Why don't Pro's just do serve that comes back to their side?

[TensorBackhand]

Today I played a guy who kept doing a underspin serve where the ball bounce very close to the net, and then after 1 bounce comes back to his side of the net. When he did it just right, I couldn't reach the ball and it was just automatic point. I imagine Pro players who dedicate their life should be able to do this serve with much more frequency.

Now on the men's side, most of the guys have good reach, so maybe it's not viable against them.

But on the women's side, there are a lot of small players like Mima Ito and Hirano Miu.

Why not just do this yoyo serve against these players and win every point on serve?

 

[Aizen]

Ghost serve is tend to slow, little bit higher, and easier to read (kinda obvious).

And pro’s anticipate better, move earlier, so it’s not that hard to step in and hit.

Also when receiver catches the ball, it’s an instant point because they can hit through to net or push back very low.

Of course, its still doable, ma lin was doing that but they need to trick opponent which may happen once or twice in a match.

Fast Low Double bounce serve >>> slow high return back serve

 

[Scarfed Garchomp]

To get the ball to bounce back towards/over the net, there cannot be a lot of forwards momentum, and there has to be a lot of backspin. Slow speed, predictable spin makes for a pretty unthreatening tactic

 

[TensorBackhand]

I'm not getting it. Mima Ito can't even reach the ball. The ball may be slow and unimpressive, but if you can't reach it you can't win the point.

 

[Cordell]

It's a very slow serve - if you see it coming, you can just run around to reach it. At most it would work once, in my opinion, and then the opponent would be ready.

 

[lodro]

when one actually tries to do this serve it will become blatantly obvious that this serve will be completely different and to the alert opponent this will be a giveaway.

The blade has to travel nearly vertical from under the table upwards to create the spin.
At the moment of impact with the ball i impart a wrist-flick so that when the ball bounces on the other side of the net it will "jump" side- wise right of the table.

 

[IB66]

A lot of the time a Pro's backspin serve will return back to the net, we just don't see this because their opponents don't 'air shot' a push return (completely miss the ball).

In general, I found that when learning serves, the 'ghost' serve was the hardest to master and consistently reproduce the serve 'at will', especially when trying to keep the ball's second bounce close to the net on the opponents side of the table. So it could be a pretty risky serve do perform under pressure.

If you add more height to the serve, you can make the ball bounce back over the net after the second bounce. but is this 'fair', in good 'sportsmanship' or good for the game? NO!! imagine watching a match where both players serve and the spin returns the ball into the net or back to their side of the table!!! you might as well just do the coin toss to decide the winner!!!

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

as you said, "when it just right"
you only get 2 serves.
so going to gamble 1 of them away all the time?

pros don't need to win points off serves or risk points off serves like that.

 

[NetProphet]

Trust me, if that worked as a tactic they would be already doing it.
And if it really worked because women are too small they'd end up playing on a shorter table with a lower net.
I'm more interested in why you weren't able to win every point against this serve. You say he kept doing it and winning every point.
Are you shorter than Mima Ito? 😂
Seriously tho, he should be doing that serve once more against you and then never again 😉

 

[pingpongpaddy]

Its not as simple as "learning how to do it"
when executing such a difficult skill the result is subject to :

1. variable conditions:- each time you are in a different venue - colder, or warmer, the ball will behave slightly differently, so in reality each time you play you have to 'practice' a little.
2. your own variable form, due to tension etc
3. by concentrating on making a "trick" shot you lose focus on the main responsibility of WINNING the overall match. Your team mates won't be happy!

 

[Aizen]

I don't think Even if you do perfectly every time, still its not feasible, easy to receive serve.

this may not be the good example because ball is too high but result won't be different,
this serve total advantage of receiver.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

​

the ghost serve is just for fun, impressing & mocking newbies.

if the balls were like 30mm rubber heavy, then it would be another story.

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

Today I played a guy who kept doing a underspin serve where the ball bounce very close to the net, and then after 1 bounce comes back to his side of the net. When he did it just right, I couldn't reach the ball and it was just automatic point. I imagine Pro players who dedicate their life should be able to do this serve with much more frequency.

Now on the men's side, most of the guys have good reach, so maybe it's not viable against them.

But on the women's side, there are a lot of small players like Mima Ito and Hirano Miu.

Why not just do this yoyo serve against these players and win every point on serve?

Pros adapt. Ghost serve are too one dimensional, it is easily read by pros. You may get one or two max points from pro players but that is all as they adapt easily; just like the Borg.

In Pro play, how often do you see pro take an ace from each other; very few. A super duper ace serve can only work so much against pro.

In the amateur circle; it is totally a whole different story.

 

[Gtsnake]

I've always thought about this too. If the serve is really close to the net and low it's almost impossible to attack. The only way to receive it is to punch chop and you have to really be on your toes to react instantly. For shorter players it's even more difficult since they will need to run around the side of the table.

I've seen Paralympics where they hit winners that drop just over the net and spin backwards. In a wheelchair those are impossible to receive. At that point its a waiting game to see who's the first one that can execute that shot and it's point over.

 

[Reaper]

you all only talk about the technical execution of the serve, in my oppinion it's just matter of fair play etiquette, nothing more

 

[IB66]

This is a link to one of Ma Lin's famous serves, which is not the shorter ghost serve, I'll post another link to a practice session showing his short high backspin 'Ghost' serve as well as some other variations.

 

[IB66]

This is Ma Lin's 'ghost' serve.

 

[IB66]

You can see from both of these clips that his serve action is almost identical, although the resulting spins and length of the serve can be different. and this is really the main point of good serving. you can set up the receiver to return in a certain way and then throw in a different variation that catches them out.

If your opponent has identified that a very short backspin serve to your FH is giving you issues, then they are going to cash in on this.
It's a tactic used a lot, even at pro level, combined with with variations, short no spin, short side backspin, half long, and fast long deep to the receivers wide BH, it keeps them guessing how much spin is actually on the ball and forces 'minor' errors, which can be capitalised on.

 

[ander999]

 

[IB66]

How boring would it be if every serve was like that by both players in a match!!!!!

 

[TensorBackhand]

How boring would it be if every serve was like that by both players in a match!!!!!

It doesnt even have to be that perfect. You can do it higher and slower. Mima Ito still cant reach it