Reverse pendulum vs hook

[ShaunXChen]

I see a lot of players using the reverse pendulum serve but i personally perfer the hook serve, both have same spin variations so im wondering what the difference is?

 

[ajtatosmano2]

With the hook it's much easier to impart heavy spin on serves to the long BH especially, quite easy to do it deceptively as well. Reverse pendulum to the middle or short FH area, I think it's easier to control it short, so better against stronger players for me.
I think the effectiveness doesn't just rely on the quality of the serve, the opponents might receive differently the two, even it has the same spin. I sometimes switch up the flair of my normal pendulum serve and people start to blunder or overthink it.

 

[lightspin]

Some people have trouble reading one serve versus the other. Some people serve one much better than the other. I think at the highest levels the reverse has more spin on short serves but the hook is easier to control. The hook is also easier to hide contact and cheat which is an important aspect for some.

 

[blahness]

Hook serve has more spin variations and deceptive fake movements. For eg with hook serve you can serve with 'reverse sidespin' to what people normally expect. You can also do pure no spin/backspin without much sidespin if you so wanted. And fast long is nastier than reverse pendulum. There is a lot of flexibility in it. Hook serves is also easier to execute (no unnatural body positions required) and also recover from (because you use the full grip already).

 

[suds79]

They're the same type of spin.

Me personally I find I can get more spin on my reverse pendulum serve. I find hiding the serve easier with the hook serve and I find the no-spin version of the serve easier to disguise.

I think it's handy to be able to do both. You never know when you run into someone who handles one type of serve better or worse than another.

I will say, and it took me a long time to develop because it's not easy, I find whenever I play someone who does a reverse pendulum serve, I am ready to attack it because there is a 99% chance that serve is side/top all day and you get to attack it right away. I can count on my hand how many players I've ever encountered with a side/back (and good amount of back) reverse pendulum serve. They are so incredibly rare from what I've seen. No matter what serve you do, if you don't have variations of it, then it's just not a good serve as your opponent will adjust quickly.

 

[chandyrandy]

They're the same type of spin.

Me personally I find I can get more spin on my reverse pendulum serve. I find hiding the serve easier with the hook serve and I find the no-spin version of the serve easier to disguise.

I think it's handy to be able to do both. You never know when you run into someone who handles one type of serve better or worse than another.

I will say, and it took me a long time to develop because it's not easy, I find whenever I play someone who does a reverse pendulum serve, I am ready to attack it because there is a 99% chance that serve is side/top all day and you get to attack it right away. I can count on my hand how many players I've ever encountered with a side/back (and good amount of back) reverse pendulum serve. They are so incredibly rare from what I've seen. No matter what serve you do, if you don't have variations of it, then it's just not a good serve as your opponent will adjust quickly.

yea real, ive only experienced high level players being able to put any significant backspin on a reverse, but when they can it makes reverse much stronger to deal with than hook imo

 

[TenPercentWinRate]

Yeah, reverse pendulum with side backspin is hard.

Especially since without a noticeable push downwards with your body (ie see Timo’s serve), it’s really hard to contact the bottom of the ball. For me, I found that I mentally tell myself to angle my bat similar to a ghost serve.

I have no idea how to serve hook though.

Another interesting thing is that people who tend to use reverse pendulum backspin exclusively (like Lin Gaoyuan) seem to do it for a backhand flick setup, whilst for hook backspin it’s more for a counterloop.

 

[songdavid98]

I see a lot of players using the reverse pendulum serve but i personally perfer the hook serve, both have same spin variations so im wondering what the difference is?

View attachment 41579

Difference muscles involved (and requirements).

You see short pre-teen kids doing hook serves.
I don't see short players doing reverse pendulum.
And I see banana flickers doing reverse pendulum.

This starts to explain the pattern.
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You don't have to be TALL to do a reverse pendulum, but being too short makes it very uncomfortable (high elbow required)
Why do reverse pendulum anyways?
The muscle movements is quite similar to banana flicking. So if you've done physical training for banana flick, your reverse pendulum serve benefits too.
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Hook serves are famous for being illegally hidden; they benefit from being close to their head or shoulder.
When you are too tall, putting your head/shoulder to net height becomes uncomfortable.
Also, by mostly relying on deception, hook serves don't rely on heavy spin, so muscular strength is not the focus.
Therefore hook serves are better suited for shorter kids and teens to use.

 

[Lula]

I personally think that almost all hook serves are borderline illegal with throwing the ball back and hiding it while reverse pendelum often are more okey. I think the serves are pretty similar and more subjective which one a player prefer. Feel like i have a harder time reading the hook serve than reverse pendelum.

 

[Tyce]

I personally think that almost all hook serves are borderline illegal with throwing the ball back and hiding it while reverse pendelum often are more okey. I think the serves are pretty similar and more subjective which one a player prefer. Feel like i have a harder time reading the hook serve than reverse pendelum.

That's quite subjective. I see plenty reverse pendulum serves done so close to the body, turning into the table for contact. Just as much throwing the ball towards the player, and hiding it.
The problem is usually with the player, not the particular serve.