Hi Martink,
Good question and I also have similar problems at times in this department. A couple of tips you can try that have helped me and players I’ve worked with is giving yourself a bit of space from the table before contacting the ball. This allows you to judge the depth and gives you more time to prepare for your shot. If the ball comes short, you can still step in for the backhand flick or push.
It’s important to focus on contacting the ball at its highest point, this is key, to early or to late and you can start to misjudge the spin and length.
Another tip is to open the bat face slightly to give you more surface area when you contact the ball. This will allow you to cope with the backspin on the ball. If there is sidespin, try to direct the ball in the opposite direction of the spin and going forward into the shot.
When you try the short topspin shot that you mentioned try to accelerate more on this ball. Often when you are tentative in the stroke you don’t fully release the wrist in front to generate enough topspin, which makes the shot safe.
If you are able to post a video in this topic that would be great, Myself and Tom can provide further feedback but in the meantime I hope these tips help.
