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

By , About.com Guide

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How do You Create Spin? Keeping the Spin the Same while Changing Speed
Diagram of Same Spin with Different Speed Strokes

Same Spin, Different Speed Strokes

(c) 2006 Greg Letts, licensed to About.com, Inc.
By adjusting the direction the rubber surface travels vertically or horizontally, you can also change the horizontal speed of the ball. The diagram above shows two strokes that would produce the same speed and spin on the ball. They will not appear to be the same to the opponent though.

Stroke A is a more upward stroke, and will give a return that has more upward speed and less forward speed. The opponent will see this as a slower, high topspin.

Stroke B is a more forward stroke, and will give a return that has more forward speed and less upward speed. The opponent will see this as a faster, low topspin.

Remember that both balls are equally spinny. So this means that a ball that is coming at you faster and lower is not necessarily less spinny than a ball that is coming slower and higher. Tricky stuff!

Now that you know how spin works and how to create your own, let's move on to how to use it properly.

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