Serving
Alois,
Last year I faced an opponent who had a very effective kick serve. My first return wasn't on the table, the 2nd and 3rd time he used the serve I got the ball on the table but they were weak returns and I still lost the point. I'd very much like to learn a kick serve. My understanding is that the ball kicks due to the unexpected amount of topspin on the ball. Am I right in thinking that a kick serve will not usually be very fast - fast serves are more likely to have lots of top spin so are not so unpredictable. This means that a kick serve must have a high amount of spin compared to speed. Is it then possible to make any top spin serve action (suitably disguised) into a kick serve if you can get the spin to speed ratio right? i.e. can a backhand or tomahawk be used as a kick serve?
Hi Nigel,
You must have read our minds. We filmed a tutorial on the Kick serve the other day. It should be it soon.
You are right that any topspin serve can be a kick serve as long as there is disguise. However it can be fast as well to add the element of surprise. If it is too slow your opponent has too much time to adjust.
Want to take your table tennis serves to the next level? In this episode, we break down how to master spin serves to gain the upper hand in every match.
✅ The Fundamentals of Spin Serves – How to generate and control spin for maximum effectiveness.
✅ Common Mistakes – The biggest serve errors players make and how to fix them fast.
✅ Viewer Q&A – Your top questions about serving, answered!
✅ Train Smarter – Drills to help you develop spin, deception, and consistency.
Adding spin to your serves can completely change your game. Which spin serve do you struggle with the most? Let us know in the comments!
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