn't seem to impact my game too much though.
Love your video. Always simple to follow, insightful, and practical. I could recall successes resorting to top spins and flicks against serves when I'm 'in the game'. Now with you so succinctly pointed out, I'll make your advice my bread and butter :) Thank you!
For those who thought otherwise, I'd say this: like everything else, there're always exceptions (a minority) that can sideline the technique and Tom, you do not need to spend time or energy to justify or prove anything. You're doing a great (free) public service to many of us and that is more than one could ask for. Based on my own plays and watching many professional matches, I know you're right as long as I'm not playing against Ma Long, Tim Boll, et al. Haha, I'm not planning to. And I'd say this to those who wanted proof: why don't you compile your disproof and show it to the rest of us while leaving Tom with more time to create more useful videos? The wonderful thing about the free world we live in: to each their own. We're free to agree or disagree, whichever would make us better, (a better player in this case). Look forward to more of your (Tom's) videos!
Thumbs up! Good stuff! I fully agree with you on this point that returning backspin or side spin serves is really hard and tough job to do. I think this is everyone's weakness and flaw. You address this issue by topspin stroke. How about short serve? How would you return it short serve? I appreciate that. Cheers!
Great advice. I played an defensive player and can't beat him because of the spin he can creat and the pips out from BH. I'll play with him again and try to TS all his serve next time.
Impossible to topspin every serve, especially those very well placed short serves. You could just wrist spin it if you're returning a short serve but would leave you very vulnerable for you as the opponent has a lot of surface to choose from and s/he will easily make a final blow from that topspin return if the person is any good. Also important to note that your serves in this video didn't seem very spinny and many were quite poor which makes it very easy for your teammate to topspin. Perhaps this was just to illustrate your point, but it's not as simple as that in a real match. Didn't mean to write half an essay but here we are :)
It is possible to topspin any serve. For very short serve, you can flick. Backhand flicks can be very fast, spinny and aggressive and is a shot used by most professional players. Forehand flick is a little trickier to do, but as long as your placement is good, it is not easy for your opponent to attack the next ball. The serves in the video only looked easy because James returned them well. I cut out the ones where he missed!! But the point is, by taking a positive topspin approach to returning serves, you will return more serves and you will make your opponent's serves look easy to return.
I agree with Tom. In theory you can topspin every ball. The point it's that sometimes it's not very easy. You have to have a great footwork, timing and technique. That's why your coaches told you to use other options.
So in a nutshell, 1) top spin long serve uses top spin 2) heavy top spin long serve uses top spin with the paddle closed 3) backspin short serve uses top spin with the paddle opened 4) heavy backspin short serve better just opens the paddle and pushes back and wait for the next opportunity to topspin. Am I correct>
Certianly short heavy backspin serves are difficult to attack, but it is possible. You need to practice a lot, and even then it is still tough. So it might be easier to push these. Everything else should be attackable.
