If you’re tired of only having one option for your forehand and need a shot other than a flat backhand, then this is the tennis guide for you. As a beginner you were introduced to forehand and backhand techniques that put very little movement or spin on the ball. However, as your game progresses and improves to a higher level, so must the techniques you use.
At the intermediate level, players are comfortable hitting a variety of shots. A flat ball is great for a beginner looking to get the basic timing and techniques under their belt, but at the intermediate level, variety is essential to raise your level and compete with other players.
Adding spin to your game creates an element of surprise and unease for your opponents. Whether you are hitting extreme topspin like Rafael Nadal, slicing the ball likeSteffi Graff, or hitting the flat ball like Pete Sampras, the ability to hit with all types of spin at the intermediate level is one of the keys to victory. So enough of hitting just the flat ball. Let’s add some topspin to your shots and mix up your game to keep expanding on your shot selection.
Topspin Introduction
Topspin is the most commonly used spin in tennis. There are many advantages to playing with topspin. It allows players to hit with greater consistency, while maintaining an offensive type of play. There is a greater margin of error when playing with topspin, and at the intermediate level, the player that has the most control of the points is usually victorious.
Topspin is generated by hitting the ball with a swinging motion that starts below the ball and ends higher than the initial take back of the racquet. This low-to-high motion creates a trajectory or flight of the ball that is far different than the swing used for the basic flat groundstroke. By swinging your arm from a low position to a high position, the trajectory of the ball resembles that of a rainbow or arch.
By using topspin, a player should notice the ball bouncing higher and faster than a ball without spin. Topspin can be generated when hitting either a forehand or backhand. Use the following instructions to add topspin to your game.
Hot Tip: Semi-Western Grip
The preferred grip to use in order to generate topspin on the forehand side is the semi-western grip. The face of the racquet naturally creates topspin.
Hitting Topspin
The importance of the low-to-high motion when trying to generate topspin cannot be stressed enough. The motion is similar to that of a windshield wiper, where the racquet begins below the ball, but finishes higher than the ball. Topspin is created by brushing the ball with an upwards motion as you swing through your shot. Here is a breakdown of what you need to know when learning to hit topspin.
Step 1: The Low to High
- Start your racquet lower than the ball.
- Start your swing with a partially closed racquet face.
- If the racquet face is parallel with the ball, no brushing can occur, as the ball will just return from where it came.
- Pretend that you are brushing the back of the ball with the strings of your racket.
- By exaggerating the brushing motion, the arm’s natural tendency is to swing from low to high.
- As long as you swing low to high, some amount of spin will be put on the ball. Just remember to start low and finish high.
Step 2: Preparation
Make sure your knees are bent (depending on how low or high the ball bounces) and your racquet is in the ready position below the ball.
Step 3: Contact and Racquet Face
- As you are swinging, begin to straighten your legs and make sure the racquet is moving upwards as well as forwards.
- Imagine the tennis ball is a clock. When you make contact with the ball, try to make contact between 5 o’clock and 6 o’clock (7 o’clock and 6 o’clock for lefties). This will force your stroke to begin lower than the ball, but end at a higher position.
Step 4: The Finish
- To finish this shot, your racquet should be above your shoulder opposite of the side you hit the ball.
- Right-handed players should finish with their left hand catching the racquet above their left shoulder (left handers should do the opposite).
- Topspin requires the use of the wrist during the follow through. A snapping of the wrist only occurs during the follow-through, or finish of the stroke. A natural wrist-snapping motion will occur if the previous steps to this guide are followed. By starting your racquet with a closed face and aiming to make contact with the ball between 5 and 6 o’clock, the wrist snap will come naturally.
Add In Topspin
There are many benefits to playing with topspin. The reason why most people choose to add it to their game is because it provides more consistency than a flat groundstroke. The trajectory of the ball allows for players to have higher net clearance, while also generating more pace and control. There is less concern for players using topspin that their shots will land long. One other benefit of playing with topspin is that the balls you hit will bounce higher than they do when coming off a flat shot. By varying the height at which the balls bounce, your opponents will be forced to position themselves according to the balls you hit, as opposed to dictating the shots they want to hit.
