Reading Ball Spins: Catching the Ping Pong Spin Strategy of Your Opponent

A quick mind and a quick eye are two of the most important aspects that a ping pong player must have when Ping Pong training. By being a keen observer, you will be able to know the moves of your opponent. One thing that frustrates a lot of ping pong players is reading ball spins that their opponent gives them.

You need to remember that it is essential that you know how to correctly read ball spins as this will enable you to predict which way the ping pong ball will go and how you can counter it. This is easier said than done as it will take quite a while to learn how to read spins. In fact, even professional table tennis players make mistakes regarding reading spins.

Tips for reading Ping Pong ball spins

However, here are some tips that can help you read spins better. With these tips, you will be able to predict how the ball will react when it hits the table and your paddle and also know how you can counter the spin effectively and let it work to your advantage.

The first thing you need to know is that heavy spins will tend to get the ball to move more, jump up, down, or sideways from your paddle more, and it will also have more kick when it hits the table.

You need to observe the swing and the paddle of your opponent in order to know what spin is being used on the ball. When the paddle of your opponent is going upwards and is brushing the top of the ball, then top spin is being used. Expect the ball to be aggressive and hit the end of your table deep.

If you see that the paddle is going downwards and is brushing the bottom of the ball. Expect a backspin. With this kind of ball, it is a good idea to remain near the table as a heavy backspin will tend to bounce short once it hits the table.

If you see that the paddle of your opponent is moving to your left or right, the side spin is being used. It will either get the ball to curve right or left depending on the direction of the side spin, and it will also have an effect once it hits your paddle.

These are the ways you can read ball spins in ping pong. Always remember that reading ball spins will helpyou prepare for your next shot.

Miodrag Trajkovic is a certified table tennis trainer who runs a popular and comprehensive ping pong equipment website. For more articles and resources on table tennis, table tennis equipment, or table tennis tips, visit his site at http://table-tennis.explore-me.com