If you want to win there’s no better way than developing your table tennis serve
I am often asked about my table tennis serve! but the most important table tennis shot in table tennis is the first shot. The answer is yes, the service is the most important shot alongside your return. Statistically speaking the most important shot is the first shot. Both serve and return are as important as each other the difference between them is when you serve you are in full control. You can dictate what spin speed or placement you require
How do you serve like that?
There is no magic (I often reply) and with some invested time you can also have wonderful service’s.
Like everything in life, if you desire something worthwhile having; YOU MUST WORK FOR IT! You will need to train and be willing to open your mind in order to possess high-quality service’s. I was and still am fascinated by serves, hence why I spent hundreds of hours and thousands of balls perfecting my serve.
Full control of the most important table tennis shot
When you serve you have full control over the power, speed and spin. This gives you the opportunity to potentially be given a weak or missed return. Good Serve’s apply added pressure on your opposition and gives you an upper hand throughout the match.
If you want a good serve, you have to be willing to practice over and over, again and again. In due time you will notice an increase in the amount of spin and your ball placement variation will be even more precise.
You must experiment with different hand movements, before, during and after the point of contact. By using your imagination or watching other world class TT players, you will learn many service variations.
3 key facts to improve your serve:
1. Placement – Three short and three half – long/half serves (down the line, mid-table and crosscourt)
2. Spin – Impart spin by whipping your forearm and wrist just before the point of contact. Try to have a fast movement with a light or thin or contact on the ball. try to maximise your arm speed but please remember the contact on the ball must be as thin as possible. The faster your hand movement is and the lighter the contact on the ball the more spin you will create.
3. Deception – Like magic, you must create an illusion to make your opponent think and see something different to what has actually happened. Simply put, when imparting a backspin serve – quickly move your bat in an upward motion after the point of contact. Make sure the after movement is done as quickly as possible in order to make the service look like topspin, when in fact it was backspin. There are thousands of variations which can be explored, so experiment and use your imagination.
Watch, learn, experiment… Service tutorial, click here
Written by Eli Baraty