Topspin and slice are the terms used when the ball is made to spin by the racquet stroke in either a forward or backward direction
. These are terms that mot commonly used by the pros in the business, but please look below to find an explanation of what exactly these terms mean.
Spin - the most popular form of which is topspin is imparted on the ball when the racquet is brought from low to high up the back of the ball and over the top setting the ball spinning in a top forwards rotation. It allows the ball to be hit much higher over the net and the trajectory to be more arced bringing the ball down into the opponents court earlier and making it "Kick up" as the topspin is amplified by the ball impacting the court. The spin makes the ball "Pop" and more difficult to play. Most Clay court players use lots of topspin to make the ball kick higher on impact and force the opponent to play a higher bouncing ball which as we all know is not easy.
Slice - sometimes called backspin in when the ball is struck from beneath with a flat racquet stroke that continues low and parallel to the ground in the direction in which the ball is required to go. This has the tendency to set the ball spinning in reverse which keeps the ball on a flat or straight trajectory staying low. This is a great shot for grass courts or any court surface that "Takes" the ball and emphasising the backspin. The result is the ball stays very low and it is hard for the opponent to get under it and hit a responsive stroke. Grass courts players use lots of slice in shots and of course the result is often that the opponent cannot even get a racquet under the ball or the ball dies before being reached.
Slice and topspin are more easily generated with higher tension racquet strings but we caution you to read these articles highlighted as higher string tensions can cause tennis elbow.
Another clever way to impart more spin or slice is to use the open bed string pattern of a three string racquet such as the Mad Raq where the apertures in the string bed actually grip the ball like a gear wheel and spin is much more easily generated. The three string system also allows lower string tensions to be used.