The Philosophy of the Advanced Service
There are some key elements to be aware of if your service is going to be a strong part of your game.
- Being imaginative, the use of a relaxed wrist and the type of grip used are essential components of the serve.
- Focus should also be on the position of the feet, weight transference and the ability to disguise the spin being used.
- A good service is performed with the use of the whole body and not only by use of the arm and the wrist.
- The player must understand that the service movement is not finished until the player is back in the starting position.
In the end it will be through service practice and match exercises that your service will improve. A new serve takes a lot of time to learn so you should experiment with new serves, whilst still practising the old ones. Remember it is not illegal to steal or borrow from other players, or to use your imagination to invent new ones.
It is very important to have your own individual service philosophy. It is better to have four or five serves with which you feel confident than lots of different serves. It is essential that you not only think about what you want from the serve, but also consider your opponent’s weaknesses.
In today’s table tennis where the ball often goes only four to five times over the net, the serve is of paramount importance and should be used wisely. This creates demand for imaginative tactics but the following general rules can be followed:
- A short serve is useful against a player who is bad in the short play, or if the player’s starting position is too far away from the table.
- A half long serve is useful against players who have a good flick and/or have a good short game.
- A long fast serve is useful as a surprise element and to open the rally up. It is also useful if the player’s starting position is too close to the table.
If you can vary the spin, speed, length and direction of the serve it will become a very good tactical weapon.
Over the next few e-zines we will examine a variety of serves to help you perfect the technique needed to add a range of effective serves to your game.
This month we will be looking at backhand serves.
To simplify and increase the understanding of the contact point between bat and ball, we will split up the bat into several zones. We will call the middle of the bat C for Centre. The other zones relate to North, South, East and West.
Backhand Serve
The rhythm is important in this serve. The weight moving from the front leg to the back leg will give a natural rhythm. In the backhand serve it is advisable to follow the ‘ball down’, so that the contact point is close to the table. The bounce should be in the middle of the table and the contact point is at NE on the bat.
|
