Serves

Serving

Victor Rotciv
Victor Rotciv Asked 15 years ago

Hi there Again Jeff and Alois, I Would like to know How many types of serves there is and which one is better to get a point in a match, for example.

Thank you.


Jeff Plumb
Member Badge Jeff Plumb Answered 15 years ago

Hi Victor,

Great question. There are general categories of service such as the pendulum, the tomahawk, the backhand serve for example. However there are endless varieties of each serve. You can always vary the speed, spin and placement of each serve.

As for which serve is the best, the answer is simple. The one your opponent has the most difficulty returning. I know this sounds obvious but it is true. Each opponent is different and one person may have a lot of trouble with one of your serves whereas another returns the same serve extremely well.

The trick is to try a variety of serves on each opponent and work out what causes them the most trouble. Once you figure it out make sure you record it in the PingSkills Vault for future reference. That way next time you play that opponent you will know what worked well previously.


Recommended Video

The Kicker Serve

The kicker serve is one of our "must learn" serves. It's fast, fun, and has lots of topspin. It can be dangerous because if it's not fast enough and if you don't surprise your opponent then they may be able to attack it forcefully putting you on the defensive straight away. Used well though, and sparingly, it can be a great weapon. It can win you a point outright and it will stop your opponent from standing over the table waiting for your short serves since they need to be ready for anything.

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