How to block heavy “side top spin” loop?

In the video, you are seeing Ryu Seung Min of Korea (in blue) playing against Jan-Ove Waldner of Sweden (in yellow) at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Here is what going on. Waldner serves a long underspin serve to Ryu to his back hand side. He returns that serve as underspin to stop Waldner from attacking. Waldner redirects the ball with left side spin to Ryu’s back hand. Ryu loops the ball to Waldner’s forehand with heavy top and side spin which he thought Waldner would never return.

Waldner now makes a quick movement to where the ball was coming, blocks the loop stroke from Ryu and directs the ball to Ryu’s forehand. Ryu who was still recovering from his previous loop stroke completely misses the ball.

It is entertaining to see such a great point. Let me explain the nuts and bolts of the strokes that both the players have played. The loop stroke from Ryu had both right side spin and heavy top spin. Such a shot is hard to block because of the side spin and top spin on the ball. Only experienced players can measure the amount of spin on that ball. Waldner did the same while he was rushing to his forehand side.

There are two ways you can return this shot. You can take few steps to the direction where the ball is curving and few steps away from the table, and counter the ball with top as well as right side spin. Unless you are a good athlet, it is hard to execute that kind of shot. This is why you and me are different from the world’s top players.

The other way to return Ryu’s shot is to block the ball on the rise from the table. That’s what Waldner is doing as you see in this video. Look at the slow motion of Walnder’s stroke. To block a heavy top spin ball, you need to close the paddle to a greater extent to force the ball down - an angle of 60 or less. The next challenge is to handle the side spin. The side spin needs to be countered. Look carefully what Waldner doing. He counters the path of the ball where the ball is curving because of the right side spin, and he closes the paddle to respond to the heavy tip spin. The final position of the blade is closed and the tip points to where the ball is directed.

To increase the level of your game, you have to learn how to block simple top spin, heavy top spin and top spin loops having side spin. In the Table Tennis Lifestyle video, you can see how the world’s top players practice this shot during the practice sessions.