Remembering how to serve

Hi there

I haven't played table tennis for more than half a year, so now I have a serving problem, especially a backspin serve. Before that, I was able to serve quite well because of your DVD. I try to watch the DVD again, but I don't know why I can't do as well as I could.

Now, my problem is that when I  try to brush the ball very hard to make the ball spinier, it often goes straight into the net without bouncing on the table at all. Sometimes, the ball bounces in my table side and then jumps off the table! Sometimes, I manage to keep the ball bouncing at my opponent's table side, but it bounces so high that my opponent finds it easy to attack!

This always happens when I try to do a backspin serve, but I have no problem with that when I do side spin serve.

I have tried to change my bat angle when contacting the ball, but this doesn't help.

In your DVD, Jeff snap his wrist from upwards to downwards, but I have seen some players do so from backwards to forwards. What are the differences and the effects on the ball?

Please help

Thanks a lot 

Ittipat

Hi Ittipat,

Firstly, keep doing as many serves as you can and you will find it will come back to you.  Skills like that don't go away in a few months we just need to remember them.

To get backspin, you can either hit the ball under the ball and brush forwards on it or you can brush down the back of the ball.  It has the same effect on the ball in that it will start it to spin backwards.  When you brush under the ball it will tend to be a little slower and higher flight on the ball.  When you brush at the back it will be a faster and more direct flight.