How to best gauge spin and its magnitude?

I'm pretty new at playing table tennis seriously (a couple of weeks), and I'm playing a friend that always hits with some kind of top spin or back spin, not really as much sidespin though. Oftentimes, I have a hard time gauging his spin, and either hit it too high (which means that he can attack back really easily) or hit it too low and into the net. What is the best way for a newbie to learn how to consistently read and handle spin. For now, the best I can do is to look at the contact of the bat on the ball, but even so, I can only give an educated guess, much less return the hit with a stroke that is effective.

For reference, I play Cpen.

Generally, what I do if the ball is not very fast and doesn't go very far, is that I just hit it without spin at a 45 degree angle (somewhere between up and towards them) and hope that I have enough force to make the ball go over the net and not too much force to make the ball bounce high after hitting it on their side.

Thanks.

I guess what you mean to say is... I just have to play more, right? 

I was actually wondering if there were any generally "safe" strokes that aren't very offensive, against a lot of backspin (to me, that's the worst scenario).

zrrbiteDK wrote: A safe stroke against lots of backspin with regular pips-in sheets? Put it back over the table with more backspin : )

With a chop?

I suggest you practice opening on any backspin you encounter if you're able to (assuming you want to be an agressive player). Trial and error. Don't worry about hitting it in the net, or whatever. Get inthere with those loops, get a feel for the ball, get a feel for the amount of spin you can counter with x amount of force, angle, etc. Gogo practice! : )  It will come to you in time.

I will give the loop idea a try. I generally push or soft hit it because I'm afraid that anything else will go out of control.

Heavier underspin balls will float more in a straight line without sinking down too much; whereas topspin balls will arc down toward the table much more quickly.

When you play a long pips player who reverses your spin, you'll need to pick up on this subtlety very quickly. You'll give a little underspin push, and the opponent will just punch it back and if you're not used to the pips you'll think it's underspin (which it would be against a regular grippy rubber player) and then you'll try to underspin push it back and it will pop up really high because it's actually light topspin, and you'll get smashed.

But it's obvious to notice against this type of long pips because a regular underspin ball will come back slow and flat, and this reversed ball will pop back at you very quickly and arc down to the table.

When you are looping, if it it going fast and jumping at you and arcing down onto the table, it is topspin. Loop it about 45 degrees. The less topspin, generally the higher angle you loop at.

If you are against a heavy push, with a open paddle, lift it over the net. His spin with bring it over.