Spin in Table Tennis/ Ping-Pong - How Does it Work and How do You Create it?

Spin is applied to the ball by brushing or skimming the ball instead of making square contact. Think of a line going straight out from the bat in the direction the rubber surface is travelling. If the line goes through the center of the ball when the ball is struck, maximum speed will be given and no spin will be applied. The closer the line is to the edge of the ball, the more spin will be put on the ball, and the less speed. In practice, the line is always somewhere in between these two extremes, giving more spin and less speed the closer the line is to the edge of the ball.

The diagram above illustrates the first case, where the ball is struck squarely by the rubber surface, with the direction of motion of the bat going straight through the center of the ball. No spin will be applied by this stroke, but a lot of speed will be given.