Need help in serve receive

This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Feb 2016
47
24
113
Hello good people, recently i faced some problems in receive serve from new player in tournament & also in practice matches. I started play table tennis about a year ago. Most of the time, I miss the long serves. I don't understand that my opponent is going to serve short or long. I know you will suggest me to do practice receiving with a partner but i already tried. So, Now here is my questions.

1. I'm forehand dominating player. Where & how far should I stand from the table ?

2. What should be my mindset or what should I think before receive ?

3. In receiving practice, what is the better option to tell the partner that do the same serve again n again or randomize serves ?

4. In tournament, what should I do if I failed to read the serves ?


Thanks in advance.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: FloKing
This user has no status.
1. Generally speaking you want to stay as far into your backhand side as you can while still being able to reach long fast serves that go into your forehand side. How close you stand depends somewhat on your technique, maybe also your height, but you want to be able to reach a short serve with one large step (weight balance transfer, hit and go back to initial stance). If you answer with block/counters you could stand a notch closer, if you mostly loop into the serve you could stand a bit further away. It's never to be underestimated how standing further away gives you more time to react.

2. I personally always prepare to answer a long serve to my backhand. Depending on the amount of top-/backspin I will loop or counter. If it's a fast long serve and it doesn't go into my backhand, I instinctively know what to do with my forehand. If it's not fast, you will have enough time anyway.

3. Well that depends on what you want to work on, doesn't it? Do you want to work on your ability to read spin or do you want to improve your mechanics, your muscle memory?

4. You're screwed. J/k :p Either gamble and go all in or try to be more passive and careful in your response and pray that your opponent is tired and doesn't exploit your passiveness.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hridoy and Suga D
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
May 2014
97
63
169
For me, if I am unsure what is on a serve... it all depends on its placement. If it's short and I'm not sure... I usually try to push fast and long, putting enough backspin on to try and counter potential top spin. If it's long and I don't know what's on it, I usually take it a fraction later and spin the ball hard and positive. Usually, if you are positive enough with your shot, you'll be ok. If you're half hearted, that's where you'll have problems.

For me, I play three quarter table as my forehand. I leave the whole forehand side and a quarter of the backhand side to my forehand. Having said that, I'm fairly confident I can reach quick serves to my forehand, therefore I feel confident enough to give a little more of the table up.

When receiving serves from practice.... I would suggest as random as possible with spin, as that's what you're struggling with. Keep your partner varying the spin so you can begin to look at how the ball reacts off the table when spun differently. You may also be able to generate a really positive flick of topspin drive that can counter most serves at local league level, no matter what their spin. As I said, be positive! Someone who returns serves with positivity is one of my nightmares! As a server, you lose a little confidence in your serve when someone is confident in their returns.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
Well-Known Member
Sep 2011
12,822
13,211
30,390
Read 27 reviews
We talk about this frequently.

Basically, if you cannot read the pace, spin, depth, height, and break of a serve, you are dead meat. There is no getting around this. We all struggle to a large or larger degree in receive.

We can discuss the clues to look for, and we often do, but again, unless you are good enough to read the clues a decicively act without thinking, you are jamming your foot inside your mouth every time.

That is frank talk, but true. It applies to me... and everyone too.

It is simple to say that as we read and see the ball better, our level goes up. That is true. You could also learn to serve great, that will help SOME, at least enough to understand what is going on.

Unless you are a good natural dude in seeing what is on the ball, it will take a LOT of work. Many go about it without a clue. If you learn the clues and practice receive a lot, you will improve.

That is way over-simplified, but what is needed.

I am not willing to write a manifesto on serve/serve receive every time this subject comes up... I have done that many times. Search.

I say what I say to make you, and any lurkers or members understand a good starting point and direction to work from.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Jan 2016
469
738
1,403
We talk about this frequently.

Basically, if you cannot read the pace, spin, depth, height, and break of a serve, you are dead meat. There is no getting around this. We all struggle to a large or larger degree in receive.

We can discuss the clues to look for, and we often do, but again, unless you are good enough to read the clues a decicively act without thinking, you are jamming your foot inside your mouth every time.

That is frank talk, but true. It applies to me... and everyone too.

It is simple to say that as we read and see the ball better, our level goes up. That is true. You could also learn to serve great, that will help SOME, at least enough to understand what is going on.

Unless you are a good natural dude in seeing what is on the ball, it will take a LOT of work. Many go about it without a clue. If you learn the clues and practice receive a lot, you will improve.

That is way over-simplified, but what is needed.

I am not willing to write a manifesto on serve/serve receive every time this subject comes up... I have done that many times. Search.

I say what I say to make you, and any lurkers or members understand a good starting point and direction to work from.

I agree with Der_Echte

It's not that simple and not easy to train for. Even players who have been playing for years will sometimes mess up returning long serves. Not only that, it depends on how good of a server your opponent is, so it's not just you.

You say you've only been playing for a year, so the best advice is to simply keep playing. Maybe 2 years into the future, and you will laugh at yourself for asking something so simple and innocent.

Stand as far as you can towards your backhand, but not so far that you can't return the serves far to your forehand.

You mindset should be expecting long serves.

You should practice returning the same serves over and over again, until you are comfortable. Then start receiving random serves.

If you fail to receive serves, find the reason why and fix it in the middle of the match. If you can't do that, you will lose.
 
so your problem is anticipation. it comes down to repetition of random service against you really. as you practice more, you will be begin to see the arc or curve of the ball if it is short or long. that is the thing that you need to constantly observe while also practicing stepping forward and backward from the table. I would say you should be about 2 feet away from the table while bending over (stomach distance to the table) but if you are taller you might need to step back a little bit
 
  • Like
Reactions: fais
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Jul 2015
1,716
1,986
6,397
Read 1 reviews
If you can't read the spin, let the ball drop and try to spin it as heavy as possible. There is a chance that your spin will override whatever is on the ball and it will land on the table.

As for practice, I think that solid footwork and strokes are important prerequisites. Drills like two (or three) point FH, FH random from 2/3 of the table are your best friends. It takes a lot of time to develop good footwork. Only then deliberate service return practice will be helpful. Leg strength is vital for all-FH play, so it makes sense to dedicate some time for physical training (there is a thread on that).

 
Last edited:
This user has no status.
You also have more time then you realize. Don't rush it. Learning to move at varying paces without tripping yourself is an integral to every sport -to understand the rhythm and move accordingly.

How you anticipate/prepare for a service also matters. When the opponent is serving, you should be ready for a fast/long serve first. These give you the least amount of prep time so you should be ready for it in advance. If it isn't a long/fast serve, prepare then for a short/close to the net serve, as this requires time and adjustment to reach the ball and return it. Finally, if it's neither of those two, then you prepare for a middle of the table serve, identify if it is long enough to kill or not.

This is also why you won't see pros get caught of guard with deep/fast serves as they will instinctively attack it.

I've also noticed that the faster you can perform your return stroke (speed, control and form), the more time you have to read the serve.
 
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
Well-Known Member
Sep 2011
12,822
13,211
30,390
Read 27 reviews
A counter intuitive way when facing unknow is to take a step to the ball and impact off the bounce with ~ very loose hand. At least you will be in position to make a play and you can see the ball better. It helps you make a bette4 habit for later. Spin bites less right off the bounce.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Jan 2016
4,021
4,580
19,083
A counter intuitive way when facing unknow is to take a step to the ball and impact off the bounce with ~ very loose hand. At least you will be in position to make a play and you can see the ball better. It helps you make a bette4 habit for later. Spin bites less right off the bounce.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

actually, especially when i'm facing stronger players, i do that a lot. when receiving short serves i always tell myself to take the ball as soon as i can. usually i have much better control to do either stop receive or agressive long push, (or more rarely the flick).

When i do so, even when my return is not so good, like a little bit high, i see rarely those players trying to attack that ball hard, because by receiving quickly, im putting time pressure on them so they maybe don't want to try a risky shot, OR maybe there MIGHT be some good spin on that receive (from their own serve) and they are hesitant. For those who try to attack, i can see their error rate is going up when i receive early.

So definitely its important and my receive game against short serves has really improved in the last months. The other point is that if you are quick to receive, you need to be quick to recover as well because you're going to the ball, so losing a bit your balance, there is an extra effort to make to come back. i was losing a lot of points on that before, but been working on that and its showing good improvement
 
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
Well-Known Member
Sep 2011
12,822
13,211
30,390
Read 27 reviews
What Takkyu describes is a very under-discussed progression.

You improve your reaction or response to something, yet you create a need to get back into position and balance real quick, or you open up an opponent's easy way to get you into a tight crack. It is a huge problem as we improve. WE DISCOVER MORE STUFF we need to improve as we get better. It is like we realize we never comprehended how much we didn't know each time we progress (and subsequently regress - then overcome)
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Sep 2013
7,259
6,226
15,296
Read 3 reviews
like some of the above said
its the reading of the spin, not how you stand

I see lots of beginners who all try and have the same stance as a world champion and stand on the far backhand corner.
I would suggest for you to start more towards the middle and focus on reading the spin and not trying to look like a pro
Get someone to continue serving 1 hour to you, and practice service return for 1 hour a day. Don't do anything else
 
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
Well-Known Member
Sep 2011
12,822
13,211
30,390
Read 27 reviews
Der_Echtes basic receive stance and positioning is ashamedly much like Tony describes. I will never become an elite amature, but damn if I don't get a fair chance to see the ball on receive.

Now if I could only receive as well as I write.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: OldschoolPenholder
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
May 2015
3,238
3,924
27,424
Read 5 reviews


3. In receiving practice, what is the better option to tell the partner that do the same serve again n again or randomize serves?

Thanks in advance.

I think Sanavasaraja responded to this point already pretty good, but i felt the need to explain a little more.

From my point of view it makes sense to first learn to read the spin and get familiar with it.

As Baal and Carl have written recently: you have to learn to crawl before you learn to walk.

So in my book i would let the server at first do the same serves over and over until you feel comfortable returning it.
And only when you got it i would move on and let the server do variations, 'cause if you start with variations you're makin' it too complicated for yourself. Probably you also would adapt after a while, but i think the other way will get you better results sooner.
 
Last edited:
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Sep 2013
7,259
6,226
15,296
Read 3 reviews
1) practice a fix routine of serves, this means you know what is coming your way.
2) practice a random routine of 2 serves. ie, under spin and no spin or top spin, this means you know whats coming your way, but you need to practice reading the spin/wrist

while doing the above, learn the basic service return shots:
- bh flick
- bh drive/block
- bh chop short/long
- fh flick
- fh drive/block
- fh chop short/long

3. serve gets more creative:
- high toss, medium toss, low toss
- normal spin, reverse spin
- any other types of spin that you struggle with

4. in tournaments, record your match and make sure your camera angle can see the opponents wrist position when serving.
Go back and watch the video and learn from it and see how you read the spin
 
Top