Serving
In a video, Ma Lin is shown practicing a serve in which the ball rolls back towards the net after delivering a pendulum serve. I've been trying to execute this serve for a very long time, but it never rolls back. So can somebody please help me ? I really wanna learn this..
Hi Gaurav,
The idea is to have a lot of backspin and not much forward momentum on the ball.
The brushing action should be right under the ball and even coming under and up the front face of the ball a little.
You can practice getting the contact correct away from the table. Just find a piece of floor and see if you can get the ball to come back to you on the floor. Once you feel comfortable doing this then you can step up to the table and give it a try.
Here are two videos to help you:
A brief overview of what we'll cover in Serving Secrets series
Watch NowBecome a free member to post a comment about this question.
Gaurav Simha Posted 13 years ago
Jeff Plumb from PingSkills Posted 13 years agoHere is the video the question talks about.
Ian Costello Posted 13 years ago
Hi,
When I toss the ball high @ hit the ball, the ball soars over the net @ never hits my side of the table,@ the serve tends to not have enough spin.
Please help! @THX
Oliver Posted 13 years ago
Whenever I do it, it seems to go high. Although it does spin back I still have a feeling someone will smash it back someday. Is there somethin u can do to help?
Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 13 years ago
Use a string across the top of the net, about 10 cm above it and aim to get the serve below the string. Take a look at the lesson on Keeping The Ball Low.
YK Wong Posted 13 years ago
Chris McDade Posted 13 years ago
andrew brand Posted 13 years ago
Claus Hamacher Posted 13 years ago
AbdurRehman Malik Posted 13 years ago
Hi!
I'd like to thank you guys... you realy help me out a lot. thisvideo of yours is the most helpful for learning the ma lin serve i've found on the net cause it gives very clear instructions ....thnx a lot
Varun Chaturvedi Posted 12 years ago
At what point of the i should make the contact of the ball?
Justin O'Toole Posted 12 years ago
This serve is very deadly when used correctly but very hard to do. I can get the ball to backspin and go sideways 70% of the time, but not to come back as yet. This is because this serve is very hard to do. My advice to others trying this serve is watch video clips on this serve over and over. Also watch clips of the master Ma lin doing the seve over and over. If you have a coach practice with him too.
Then practice this shot 24/7 untill you feel comfortable enough to do it in practice sessions-games. Then use it in matches only when you feel confident-comfortable enough to use it in a match. Here is a train of thought the great golfer Nick Faldo said when making a golf swing change practice 24/7 and don't go in any major golf comps for a while.
The reason for this is when you feel uncomfortable with theese changes you will play poorly at first and this will demorilise you mentaly because you don't see the results at first. So i think this is good advice for table tennis too. Check with Jeff and Alois on this matter see what they think, there the pros not me. For me though i my coments are good advice. For me anyway and maybe it will work for you too.
Esteban Mendez Posted 11 years ago
When I try this, the ball keeps drifting off to the side. sometimes, it comes back to me but mostly it comes back sideways. Why is this?
Danish Ali Posted 11 years ago
Hi Alois when i try to do "malin serve"it dosent hits my opponents side it returns to me after hitting my side of table...please help me
DHS Lover Posted 11 years ago
Sam Evans Posted 11 years ago
Hi Alois
I was just wondering how effective this serve is in a match as I still cannot consistantly perform the serve with a small amount of spin, let alone to the extent of spin that you can. I need a lot of practice, so I was wondering if that serve is worth the practice time that could be used developing other areas of my game?
Tmoney Tlarz09 Posted 11 years ago
Hey is there a correct technique when using the pendulum serve and hit the opposite corner of the table on the opponents side closes to you while adding side spin and bouncing directly away from the table making your opponent have to go to the side of the table to return it sorry if this question is hard to understand. Thanks
atharva sakharkar Posted 11 years ago
Hi alois I can get the spin back on the ground bt when I try on the table the ball doesn't go above the table it just remains very low nd hits the net pls help me
gabe yap Posted 11 years ago
Dear Pingskills,
where is your table tennis club. Is there any chance I can join.
sami feras Posted 11 years ago
do you need to throw the ball high
Ayesha Noon Posted 10 years ago
This video actually helped me with the regular backspin serve.
Thanks! ;-)
izz izz Posted 10 years ago
I tried to do it many times but i can't do it
Ashish Desai Posted 10 years ago
I tried to do the back spin too I can't do it
D K Posted 9 years ago
This is one of the most difficult serves I have ever seen.
I have tried it countless times,but the ball is spinless and low,or has a chop like hell on it,but is high enough even for me to smash it.
But when I practise it out of the tabel,it is quite succesful: it does not bounce so much and returns to me even on the carpet.
But when I try it at the table,it simply does not work
Nigel Fewster Posted 9 years ago
D K try videoing yourself doing the serve or get some one to do it then play it back and compare it with Alois's video, you should be able to see a difference and that is the bit you need to correct.
Ilia Minkin Posted 9 years ago
It is hard to see on the video, but is the bat actually moving slightly upwards? When I brush the ball really upwards, I can make to to stop still on the table, but can't make it come back :(
Romeo Chua Posted 9 years ago
Ma Lin has excellent touch, that is why he is able to put enough spin on the ball to make it bounce back to him despite his forward momentum
Gary List Posted 8 years ago
I'd love to learn this little number. I've tried but it's tricky. I find I make many mistakes, so refrain from. Using it. Practice practice practice me thinks!!!
Rafael Paynor Posted 8 years ago
Alois Rosario how can I do the Ma Lin's serve?
Justin Dean Posted 8 years ago
Another great video !
Halina Kaman Posted 7 years ago
I find it great ! Perfect explanation! I will try to practice this serve too...
Thanks Alois
Anthony Portillo Posted 7 years ago
I'll try to practice and master this serve...
Thank you Alois,
toby kim Posted 4 years ago
Thanks for the video, the ball now comes back to the net faster than when Ma Lin did it.