Ask The Coach

and Jeff Plumb said...

Hi Kevin,

If the serve is a long serve that will not bounce twice on the table then you should try and play an attacking topspin stroke which will put your opponent on the defensive straight away.

If the serve is short and will bounce twice on the table if left alone, then you have a few options. As you mentioned this is a backspin sidespin serve, you could try and use a short push. By keeping the return short your opponent will not be able to produce a strong attack as they will not be able to take a large swing.

You can also play a long push but your opponent will have the chance to topspin the ball and go on the attack. If you do decide to push the ball long then try and get a lot of backspin on the shot as this will make it harder to attack. Also try and get the ball deep and placed well either wide to the corners or into the middle where your opponent will need to decide between a forehand and a backhand.

The other option is to try and flick the ball. This is a more advanced stroke. With the flick you are trying to play an attacking stroke off a short ball and place it to a difficult position for your opponent.

Try out these tips and let us know how you go.