KS4 · Physical education · Year 11
Topspin attack
Net and wall games: teaching others tactics and strategies in table tennis
Learn it. Recall it. Make it stick.
IllumED Slides
IllumED · 1/9
Your learning goal
I can apply topspin to attack.
1 of 9
Topspin attack: slides adapted from the imported teaching text; recall questions created from its keywords, learning points and common mistakes. Self-check practice, with no automatic grading or XP. Answers stay on this page and are cleared when you leave.
What you’ll learn
I can apply topspin to attack.
Key learning points
- Move: hitting up the back of the ball, from low to high, applies topspin.
- Think: hitting the ball with topspin to the back corner of the table makes it harder for your opponent to return it.
- Feel: practicing hitting topspin with accuracy builds confidence and resilience.
- Connect: showing kindness when feeding allows others to feel confident at trying new skills.
Words to know
- topspin
- a spin where the ball rotates forward, causing it to dip and bounce higher
- forehand
- a stroke where you hit the ball with the front side of your racket, using your dominant hand
- backhand
- a stroke where you hit the ball with the back side of your racket, using your non-dominant hand
Common mistakes
Pupils think they should hit the ball with a flat racket face to generate topspin.
To create topspin, you need to angle the racket slightly downward and brush up the back of the ball.
For parents, carers and teachers
- Be aware as pupils become more competent hitting with topspin as the balls are more likely to fly off the table, therfore it would be useful if there was a wall (at a safe distance) behind so pupils do not spend the whole lesson chasing balls around the room.