What is Spin?
It is basically the rotation, or spinning, of a tennis ball. By generating spin on your ball, you are able to better direct the ball and ensure that it travels to land on your desired location on the tennis court. Mastering the spin techniques is a vital part of learning how to control the tennis ball during matchplay.
To carry out a spin, the tennis racket has to brush the ball instead of directly hitting it. There are three types of spin techniques that are used in tennis, namely the topspin, backspin, and sidespin. Let's learn about these spin techniques and how they can be executed in a tennis match!
Types Of Spin:
Topspin
Topspin is essentially the motion of your tennis ball rotating forwards. This allows your tennis ball to descend quicker and bounce higher. This can help improve accuracy and increases your chances of the tennis ball landing in the court. The higher bounces and increased travel speed might cause some trouble to your opponent. Check Out Rafael Nadal's Top Spin!
Backspin
In contrast to a topsin, in a Backspin shot, the ball rotates backwards after contact. This helps to keep the tennis ball low and slows down the pace of the rally. It is often used to gain control of the match and to prevent your opponent from hitting shots with heavy a Topspin. Check Out Roger Federer's BackSpin!
Sidespin
The Sidespin causes the ball to move sharply after it lands thanks to the slight left or right motion that is generated during contact. Although not often used by pros, a sidespin is an effective way to derail opponents, especially when aiming for dropshots. However, do note that sidespins can be countered easily as they are often slower and more predictable. Check Out This Video On SideSpins!
How To Perform A Spin
Topspin
To perform a TopSpin, you have to move your racket in an upwards movement. The strings of your racket have to brush the back of the ball in an upwards motion.
Backspin
To perform a backspin, you have to execute a slicing motion from the top to the bottom. The strings of the racket would have to brush onto the backside of the ball downwards.
Sidespin
To perform a sidespin, the racket has to brush onto the ball from its side. This can be done through a slicing motion. By contacting the ball on the right side, the ball moves rightwards upon landing, and vice versa.
We hope that our short guide will help take your tennis game to the next level!
Interested in learning more or keen to improve your spin technique? Click Here To Find A Tennis Coach!