How to Return SIDE SPIN Serve's | eBaTT - Tutorial #30

Hi guys, welcome to today's EBAT show. Today we're going to show you how to return a sidespin serve. A lot of people that we work with come up to us and say, how do I return sidespin? It's a big fault in my game. So we're going to show you three tips today on how to improve this. Beautiful. Alright, here we go. Okay, so tip number one. Understanding where the person contacts the ball gives you a clue as to where you should contact the ball. So, I've got a little diagram here for you. So if the person has contacted the ball here when they're producing the sidespin. So they're hitting the ball there. Just put this down for a second. They're hitting the ball in this zone over here when they're serving. Just there. The ball then rotates this way and it goes over. Now, I've hit the ball on this side. The secret is to try and do your best to hit the ball on the same part where I hit the ball. So what do I mean by that? If I hit the ball here, when you receive it, you should also be looking to hit the ball exactly the same side. And that will counteract the spin. So let's try and have a little look here. If I hit the ball in this zone, your aim when you're returning is to hit the ball in the same zone. Okay, let's have a look at it in action. That's it. Okay guys, so tip number two is understanding how to control the spin. Now, when someone's giving you a sidespin, like I said to you, you want to try and hit the same side. Of course, as you get better, you can start to manipulate the ball and also you can flick a sidespin serve. But if we're talking just about counteracting the sidespin, you want to try and hit the same side. So if a guy's done a left-hand sidespin, I want to try and hit the ball in the same zone. If he's done a right-hand sidespin, I want to try and hit the ball in the same zone as you just saw in the demonstration on tip number one. The other thing which is really important that you want to try and do is you want to try and accelerate. So you're kind of generating your own spin rather than just putting your bat there. If you put your bat there, the spin will kick off. You want to try and speed up the forepoint of contact and that allows you to control the spin that has been imparted by your opponent. Okay, do your very best to practice this and in time you will learn how to sidespin with the backhand and sidespin with the forehand this way. Or that way. Or this way with the backhand as well. Yes, that's it. Tip number three, when you get a sidespin ball, sometimes it's difficult to control it even by counteracting the sidespin. So it's okay to try and flick. Now when you do flick, for example if they've done a left-hand sidespin serve, then you want to try and flick in the opposite direction. If they've done a right-hand sidespin, then again you try and flick in the opposite direction. So for example, if my opponent has done a sidespin serve from here to here and the ball's rotating there, the ball wants to go in that direction. When I flick it, I will be aiming over there. And if they've done it the other way around, then I'll be aiming the other direction. So this is what you don't want to try and avoid. You want to try and avoid flicking in the direction of the spin. So this guy's going to give me a sidespin serve. And if I flick in the direction of the spin, then it will go off to the side. So I want to try and aim in that direction. Let's give it a go. And that allows me to control the spin. A sidespin the other way. So reverse, sidespin the other way. Now this time again, if I aim where the spin's going, the ball will kick off. I need to aim in this direction. So I can do that with my forehand or my backhand. I aim in that direction. Same with my backhand when I'm flicking. I aim in that direction, and that allows me to keep the ball on the table. Okay. Okay, so a nice bonus tip for you guys. A lot of people, when they come in for a flick, they come in like this, head away from the table. Now, you want to have your head nice and close to the ball. This is so that you can be in control and try and overcome the spin that's being put on the sidespin. If you're really far away, it's very difficult to control. A nice tip for you is that when you step in, you step in with your non-dominant playing hand, and you use this as a guide. So right-handers, you step in with your right leg, but you bring your left arm close to your back, and this will enable you to bring your head close to the ball and your body close to the table, and therefore being able to overcome the spin. Okay, great. I hope all those little tips will help you to return sidespin serves. Obviously, it takes practice to learn how to control the sidespin, to notice where the ball is being contacted by the opponent, and then over time, you'll start to learn how to counteract the spin, how to flick, step in properly, keep your head down, keep your free arm next to the racket, which then allows you to take full control of your stroke. Okay, guys, as always, please subscribe, like, share with people who you think this might help, and we'll see you on the next video.