Loop Spin and No Spin

Wrist is always helpful.  It generates spin.  But adding spin is less necessary when returning an incoming ball with strong topspin, because the spin is already there and you can steal it.  If it has no spin or backspin, you will have to add your own if you want your ball to have good speed and a nice arc.

silverhair wrote: If the oncoming shot has a lot of topspin, try aiming the counter loop into the net.  If the shot has backspin, try aiming the loop to hit a little off the table. I change the angle of the loop NOT by changing my stroke as much as by changing the angle of my upper body / upper arm / shoulder.  My coach does not yell at me for that. A lot of times, disguising the amount of spin put on the ball can cause the opponent to misread the shot.

chocolate wrote: silverhair wrote: If the oncoming shot has a lot of topspin, try aiming the counter loop into the net.  If the shot has backspin, try aiming the loop to hit a little off the table. I change the angle of the loop NOT by changing my stroke as much as by changing the angle of my upper body / upper arm / shoulder.  My coach does not yell at me for that. A lot of times, disguising the amount of spin put on the ball can cause the opponent to misread the shot.  I disagree with your language.    Until one gains a feel for the game, one needs to think more specifically.  Aim off of the table?  There are many ways to do that.  One is to hit harder, which actually does help and is very effective if the ball is above the table.  Another way is to add less topspin - not a good idea.  Another way is to change racket angle, and this is usually the best technique in addition to adding spin which causes  the ball to not go long.   Use these techniques against spin, but tell yourself that you are aiming for where you are actually hoping for the ball to land.

I suppose everything is relative.  I'm not talking about hitting the side walls or putting out the eye of an opponent.  I'm talking about hitting the loop longer as if aiming at a point beyond the table.  If sorta makes sense that if you're consistently hitting OFF the table, maybe better ball placement is somewhat shorter than the center of the barrier.  When hitting a ball with heavy topspin, its better to try to "loop inti the net" as my coach says.  That means closing the blade face to counter the effects of the spin and following through with the stroke.

You just hit it up without looping it.

No spin loop, dummy loop, some call it lift shot is a stroke which is performed like an ordinary loop. backswing, hit, follow trough.. but instead of imparting topspin into the ball by grazing it, you lift the ball with power without grazing the ball so it looks like a loop but there's little or no topspin on it.