A spinning motion that causes a ball to rotate backward, making it curve or slow down unexpectedly (used in sports like tennis, golf, and billiards).
Back + spin; both elements from Old English/Norse origins. The term became standard in sports terminology in the early 20th century as physics of ball games was better understood.
Professional tennis players have weaponized physics—backspin creates a high-pressure zone above the ball that makes it drop faster than gravity alone would, which is why a backspin shot lands so close to the net!
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