🔄 A backward spin 🔄 To spin backward

to underspin

7.6

To hit a ball so it turns backwards and bounces low

verb
/ˈʌndərˌspɪn/

Jargon

: dar retroceso

In table tennis, beginners often struggle to underspin their serves effectively.

Examples

The player underspun the serve perfectly.
He underspins the ball to keep it low.
The tennis player learned to underspin the ball to make it bounce lower on the opponent's side.
He managed to underspin the shot, causing the ball to drop just over the net.
The tennis player learned to underspin the ball to make it bounce lower on the opponent's side.
In table tennis, beginners often struggle to underspin their serves effectively.
He managed to underspin the shot, causing the ball to drop just over the net.

Surface Forms

underspin infinitive

underspinning present participle

underspins third person singular

underspun past

underspun past participle

Morphology

underspin = spin (semi-transparent) = under + spin

The prefix 'under-' suggests a downward or lesser degree, but the specific meaning of a backward spin is specialized.

Etymology

To underspin a ball is to hit it so it spins backward and drops low. The verb comes from under 'below' and spin 'turn', so the name pictures a spin that works 'under' the ball to make it fall.