Hiding your serve

David Kirkpatrick Asked 2 weeks ago

Has the serve changed can u hide it now.  In my Day u clearly had to show in palm of your hand.

Alois Rosario Answered 1 week ago

G'day David,

Great question about the evolution of serving rules in table tennis. The rules regarding serves have seen some changes over the years, especially concerning the visibility of the ball.

As per the current rules enforced by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), when serving, the ball must be stationary and resting freely on the open palm of the server's stationary free hand before it is projected upwards. The purpose of this is to ensure fair play by preventing the server from hiding the ball with their body, arm, or clothing, which was a common tactic used to obscure the spin and trajectory of the serve.

So, in direct answer to your query, no, you cannot legally hide the serve now. The rules specifically aim to keep the serve visible to maintain fairness in the game. 

Hope that clears it up for you. If you have any more questions or need tips on serve techniques, feel free to reach out.