An Overview of Slice, Top Spin, and Flat Shots in Tennis

Based in Ithaca, New York, Keefe Gorman serves as a managing director at Merrill Lynch. When he is not providing Merrill Lynch clients with wealth management and investing strategies, Keefe Gorman enjoys playing golf and tennis.

There are three primary types of spin shots tennis players can make use of: slice shots, top spin shots, and flat shots.

To hit a slice shot, players must swing their rackets in a downward motion, slicing underneath the ball to create backspin. A slice shot typically moves over the court with a low trajectory and does not bounce very high, making it difficult for opponents to attack. Furthermore, slice shots travel slowly through the air, giving players time to regroup. All told, the slice is an effective defensive shot.

Top spin shots, meanwhile, are achieved by swinging upwards and hitting the ball with a slightly closed racket face. This causes the ball to spin forward at a rapid rate, creating a high arcing trajectory. The top spin helps players maintain control of their shots without sacrificing as much pace compared to a slice shot. On the first bounce, top spin shots jump forward, further amplifying both the offensive and defensive advantages of top spin and testing an opponent’s footwork and timing.

If a slice shot is primarily defensive and a top spin shot is a blend of control and aggression, flat shots are a purely offensive approach. By hitting the ball with a perfectly flat racket face, players impart little to no spin on the ball. This results in a high-paced shot with a flat arc. The lack of net clearance and spin reduces a player’s margin of error, but also puts added pressure on their opponent.