So I suck at the forehand flick.

It's improved from not going on the table to going on the table but not much power. I was playing with the robot and I noticed I do considerably better with a tighter grip than I am usually playing with (it's quite loose) . It's mostly a consistency thing as timing seems to be extremely difficult to execute.

Any thoughts?

I have started to regularly practice topspin/no spin variants of my serves as my opponents caught up and adopted to my backspin serves so I am at a stage where I really need variety in order to get a chance for easy points, here is my pendulum topspin attempt:

Front view:
https://youtu.be/Q2d8SV6az9E

Side view:
https://youtu.be/uWiwBjlYAkY

In my mind I am just trying to hit the ball with the upper part of the rubber but I am unsure if I am actually getting it right and if such serve has any real topspin, I rarely get significant popups so a bit uncertain if I am on the right track, thank you for all the help.

Your serve mechanics are good, as they have been for a while.

The serve appears to be sidespin with maybe a slight hint of topspin. You'll probably need to lift your elbow slightly on the forward swing to get more topspin. Can I use your footage to make a ETTS video?

Please show us.

it's still uploading at the moment but it'll be here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBofv2Kwacc

Bonus forehand practice footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-6mn-tv-lQ

Sure, be my guest, looking forward to it!

Thank you for the fast feedback, lifting elbow slightly makes sense and I never played with that idea

Okay, the forehand topspin is amazing. There's serious torso rotation on those shots.

On the other hand, there's very little torso rotation on the flick. It means that you are using your arm unassisted and that decreases momentum and increases arm variance. The first thing you need to do is turn your hips back before stepping in for the shot. Can I use the footage to make an ETTS video?

As always feel free to ETTS my videos.

I feel the forehand ends a little high but yeah after week 62 it's a weapon.

The forehand flick is on week 3. It's really complex for me. Should the ball be flat? Top spin it? Over the table is a weak area of mine. I need to somehow break this shot down into easier practice bites. At least I'm stepping in with my foot in matches now.

Maybe you are too far from the ball? That one step in works for Brett, but I'm too short, I have to bring my feet together and then step in. In a match where you are receiving in your bh corner and a serve is way over in the short fh, you aren't going to get there with one step. Also I was coached to get my head down close to the ball and not have my arm at full extension like yours is in the video. Might be something to try out.

To serve a topspin serve which 'kicks' off the table is a good skill to have. I'll see if I can put it into a video.

Your serve mechanics are good, as they have been for a while.

The serve appears to be sidespin with maybe a slight hint of topspin. You'll probably need to lift your elbow slightly on the forward swing to get more topspin. Can I use your footage to make a ETTS video?

Just wondering: why do TTEdge tutorials emphasize the switch between side-top and side-back for deception? IMHO mostly sidespin and sidespin-backspin should be much easier to switch between without being noticed, especially if the server is not a World-class player. Sidespin-topspin appears to be more difficult to execute whilst keeping the motion similar.

I probably misunderstand something. My topspin serves do not work at all and pretty much anyone can distinguish between side-top and side-back very easily. Vey often when I go to a tournament and play my level, anyone can read my serves like an open book, so all I can do is to vary the degree of backspin. If I serve some junk (side, or side-top) I often get forced into a counterdriving rally that I hate. I will post a video tonight.