Serving Strategy

[Bryce]

Any serving strategy that might help me in my game?

 

[YosuaYosan]

First of all :
Serve from the left side of the table (for the right hand players) !
It enables you to have a good ready position after you serve.. This is why most pros serve from the left side of the table..

I only serve from the right side to unleash my mega-wide serve to steal one or two point a set

 

[dici]

Keep do variation of serves, don't use only one or two kind serves for entire set of games.

And also know your own serve. Right now I have a huge problem on this because I don't have a decent practice partner to return my serve.

 

[poltery]

how about if ur does a 90-10 position in the table i will most likely use a super underspin serve at the left most corner close to the net

 

[Bryce]

Being right-handed, i always stand at the left side of the table. Any tips to make my serve lower? Cause when i try to vary it to side-spin, the opponent flicks it. So i only do under-spin serves. Help?

 

[azlan]

Short side spin is only asking for trouble, it should have a combo of under spin as well(hitting the ball at 7o'clock). And to avoid your opponents flicking, keep it low and spin it harder.

 

[Dan]

I have been told, the ultimate strategy is to vary your serves, disguise them by making the contact look the same as each serve.

- Ball placement is vital. Try serving ball so that the second bounce reaches the white line of the table. The player will not know whether to recevie with a push or top spin. In return you shouuld get a long ball / or weak return.

- Try serving to the middle of the table short into the opponents cross over (elbow). Opponent is'nt to sure whether to use his backhand or forhand, thus creating a weak receive.

Look in this thread for more tips http://www.tabletennisdaily.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?537-Video-Service-practice&highlight=serving

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

To keep the ball low, it helps to get low. If you are contacting the ball at a point that is higher than you want it to go, it will bounce higher than you want. Placing something over the net so that you only have a small window between the net and what is above it and practicing getting the serve between the net and the obstacle forces you to keep the serve low. This is a video that shows what I mean.

There are other videos that show people who have set something up so you do not need someone holding the racket over the net. But notice the hight of the contact point for Liu, Ma and Wang. They all contact the ball pretty low.

If you are serving from the backhand side of the table and using pendulum type serves, every so often giving a no-spin or topspin serve short to the deep forehand gives you and easy setup as long as the no-spin or topspin look like underspin. Mixing things up so you are serving long with wide angles to both sides, and at the crossing point, and short to the crossing point, and to the deep forehand and backhand but not giving easy serves where the ball is not long or short, will keep your opponent guessing where the ball will go next. But it is worth having an idea where your opponent will put your serve back so you are thinking two moves ahead and can respond to what your opponent does more effectively.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Another good drill is to place a small object on the table where you want your ball to land and keep trying to hit it. That won't keep the ball low but it helps control placement.

 

[olvarox]

Use a pendulum serve. You can execute about 10 different services with pendulum with your opponent only knowing which way the ball is going to go and what spin it will have at the last fraction of a second...

 

[Bryce]

I know Ma Long does short side-under and dead ball services with the last bounce on the white line which is relatively hard. I'll try that Dan. Btw, where do i brush the ball to achieve side-under spin? And i thought you can achieve only side,under and top spin services with Pendulum? Any other types of services with the ability to vary it easily? Thanks for your help!

 

[azlan]

Dude....read my post above to get your side under spin, and the best way is get it is by doing the pendulum serve (as mentioned by Alvarox & Carl)....sigh

 

[Bryce]

Ok.. Thanks.