Thoughts on tomahawk serve

Hi coaches

Just some thoughts about my experience with serving tomahawk.

I've read some discussions about tomahawk serve here. It seems like your advice for switching between topspin or backspin variations is to adjust the bat angle (please make a correction if I get things wrong). I incorporate another trick: I try to touch the ball while the bat is moving up or down in a swing (to put topspin or backspin, respectively). Besides, this works even with forehand side facing upwards (with less amount of topspin). As for me, this is not a very stable service (today I had about 80%). Luckily, all successful tries were treated as backspin.

Please share your ideas on this.

P.S. What do you think, is a lefthander's or a righthander's tomahawk more tricky/dangerous to return in doubles?

Roman

Hi Roman,

Good to hear from you again.

You can get variations with the contact point in the swing.  So hitting it earlier in the swing when the bat is moving upwards will give you topspin and later in the swing will give you backspin.

I think the left handers tomahawk is a little safer in doubles because it is swinging into the middle rather than out wide.  When the right handers serve swings wide it could go off the side of the table and make it easier for the receiver to attack.