Serve in Table Tennis

Serving is crucial in the game of ping pong. As any seasoned ping-ponger knows, you can't win a match without a good serve. Read and follow these steps to learn how to serve.

Steps

  1. To serve legally, you first have have to hold the ball flat in your hand. This is so your opponent can see that you have the ball, but more so because this is the official rule. Actually, by having the ball flat in your hand you are not able to spin it. Also remember to toss the ball at least {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}-this is an official rule.
  2. Do not telegraph your serve. Hide your bat behind your body. Beginners should not serve too fancy, simply hit the ball over the net, on the table and in the correct area. Do not lose points by errors.
  3. Plan your serve to exploit your strengths and your opponent weaknesses.
    • Against an penholder, aim to the backhand side.
    • Against a shake hands grip, aim to the backhand side and the bat itself.
    • If your opponent is too close to the table, make a deep driving topspin.
    • If your opponent is far from the table, short in height or slow in moving, do a short serve. Beware of the greater angles of service return with short serves.
  4. Without having it bounce, throw the ball up and hit it with your paddle.
  5. Serve the ball and make it bounce before the net and after it.
  6. Once the serve is over, get ready for the return! You have the advantage of knowing the first spin and speed - your serve. Your opponent had a brief time to read the spin and is at a disadvantage. The service return can be narrowed down to certain lines of return and spins that can be imparted on the ball, you have the advantage. Get ready to keep your advantage and win the point.
    • Winning is not hitting hard or soft, using topspin or bottom spin, or playing offensively or defensively. Losing is acting without a purpose. Winning is exploiting the edge you have in serving and holding on to the edge. Your opponent will tire quicker, without an edge, and will most likely make more mistakes.
  7. When your opponent is playing emotionally, let him (or her) defeat himself. Smashing the ball continually is not the best plan of action, the best plan of action is the one that helps you win the game. Smashing may make your opponent feel better and that is about it. Table tennis is a physically and mentally demanding game.
  8. Later, when you get better, slice the ball or use some variation of spin and speed. Side spin makes the ball go in a different direction when it hits the table and more so when it hits the rubber on the paddle. Topspin and under spin serves makes to ball go longer or shorter and adds depth and a vertical element to your serves.
    • Use a topspin serve against an opponent who plays close to the table. The topspin tends to overshoot the table and will drive your opponent back. A fair number of your points will be from balls at the back edge of the table and some that clip the back edge of the table.
    • Use a bottom spin (the slice is an extreme bottom spin) on an opponent, who has mistakenly taken a receiving position too far away from the table, for a possible ace. Even if you do not ace the serve, your opponent will have to run forward, to return the bottom spin serve which tends to fall short and will be in an awkward position.
  9. Keep on trying, because you know what they say; practice makes perfect!
    • Practice a variety of serves - top, side, flat, top and side, bottom and side, short, long and to different parts of the table.
    • Serve with speed variations and rhythm variations. A type of rhythm variation is to serve, as soon as it is possible to do so, and you could score a couple aces this way or have an advantage by catching your opponent flat-footed. Generally, do not rely on trickery too much, it is not as effective as playing a solid but variable game.
    • Serve with accuracy by hitting targets on the table such as a coin.
    • Copy world class players: they disguise their serve by turning their body sidewards, they toss the ball fairly high for greater speed, they hold their paddle arm close to their body for greater strength and they play a fast-paced game.



Tips

  • Remember to throw the ball up at least 6". If you don't, it could be considered a foul and even cost you a point.
  • Mix and use double bluffs, that is position your body to indicate that you are going to do a particular serve or particular angled serve, but serve the other way
  • Don't forget to put different types of spin on the ball. Using topspin for one serve and backspin or side spin for the next will confuse your opponent and make your serve unpredictable, giving you a better chance of winning the match.
  • Use the full depth of the board and full width of the board ( for singles ), this will add a layer of doubt on your opponent
  • Pick your serve based on your partner's playing style - that is if you have an offensive partner, go for a fast, top spin serve, the return most probably will be a defensive chop - which you partner can smash
  • Always choose the side in which your opponent is weak. Being unpredictable is a good way to score points!

Warnings

  • Try not to hit it too soft, when you hit it over, because then you could get an extra hard return. Practice every possible serve for every possible situation, know the range of possible service returns for each serve and how you could react to the service return. In a few situations it is correct to hit a serve too soft such as in a "drop shot" type of serve, when your opponent is smashing every ball (it is impossible to return service a ball, at full force, if it is a short serve), as a ploy to slow down the tempo of a game or simply as a changeup (having a wide variety of serves).

Things You'll Need

  • A ball and a paddle.
  • A table tennis table.
  • An opponent.

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