How to hit topspin in table tennis
Topspin — the loop — is the shot that separates a rally you control from one you're chasing. Brush up and over the back of the ball with a low-to-high swing, and the spin you generate makes the ball dip down onto the table even when it's hit hard, which is why the loop is the standard attacking shot at every level above complete beginner.
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What topspin actually does to the ball
Every shot in table tennis is a trade-off between speed and safety, and topspin is what lets you take both. When the ball leaves your racket spinning forward — the top of the ball rotating away from you — it interacts with the air to curve downward mid-flight, and it grips the table on the bounce and kicks forward and up. That means you can swing hard, aim well over the net, and still watch the ball drop back down onto the table instead of sailing long. Flat, spin-free hitting doesn't have that safety margin, which is why almost nobody rallies with flat shots past beginner level.
The trade the other way is control on the return: a heavy topspin ball comes off your opponent's racket faster and lower than it left yours, and if they don't adjust their racket angle it flies off the end of their blade. Learning to loop is therefore also learning to read and return loops — the two skills develop together.
Forehand loop, step by step
- Turn your shoulders and hips away from the table as the ball approaches, dropping your racket below the height you intend to make contact at — the swing needs room to travel upward.
- Bend your knees and shift your weight onto your back foot; the loop is generated by uncoiling your legs and trunk, not by arm speed alone.
- Start the swing low, near table height or just below it, and accelerate the racket forward and upward in one motion.
- Make contact on the rising or top of the bounce, brushing the back of the ball with a thin, glancing touch rather than hitting through it flat.
- Follow through up and across your body, finishing near your opposite shoulder, and rotate your weight forward onto your front foot as you do.
The single biggest technical difference between a beginner's loop and an intermediate player's is contact quality: a thin brushing contact that grazes the ball generates far more rotation than a thicker contact that also drives the ball forward. If your loops go long, you're most likely hitting through the ball instead of brushing over it.
Backhand loop
The backhand loop uses the same brushing contact and low-to-high path as the forehand, but with far less room to turn your shoulders and far less involvement from your legs, since the ball is closer to your body on that side. Most of the power comes from your forearm and wrist snapping upward through contact, with your elbow staying roughly fixed as a pivot point rather than swinging wide.
Modern backhand loop technique, especially with the reverse penholder or shakehand grip, adds a rotation of the waist into the shot even on the backhand side — it's a smaller motion than the forehand's full hip turn, but it's not purely an arm shot either. Beginners often try to generate backhand topspin from the wrist alone, which produces spin but very little pace; adding even a small amount of waist rotation changes both.
Contact point and footwork
| Element | What to aim for | Common error |
|---|---|---|
| Contact timing | Rising ball or top of the bounce | Waiting too long and looping the ball on the drop, which kills pace |
| Contact point | Slightly in front of your body, comfortable arm extension | Contacting too close to the body, cramping the swing |
| Footwork | Small adjustment step to get side-on before the swing starts | Reaching with the arm instead of moving the feet |
| Weight transfer | Back foot to front foot through the swing | Staying flat-footed, generating spin from the arm alone |
Footwork matters more for the loop than for almost any other shot, because the swing needs a stable, side-on base to generate rotation from the legs and hips rather than the arm alone. A single small adjustment step — moving your back foot slightly to get side-on to the ball — is usually enough; players rarely need a big lunge unless the ball is played wide.
Common mistakes
- Swinging flat through the ball instead of brushing up and over it — this produces speed without spin, and the ball flies long.
- Dropping the racket too late, leaving no room to accelerate upward through contact.
- Standing square to the table instead of turning side-on, which removes the hips and legs from the shot entirely.
- Rushing the follow-through and stopping the swing right at contact, which caps both spin and pace.
- Trying to loop every ball as hard as possible — a slower, heavier-spin loop that lands short and low is often harder to attack than a fast, flatter one.
If your loops consistently sail past the end of the table, the fix is almost always contact quality, not aim — brush thinner across the back of the ball rather than trying to hit it lower or softer.
Drills to build a reliable loop
- Shadow swings without a ball — ten to fifteen slow-motion loops focusing purely on the low-to-high path and weight transfer, done in front of a mirror if you have one.
- Multiball or feed practice — a coach or partner feeds the same ball to the same spot repeatedly so you can groove the swing without worrying about return placement.
- Loop against block — a partner blocks your loop back flat and short, and you loop again; this builds the habit of looping consecutively rather than as a single finishing shot.
- Loop against backspin — practising against a pushed or chopped ball specifically, since lifting a backspin ball into topspin needs a lower starting position and a longer upward brush than looping a topspin ball does.
- Random direction drill — once the stroke is consistent, have a partner vary the placement so you're moving your feet to set up the same swing from different positions.
A wall or a practice robot is a reasonable substitute for a partner on the shadow-swing and multiball stages, though nothing replaces live-ball drilling once you're grooving direction and consistency against a moving target.
Where to practise
A loop needs repetition against a real partner to become reliable under pressure — find an open table or a club session near you in London, New York or Sydney on League of Spin's map and put the drill into a real rally.
Frequently asked questions
What is topspin in table tennis?
Topspin is forward rotation put on the ball by brushing up and over its back with a low-to-high racket swing. It makes the ball dip down onto the table in flight and kick forward on the bounce, which lets you hit harder while still keeping the ball on the table.
How do I generate more topspin?
Brush thinner across the back of the ball rather than hitting through it flat, accelerate the racket from low to high, and use your legs and hips to drive the swing rather than your arm alone.
Why does my topspin loop go long?
Almost always contact quality — you're hitting through the ball rather than brushing over it. A thinner, more glancing contact generates more spin and less raw forward speed, keeping the ball on the table.
What's the difference between a forehand and backhand loop?
The forehand loop draws power from a full shoulder and hip turn with the legs uncoiling through contact. The backhand loop uses a smaller motion, driven mostly by the forearm and wrist with some waist rotation, since there's less room to turn on that side.
Can I practise topspin without a partner?
Shadow swings and a practice robot or wall build the stroke shape and timing on your own, but grooving direction and consistency under real conditions needs live-ball drilling with a partner.
Is topspin harder to learn than backspin?
Most beginners find backspin (the push) easier to control first, since it's a shorter, simpler motion. Topspin takes longer to groove because it depends on a full low-to-high swing and weight transfer, but it's the shot that unlocks attacking play.
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