Transcription
This video is going to show you how to hit Top Spin. It's a very easy concept that a lot of people struggle with. I'm going to make sure you have it mastered by the end of this video.
The reason you're struggling with Top Spin is all because of your grip. It's something very subtle, but it goes a very long way in holding you back.
This is the grip you're probably playing in. This is called Continental. It's like I'm shaking hands with the paddle. See how the center of my hand right here goes down the center of the paddle? That's what Continental is, and that's why you're unable to hit Top Spin.
We have to be in a slight Eastern grip, which would look like this. See how the center of my hand is now down this right spine of the paddle? What this is going to do is it's going to naturally close off the paddle. So when I hit the ball, it's going to put spin on the ball.
See, Continental paddle face is open. Slight Eastern paddle face is closed. To understand it better, this is Continental. Imagine me hitting the ball like this. The ball's just going to pop off my paddle face. Doesn't make sense.
When I go to that slight Eastern grip, see how the paddle is now a little bit closed? So when I hit the ball, it's going to naturally put the ball down, creating that Top Spin.
Now that we got the grip out of the way, it's super important that we're always underneath the ball when we hit it. What does that mean? My paddle should not be sideways when I strike the ball. My paddle tip should be down like this, so I can create this whipping motion with my wrist. If I just keep my paddle sideways, I can't generate any spin. It has to be dropped.
To build on top of that, here's the ball, here's our paddle tip. The next thing we need to do is get our body underneath the ball. So as the ball comes in, I shouldn't be swinging like this. If it's this height, I should be way below it, swinging low to high with that paddle tip dropped. That is going to ensure that I'm hitting that Top Spin.
Then, when we finish the stroke, we want to finish it up here, like we're answering the phone. We do not want to hit like this. I see so many people do this. Finish up here, like we're answering the phone. This motion of getting our knees involved, low to high, finishing up here is going to ensure that you're hitting Top Spin without you even knowing it.
Those shots look pretty clean. Now we're going to go over what do I do with my off hand? As the ball comes in, we want to point at the ball with this hand and then keep it as close to the paddle through the entirety of the shot. What that's going to do is it's going to get our shoulders involved. So look how much power I'm generating from this torque. If I don't use this arm, it's just this one limb. That's not going to give me any power. That's where the power comes.
Notice my swing is very compact. I'm not looping like that. Everything's tight, low to high. And there's nothing too magical about this. We just want to be low to high and finish over our shoulder. Right before those balls were coming in, you saw me split stepping. What this does is it gets my body weight forward and my momentum going forward so I can step into the shot when I hit it. I always want to be stepping to my opponent when I hit the ball. I don't want to be hitting off my back foot or even my weight neutral. I want to be stepping in. So I split step, step in.
Now that we have our Top Spin mastered for our drives, we're going to talk about hitting Top Spin at the kitchen. If we just hit a normal flat dink with no spin, it's very easy for our opponents to read. As soon as we add Top Spin at the kitchen, the ball travels faster and dips faster in the air. So when it bounces, it's going to do funky things to our opponents, making a tougher shot for them.
All the same principles apply. However, now we're just doing it on a much smaller scale. With it being the kitchen, this is what hitting a ball with no spin looks like. This is probably how you're dinking. See, it's very easy for my opponent to get it back. It floats high in the air. I'm not a threat at all.
Compared to this, watch my wrist and watch the trajectory of the ball as it lands on Ridley's side, as well as when it bounces. You're going to see it jump up and give him trouble. See, by me hitting the shot, it's giving me weaker, dead dinks back for my opponent. So in a real game, I would crush these.
Now I want to hit these type of shots, but all all over the kitchen. See how I'm moving him around? He's not just able to hit them from one spot. So there, now his inside foot. Good. So in a real game, when I'm moving the dinks left, right, I'll be able to crush the ball. It really gives you a big advantage.
Pay attention to my wrist. This is a different angle. It's just a slight flick when I hit the ball. I'm in that slight Eastern grip and I'm just really gently flicking the ball, and that's all it is. Here's the ball. I'm below the ball and I'm just like a windshield wiper, quick little swipe, real soft.
If you're struggling with this concept, this is my favorite drill to dial that in. Go up to a net. You want to pretend the net is a ball, and you should just be brushing the back of the net where you can barely hear it. This is exactly what Top Spin is. When I teach my students this and they they don't understand it, they really loud. That's wrong. In a real game, that's going 50 ft out. Should just be a slight brush.
This is the basics of Top Spin. In an actual match, there's always a player in front of us. When that person is there and we hit to them, we should never, never slice the ball to the person in front of us. That's a very slow shot and the ball lifts up. That's going to allow them to speed it up at us, or it's going to allow them, if they're off balance, to get back on balance. When they're in front of us, we always want to hit with Top Spin. Aggressive. That way. This way. Got a pop up.
Now we're going to play out a normal point. So even when I get balls out of the air, you see I'm putting Top Spin on them. That makes him feel pressure.
The last topic we're going to cover is taking balls out of the air and putting Top Spin on them, like I was just doing. This concept single-handedly will make you a better player because now you're a threat at the kitchen line, making your opponents run on ice skates. This is how you do it.
When we lean in, we do not want to have our paddle dry dropped like normal Top Spin. My paddle should not be like this. It should be even with the ball, and I'm using all wrist, doing a slight windshield wiper motion like that. That's all it is. It's not coming all the way over the top. It's just a slight little nudge, like I'm nudging the ball forward. I'm in that slight Eastern grip still, and I'm just barely hitting it. A slight nudge.
I love taking these balls out of the air with Top Spin because it's so aggressive. It often times sets up an Ernie, so all your opponent can do is hit it back, and you're right there to smash it.
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