The most common serve in table tennis is a backspin serve, or backspin with some sidespin. The reason is simple. A backspin serve is harder to attack. Many players are not confident with flicks over the table, or even loops from behind the table.
If served well, a backspin serve can also set up a 3rd ball attack opportunity. It can be a win-win scenario. A player serves low backspin. The receiver is forced to play a push. The server then loops and takes control of the point. It’s a strategy you see again and again, especially in the higher divisions of local league (and above).
As the receiver, how can you return backspin serves more effectively and make it harder for the attacker to serve and loop?
You have a few options…
Aggressive push
You could try an aggressive push, with plenty of backspin, aimed deep on the table. This can be much more challenging for the server. If he wants to attack, he will have to lift all that heavy backspin. If he doesn’t lift the ball enough, he will dump the ball in the net. And if your push has some decent speed, you may rush the server into making an error, especially if he is slow to recover after his serve. You should aim this aggressive push into the corners or your opponent’s crossover position. Here’s a video with some tips on doing an aggressive push.
Short touch
You could also try a short touch, where you try to drop the ball much closer to the net. The ball should bounce at least twice on your opponent’s side. This can have a very disruptive impact. If your opponent is expecting to serve and attack, but you return the ball so short it never reaches him, he will often make an error or play a very weak shot. It’s definitely a more advanced skill to keep your touch short and low. But at local league level, even a touch shot which is a little loose can still be effective, as it is rarely used, so opponents don’t really know how to deal with it. Here’s a video with some tips on doing a short touch.
Angled push
Another option is an angled push. This is where you aim your shot very wide, towards the side of the table. Most players struggle to move to these very wide positions. Unless your opponent is a master of ‘around the net’ shots (which is unlikely), he is faced with a really difficult ball to attack. You could even add a little sidespin with your push to help get the ball out wide. The angled push is a little easier to do if the serve is wide. This gives you a natural angle to push back to a wide position.
The above methods are ideal if you are good at pushing and prefer a more controlled approach to returning serves. You can cause the server all kinds of problems if you vary how you return his backspin serves. Sometimes use an aggressive push. Sometimes use a touch. Sometimes use an angle push. You will force errors or often the server will choose to push your push, giving you the opportunity to attack the 4th ball.
Flick
For those of you who are more attack minded, you may prefer to flick. This could be a backhand flick or a forehand flick. But you need to understand how much backspin you feel confident in attacking. For me, I’m generally fine with lighter backspin, but I do struggle with heavier backspin. So if I read that my opponent’s backspin serve is lighter, then a flick becomes an option. If it’s heavier, a better option for me is to use a push variation described above. If you have very good flick technique, then you may feel confident attacking heavier backspin as well. I often find flicking to an opponent’s crossover position is very effective, and the corner positions can work well too. Here’s a video with some tips on the backhand flick and a video with some tips on the forehand flick.
Loop
Finally, if your opponent’s backspin serve is drifting long, then you have an opportunity to loop. This is usually easier for players, compared to flicking. You have more space and time to prepare your loop, compared to a flick. And it’s a shot players use far more often, so are generally more confident in doing. My preference is to arc the loop, up and over the net, trying to get lots of topspin. This is a safer option, but the spin still adds quality. And if you aim the loop to the corners or the crossover, then it will be effective. If the serve only has a little backspin, you can be more direct, looping more aggressively and lower over the net. Here is a video with some tips on the forehand loop and a video with some tips on the backhand loop.
So we have a few options. A backspin serve is not difficult to return, but the aim should be much more than just getting the ball on the table. You want to make life really hard for the server. I do really like the combination of a short touch and an aggressive push. This can cause a lot of damage. But you can have success with all the options listed above. Try them out and see what works best for your game.
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