UPDATE: the game scores were
6,-7,-10, 5, 16, my loss.
I always found that if I get a serve that an opponent pops up or reads poorly, I no longer use that serve unless it's close to the end and I'm in need of a point. Varying the serves placement and speed throughout the game is the best option for levels 1700-2000ish. If you have enough variation in all your serves to not serve the same serve multiple times, they won't expect a repeat serve on the biggest point (the one that matters). Just keeping your opponent uncomfortable while doing serves that you're not only comfortable doing and placing, but also you must be comfortable with all the returns that come from the serve.
Actually, I think saving the serve for crucial points is kind of a waste of free points (unless you can surely win against your opponent). After all, being ahead due to free points can prevent those crucial situations from happening in the first place. I would serve something like that every 2-3 serves, but not all the time.
I do agree with you on variation. However, I disagree about the rating range. Only in the highest levels of game play, do people serve short all the time.
As for the community, under 2000, players usually don't have a strong short game. *HINT*
On the side note: If you can play super aggressively (FEAR NOTHING, ATTACK EVERYTHING FIRST), you can reach 2000 pretty quickly. I reached 2000 without any sort of blocking skill whatsoever.
I see that I am one of 5 to vote serve long.
My reasoning - serve long and start the attack.
At crucial times, first to attack tend to win the point
I know I served long, but looking back, short makes more sense.
If I were the opponent, I would be pretty afraid of the troublesome short one too. It probably explains why so many people voted for a short serve.
I've played many games where people would serve long to my backhand to get a free point, thinking my backhand is trash (I'm a lefty penholder, but my backhand is pretty above average). I would loop it fast, and the opponent would be sort of stunned, like "Jesus, he attacks with his backhand too?" Their game plan would have been ruined. I would then win a string of points
Uncomfortably hard to return short serves are fairly dangerous,
but a good long serve can crush someone's psychological game, IF YOU WIN THE POINT. You can gain momentum and start serving annoying short serves again, so that they have to deal with long and short annoying serves.
But this goes back to Shuki's point. I wasn't too familiar with the returning shot and lost the point.
