How to do a spin serve in table tennis
To do a spin serve, brush the ball instead of pushing it. Brush underneath for backspin, behind and upward for topspin, and on the side for sidespin. The faster the paddle moves and the thinner the contact, the more the ball spins.
In this article
A spin serve turns the serve from "putting the ball in play" into a weapon. With the right spin, your opponent misses the return, pops it up or sends it long, and you win the point, or the chance to attack, on the third ball.
The good news is that every spin serve follows the same principle. Once you understand how to brush the ball, learning each serve is just a matter of changing the direction of your swing.
The principle: brush, don't push
A ball hit flat, with the paddle pushing through its center, comes off with almost no spin. To create spin, the paddle has to graze the ball, touching only one side of it. The rubber grips the ball and sets it spinning.
Three things add spin:
- Thin contact: the paddle brushes the ball rather than meeting it head on.
- Paddle speed: a short but fast motion right at contact.
- A loose wrist: the wrist provides the final acceleration. Squeezing the handle too hard locks it.
A grippy inverted rubber helps, but technique matters more than equipment. For the physics behind spin, see spin in table tennis.
Where to brush for each spin
| Spin | Paddle | Where it brushes | Effect on your opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backspin | Very open, face up | Under the ball, moving forward | The return tends to go into the net |
| Topspin | More closed | Behind the ball, low to high | The return tends to go high or long |
| Sidespin | On edge | The side of the ball | The return goes off to one side |
| No spin | Looks like the backspin serve | Pushes instead of brushing | Your opponent errs if they expect backspin |
Spins can be combined. Side-backspin and side-topspin serves are the most common at high levels, because they put two problems on the same ball.
How to learn spin from scratch
- Feel the brush without a table. Toss the ball up and "cut" under it with an open paddle, making it spin and rise almost in place.
- Use the floor as a test. Serve backspin onto the floor without a table: if the ball bounces and comes back toward you, the spin is strong.
- Move to the table. Serve slowly, chasing only spin. Speed comes later.
- Watch the ball. Use a ball with a line drawn on it or a big logo: you can see the spin and check its direction.
- Mix it up. Once you have one spin, alternate it with another using the same motion and only changing the contact.
The real secret: disguise
At high levels, heavy spin matters less than hiding which spin you used. A few ways to disguise it, all within the rules:
- Same motion, different contact: start the same swing and either brush under the ball (backspin) or hit it flatter (no spin).
- Fake follow-through: after contact, keep the paddle moving in another direction. Your opponent reads the end of the motion and guesses wrong.
- Similar speed: a backspin and a no-spin serve at the same speed are much harder to read.
What you cannot do is hide the ball with your body or free arm at contact. That is an illegal serve, and it is exactly what the rule is meant to stop. See table tennis serve rules.
Where to start
If you are learning, go in this order:
- Backspin serve: the most common and the safest.
- No-spin serve with the same motion as the backspin serve, to start varying.
- Sidespin serve, forehand, pendulum style.
- Combinations: side-backspin and side-topspin.
Frequently asked questions
How do you put spin on a ping pong serve?
Brush the ball instead of pushing it: underneath for backspin, behind and upward for topspin, and on the side for sidespin, with a short, fast motion.
Can you spin the ball on the toss?
No. The ball must be tossed without spin. Spin can only come from the paddle at contact.
What is the easiest spin serve?
The backspin serve, with an open paddle brushing under the ball.
Does rubber affect serve spin?
Yes. Smooth, grippy rubbers help you spin the ball, but brushing technique matters most.
How do I know if my serve has spin?
Use a ball with a visible mark and watch it rotate, or serve backspin onto the floor: if the ball comes back, there is plenty of spin.