recieving the tomahawk serve

VanJr,

Try to carefully watch the bounce trajectory of every serve and then make a mental note of what spin was on that serve after the point is played.  I try to recognize one serve type (which varies by opponent) and if it looks different I know it is the other spin.  For example I might be able to recognize side-top (probably because they serve that most).  Instead of trying to also recognize side-under I just notice that something is different from the other serves (side-top) and assume that is side-under.  Of course if an opponent has great spin control and hits side-top, side, and side-under I still might miss the side versions. 

The other thing that can get you in trouble is being wrong on what spin you assign to a serve based on how your return behaved.  For example you read a serve as side-top and your return goes into the net.  You think," I mis-read the serve it must have been side-under."   Most likely that is not the case.  If it was side-under and you hit it like side-top it should have bounced on the table in front of the net (or maybe hit the very bottom of the net).  Most likely you hit it with a stroke more appropriate for a full top-spin serve or maybe it was almost pure side-spin.  Likewise if you read side-under and the ball goes just long it is not likely that the serve was side-top.  A side-top would go really long (and high) if you hit it with the stroke appropriate for a side-under ball.

Another thing you might try is spinning the ball more even when you read side-top.  I think you have a tendency to loop-kill most long serves instead of just looping them.  You have so much less margin for error with the loop-kill shot so you have to be much better at reading the exact spin on the ball if you expect to land the shot.  I am extrapolating from my matches against you, so this might not be an actual problem in your matches with other players (my serves are not that deceptive so teeing off on them is probably a good idea).

For long serves I always take the initial backswing as if the ball is side-under.  It is a lot easier to raise my arm and close the blade at the last second (if I see it is a side-top) than to already have my arm higher and have to try to lower it before a swing.  I think this also helps me have the mind-set that I can continue reading the spin until the last second rather than having to commit to a particular type stroke early.

Don't feel too bad about missing the serve from the player about 100 points above you.  I have seen several of his matches against 2100-2300 players where they mis-read his serves repeatedly.  Sometimes they end up just shaking their heads after each miss for most of the first game.  They usually catch on after a couple of games and then he is in trouble.

Mark

Most of time tomahawk serves are long with hardly any backspin in it, it's just a matter of being aggressive. But if this serve is "mastered".......it becomes a awesome weapon, it's really possible to hide very well the spin you're putting in. 

Unfortunately we played in Butterfly tables (those tables don't show well the spin of the ball by changing the trajectory, unlike Joolla/Donic tables which are more "grippy").

I wish I read this earlier : 

"For long serves I always take the initial backswing as if the ball is side-under.  It is a lot easier to raise my arm and close the blade at the last second (if I see it is a side-top) than to already have my arm higher and have to try to lower it before a swing.  I think this also helps me have the mind-set that I can continue reading the spin until the last second rather than having to commit to a particular type stroke early."

Best advice ever ^^

I'm with NL on this, except maybe his last statement.  The high level coaches that I know, such as Stellan, would recommend keeping your paddle high (like for top spin) while you are uncertain and dropping it only you see that it's underspin.  This is also my own experience, although that's less significant than the advice from coaches.

Underspin balls usually slow up compared to top spin, and they won't jump forward the way top spin does.  So better to be prepared for the faster ball (top spin). Plus, as NL pointed out, it's easier to drop your arm than raise it.

Perhaps one significant take away here is that you focus on one possible spin and only adjust to the other when you see it.  This simplifies decision making compared to trying to get an open mind to both spins.

His basic response was to not drop the racket too low on the backswing, since the underspin version of this serve sits up a little and I will have time to get under the ball if need be.  

One interesting thing with this serve is that it looks faster than it really is, so I had a tendency to try to take it too early.  It turned out that taking my time a little and watching the ball carefully paid dividends.  I made it a point to brush the ball and make as little impact as possible with the blade an it helped overpower whatever spin was on the ball.  The contact should be all rubber and no blade.  That makes the return heavy and leaves some of the original sidespin on the ball, so it hops quite a bit.

ILya