The Best Way To Practice With Your TopspinPro

Many players make the mistake of practicing with the TopspinPro and then head straight onto the court for a match. When they struggle to apply topspin effectively, they wonder why.

Like any skill, topspin must be practiced under progressively more demanding conditions before it can hold up in match play. The TopspinPro helps you isolate the technique in a controlled, static environment with no incoming ball, essentially the easiest possible scenario.

To make that skill more reliable, you need to gradually increase the difficulty and pressure, rather than going from a static ball on the TopspinPro straight into matchplay, the most pressured scenario.

The progressions below will help you bridge the gap between practicing on the TopspinPro and confidently using topspin in a match.

Stages of practice

As you progress through the stages, your technique and consistency will gradually improve. Remember, however, that mastering a stroke takes time and thousands of repetitions.

This is where many players become discouraged and give up. The reality of improving at tennis can feel daunting, but consistent practice will pay off. The article below explores this process in more detail.

Most importantly, keep going. The TopspinPro makes it easy to add those valuable extra repetitions and accelerate your progress!

STAGE 1 – Building Muscle Memory On The TopspinPro

This is the most important phase for building a foundation, and it’s crucial not to move past it without mastering the basic topspin shape.

Familiarize yourself with the TopspinPro before you start taking full swings with your racket.

Try rolling your hand up the back of the ball and then advance to your racket using a choked-up grip. If you can slowly move your strings up the back of the ball without touching the rest of the device, you have made a good start.

Keep the racket face parallel to the screens, like in the pictures below. If you are still struggling to strike the ball without touching any other part of the TopspinPro, then go back to using your hand, or a choked-up grip, and slow down the speed of the movement.

Your racket should travel in a windshield-wiper-shaped motion or like the hands of a clock (see below). Your hand stays at the center of the clock, and your racket moves around it:

If you are still struggling to make contact with the ball without hitting the TopspinPro, then here’s a video that can help. Make sure you don’t move on to stage 2 until you are consistently hitting topspin smoothly on the TopspinPro:

STAGE 2 – Static Hits With Ball

Once you feel you have built up enough muscle memory, you can move away from the TopspinPro and use a tennis ball. Start with drop feeds, and then have someone toss the ball for you.

• Drop Feeds – drop the ball for yourself. Ensure you drop it far enough in front of your body to reach your ideal contact point. If you drop too far back or to the side of your body, you will struggle to apply topspin. Expect the ball to go downwards into the net, to begin with; this is normal. Topspin makes the ball drop sooner than if it is hit flat. To counter this, ensure your swing finishes up high and that you begin with your racket below the ball. Try alternating one-on, one-off the TopspinPro to build muscle memory.
• Slow Fed Static Hits – have a friend, family member, or coach throw some slow balls right to you (so you can hit without moving your feet). This is harder than a drop feed, and you want to build your confidence here and be able to apply topspin to that incoming ball. Once you feel comfortable with this, ask your companion to feed the balls a little faster and from a little further back.

STAGE 3 – Adding In Movement

Once you reach this stage, you should be confident in consistently applying topspin to both incoming and static balls. If you are struggling under more pressure, then go back a stage or try using the TopspinPro in between sets to reinforce your technique.

• Slow Ball Feeds With Movement – have your partner send the ball away from you so that you have to move to make contact. Again, this increases the difficulty and pressure of the shot. Aim to get a good percentage of your shots over and in the court using topspin. 75-80% would be a good target to aim for before moving on to the stage 4 rallies.
• Faster Ball Feeds/Ball Machine – As above, but with a faster ball. A great way to practice this is with a ball machine. A ball machine can also give you a better consistency of feed at pace.

At this stage, using low-compression tennis balls can be especially helpful. They make it easier to see whether you’re generating topspin while giving you more time to maintain the correct swing shape as the pressure increases.

Watch this video for some more tips:

STAGE 4 – Rallying

This is the toughest stage of all. The variety of incoming balls now increases significantly. It requires extra footwork to adapt to the constant changes in the ball’s height, depth, and pace. You also have to change your own pace, placement, and spin levels on each shot you hit.

Here is where you want to spend the most practice time. Getting used to the larger variation of incoming balls takes time and repetition, so expect to struggle at first.  You might find some types of shots easier than others. Be aware of your contact point height. Many players tend to stand too close to the baseline, so the ball bounces high relative to their bodies. Stand back so most of the balls you hit drop to between hip and waist height, where it is easier to apply topspin.

To increase the difficulty, try rallying with targets or aim to control the ball into distinctive areas. This will improve your skills faster than just rallying down the middle. Alley rallies are a great way to build up consistency.

STAGE 5 – Practice Points

Once you are feeling solid with your rallies, it’s time to really put the topspin to the test. Try using your topspin to build points, especially be aware of your depth. Keep your swing lifting, so you are not dropping the ball short for your opponent to attack.

Try using your topspin to create angles and move your opponent around the court, both side-to-side and up and back. Don’t panic if you have a setback. At this point, your muscle memory should be fairly ingrained, so stay relaxed and trust your technique. If you are feeling rushed, take a couple of steps back in the court so you have more time to react to striking the ball.

STAGE 6 – Matchplay

The final and most rewarding phase – using it in a real game! By this point (so to speak!), you should be very comfortable hitting topspin. Any skill you take into a real game situation should be well practiced.

As in stage 5, trust your technique and muscle memory. Now it comes down to shot choice and decision-making. Use topspin to build points and try to force an error from your opponent. Don’t attempt to hit winners unless they’re easily available, and even then, you should always plan for one more shot! You’ll have both fulfilling and frustrating moments – it’s all part of the thrill of the game. If it doesn’t work out how you planned, see if you can figure out why, and then go back to more practice games in between your next match.

How To Keep Practicing With Your TopspinPro

Once you have reached the matchplay stage, it’s not time to put away your TopspinPro yet! There are plenty of ways you can keep developing as a player and use it as part of your regular practice routine. Check out this article for some more ideas:

If you want some extra inspiration or guided videos, you can also check out our Online Tennis Courses. Here is an example of some of the fitness drills you can do using the TopspinPro:

Summary – Don’t Rush The Process

Remember not to rush through this process. One of the most common things people say to me is that they “want to play against better players.” You can learn a lot from playing with more advanced players, but the downside is that they generally hit a faster ball with heavier spin. This means less time for you to react and get your shape right.

When trying to develop a specific skill like topspin, it’s best to build it up gradually. That way, your technique stays solid and doesn’t break down under pressure. Even the pros sometimes practice with drop feeds and slower hitters. Ironically, you’ll improve much faster this way and feel ready for the bigger moments!