Some shots live forever.
Some shots fade quietly.
And some — like the once-beloved aggressive slice — go out kicking and screaming.
But make no mistake:
The Slice Had a Good Run. And in 2025, It Finally Died.
If you've played long enough to love your slice, this might sting. You grew up with it. You won points with it. Maybe you even carved your identity around it. But the modern game is ruthless — and carbon-fiber paddles, evolving offense, and elite counters have pushed the slice off the court and onto life support.
This breakdown cuts through nostalgia and gets straight to what matters:
Why the slice is gone, and what real players are using instead.
Why the Slice Is Finished (At the Pro Level)
First, the reality check: this is a pro-level trend. If your buddy Harold at the YMCA can’t handle a slice… keep slicing him into retirement. But against real firepower?
The slice loses every time.
1. Carbon-Fiber Faces Changed Everything
Since 2021, raw CF paddles skyrocketed spin. Pros can now continue your slice and add even more spin back — whipping dipping topspin that lands at your feet.
2. Slice Returns? Dead.
If you return slice, your opponent just uses your spin to rip a heavy topspin ball that dips below the net or kicks deep with pace. No pros do it anymore. It’s a one-way ticket to being attacked first.
3. Slice Drops? Dead.
Backspin floats longer through the air. More time = returner reaches the kitchen early and punishes the fourth shot.
Even a perfect slice drop barely hurts anyone anymore.
4. Slice Dinks? Also Dead.
Open paddle face = zero threat.
Zane sees an exposed face and his eyes light up — because there's no chance you’re attacking from that position.
So What Do You Do Instead? (The Actual Answer)
The good news? Modern alternatives are not only stronger — they’re simpler.
Option 1: Topspin. Always.
If you have time to set up a slice, then you have time to set up topspin.
Zane puts it bluntly:
“If I have the choice between slice and topspin, it’s topspin 100% of the time.”
More spin =
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lower dipping trajectory
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harder pace without fear of sailing long
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immediate pressure on your opponent
It's the evolution of the sport.
Option 2: The Flat Bump
Not enough time? Under pressure?
Hit the neutral bump — a flat, non-spinning touch that removes float and keeps the ball honest.
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More accurate
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Less time in the air
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Harder for opponents to attack using your spin
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Still gives you control of the rally
This is especially lethal in the dink game. Prepare below the ball, not above. Now you can disguise:
Dink or speed-up.
Drop or rip.
Lift or attack.
If your prep looks the same, your opponent has no clue.
If you prepare with an open paddle face?
They know you can’t hurt them — and they move in to crush you.
Bottom Line
The game changed.
The technology changed.
The pace changed.
And the slice couldn't keep up.
If you’re still relying on aggressive slices, you’re living in the past.
Topspin is the new standard. The flat bump is the new safe zone.
And preparation below the ball is the foundation of both.
Ready to evolve?
Zane’s full topspin tutorial is waiting for you.
