A common mistake is to rush out into a match situation and try and win cheap points with a great new serve you’ve just seen. Often this ends with a number of faults and a number of winners hit past you.

Serving is a skill that takes years of practice to master, and something that you can always improve upon. In Table Tennis the table is quite small and so it is a delicate skill to be able to serve the ball short (so that it bounces twice) in a pressure situation.

To serve well in a match you should practice your serve using the following 6 steps. Each step takes you closer to a match situation. By mastering your serve at each of the six steps, you gradually increase your skill level and confidence.

1. Learning to spin the ball

Practice your serve

The first stage in developing a great serve is to learn how to spin the ball. There are two key points to generating spin.

• You need a brushing action and
• You need to have a fast swing

Initially this is best done away from the table. As the table is quite small, it can restrict the speed at which you swing at the ball because it seems unnatural that you can swing fast but still keep the ball on the table. So get away from the table and practice swing fast at the ball and at the same time contacting the ball with a brushing action. While you are doing this you need to watch the ball after you hit it to see how much it is curving and how much spin you are getting. You need to remember the feeling when you see the ball curving or spinning well. It will be when you get a good brushing contact with a lot of speed as this is the type of contact you need when you get back to the table for your real serves.

The key to a great serve is variation. You need to be able to serve an extremely spinny serve along with subtle variations that have less spin or even no spin. That is why this step is so important, without being able to spin the ball effectively, you are limited to speed and placement as your only form of variation.

2. Get the basics right

The next step is to practice your serve on the table without an opponent. This allows you to work on different variations without the pressure of a return. Get yourself a big bucket of balls (I find that around 50 is a good number). Now you can serve freely for feeling. At this stage don’t worry too much about the exact placement of the ball. Try to get the action of your serve right and try to work on the two key elements for generating spin; a brushing action and a fast swing. Watch the ball and remember the feeling when you get good effect.

3. Serve by yourself but imagine you are in a game situation

The next step is to still serve by yourself but this time imagine you are in a game situation. For each serve make sure you take plenty of time to get setup correctly. Now you need to focus more on spin, speed and placement.

In a real game situation, you are under a lot more pressure to serve well so that you get an advantage from your serve. By imagining this situation, it helps take you closer to being able to serve well when it matters. Remember that learning how to serve in a tense match situation takes lots and lots of practice. Following these steps will help you get there.

4. Serve to an opponent without a rally

To raise the ante some more, you need to serve to an opponent. At this stage don’t worry about playing out the rally. By just having an opponent at the other end, forces you to think more about your serve and makes you attempt to serve better. Also seeing how your opponent returns your serve provides valuable feedback to you.

5. Serve to an opponent and play out the rally

The next step is to serve to an opponent and play out the rally. It provides an opportunity to try variations of your spin, speed and placement which will help you learn which of your serves are most effective.

6. Match play

The last stage is to use the serve in a match. This is where you really find out how good your serve is. You may begin by using it when the scores are not so crucial. Eventually you will be able to use that serve at 9 all in the deciding game and make it really work for you.

Remember that you can’t expect to go straight out to a competitive match and be able to serve unreturnable kicking curving sidespin serves. You need to go through the 6 stages mentioned here. This builds up the database in your brain of how to serve and also gives you confidence about your serves when you finally use them in a match situation.

Early on in a game, try and vary the spin, speed and placement of your serves to find one that your opponent doesn’t like. Finding a single serve that your opponent has difficulties with can turn a match in your favour.

It takes time to develop a great serve

Due to the fine brushing contact and the fast swing that is required to generate lots of spin, the serve is a difficult stroke to master. Don’t expect to be able to go straight out into a high pressure match situation and be able to serve your opponent off. You need to go through the steps mentioned here and gradually build up your skill level and ability to serve under pressure. Keep at it, take your time and practice lots. That is the best way to improve your serve.