Which Serve is most effective

Short-Backspin Serve.
It makes difficult for almost anyone to attack that type of serve.

But I think that the real KEY of serve is to have some variation. You need to always keep your opponent guessing what are you going to serve.

Good Luck!

I'm a casual player, and what I find that works is to try and vary the serve. It's not one type of serve that will help you in your game, it's mixing it up so that your opponent gives weak returns. Generally, I use alot of bottom or bottome-side serves, coz their harder to attack.

I rarely give sidespin serves, coz they can be attacked fairly easily, unless they are very fast. However, I have a friend who can do a short and spinny sidespin serve, and because it's short and goes to my backk hand it's tricky to return

A short, no-spin serve is what I use if I plan  on doing a third ball attack coz, the ball will, hopefully, pop up high.

i think that a short very wide serve with a lot of sidespin is most effective

because  the return come little high and you have all the other sude of the table to attack

Pendulum serve with a lot of spin or speed, is a good serve. Maybe mix it up with an occasional down the line fast serve and I'd say its a good start for a successful rally.

My backhand sidespin/topspin works best against amateurs. Hard to see if the sidespin is with topspin or backspin

There are a lot of levels in amateur play as well.  When I was playing in div 4, not many people had much spin to speak of on their serve so any spin you can put will mess people up - regardless of length.  One player had a fairly spinny, long, sidespin with a touch of topspin serve which he would curl away from the receiver's backhand.  Most people were too terrified of the curve in flight that they never adjusted, even though he basically did the same serve over and over again.  He won the majority of his points on serve without ever having to hit a third ball!  In div 3, and more so in div 2, it is harder to win points outright with your serve...however, people still don't punish long serves - so the most effective serves still seem to be spinny long serves.  Main difference is that people DO adjust, so a bit of variation is handy.  The big step up is in div 1.  A lot of div 2 players who have killer serves and get promoted to div 1 suddenly find their serves under attack immediately because they are serving long.  In div 1, it is more about variety (speed, placement, spin) and deception more than about ripping the ball with maximum spin.

Thanks Ji-Soo. I'm experiencing this at club level too, when I filled in at div 2,3 and 4 last year. 

I have had great success with my heavy under-side to the forehand. When they start to get it over the net and on the table, I disguise a side-top. If they havn't thrown their racket yet, and learn my stuff, I dig in the bag for some more serves. :^)

Looks like Kevin C. and I have similar strategies of serves. Now I can add that the serve should be a set up for a 3rd ball attack by using 2nd bounce on the opponents board around the end line. If you make your opponent get use to heavy spin serves all the time, you can throw him out of control by faking a heavy side-underspin  short on his forehand by using the same backhand movement to his forehand while yo are really giving side-topspin. In any case keep your serves in a permanent variation of placement and speed. And always keep thinking of putting more "tricks in your bag". The serve is the only time when you legally have the ball in you hand.

I think to keep variating your serve is good in two things: first, you will know which of your serves were effective on your opponent so that you will use it at last points to finish the game or recover from loss. Secondly, to confuse him and not let him expect what you will serve.

serve with a lots of variation. :D

I do most of the time a very short/low and heavy backspin/sidespin serve. Many, many players do have trouble to bring it even back over the net. If they eventually do I throw in a variation with topspin, I try to use very similar motion to fool them.

The better players who can return my serve allways say there is no way to attack that serve, they can only return it short into my forhand due to the heavy sidespin. I then keep it short to wait for their longer shot, push it long myself to open the really or if they reduced my spin I step around to use a backhand/sidespin flick. Later is hard to return for them if they didnt get fast enough back into ready position and are still somewhat close to the table. That last technique needs to be a winner or I am out of position.

Well if you compete regularly, you’ll play the same opponents again and again, 1^st.  - serve whatever variations to find out what’s most effective, that’s the one to play less, will keep it for crucial points. 2^nd - I film all my games and as many opponents as possible to be prepared for the next encounter.

I recently played the handicap cup, playing a team 3 divisions below me anyway i found my short kicker serve to most useful mixed in with  reverse backspin deep into the Backhand to be really effective. 

Why not????

I like to do a pendulum or a reverse pendulum serve.i mean i personally prefer them

I think it depends on your opponent whitch serve has the most effect on them.

If your opponent has bad footwork a fast and long serve right on his elbow (the crossover point) will be effective but dont use it the entire match because you opponent will be able to adapt.

If your opponent is left handed (and you are right handed) a short pendulum serve wide to his forehand with alot of spin you will get back a weak ball. but once again dont use it too much because ou opponent will adapt.

same for a righthander short reverse pendulum serves on his forehand will be effective (zhang jike does it alot against righthanders)

I use mostly all type of serves in a match. Because if my opp. get used to one serve, he will attack. that's why. Si, this tactic is correct, right?

Im sorry i pasted a blank page.... My comment-

ive read most comments up and all are very reasonable, my s recommendation if you are on a beginner level.. Focus on fast and low serves.. Fast and low a serves are good for beginners but `spin` is much more effective, learn a fast and keep practicing your spin , when you have understood spin, and its reaction by opponents, and perfected spin, then apply it in a match

GOODLUCK!!

A well-disguised no-spin and top-spin pendulum serve have been my bread-and-butter so far, even against players who are much better than me.  It's very satisfying to serve a short topspin and watch the enemy try to push it back, which causes it to pop straight up in the air for an easy smash.  It really does a number on their mental game too :-)

I think that spinny underspin short serve, spinny short topspin serve and spinny  sidespin serve are most effective against opponents. Sometimes try no spin serve or long serves with different spins as unpredictible serves.