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This lesson appears on PingSkills Coaching Lessons Volume 1 available as a DVD or download.
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Placement of the Serve
Bad areas
If the ball bounces around the middle of your opponents side of the table then it is most likely to end up going right into your opponents hitting zone. This is a bad area to serve to as it will put you on the defensive right from the start of the point.
Long and to the corners
If you can serve the ball deep into the corners then it will be much harder for your opponent to play a strong attacking shot. If you take a look at our video lesson, you will see some great examples of effective long serving. Notice how the deep ball makes it hard for the receiver to play an aggressive stroke.
Short so the ball bounces twice
One of the best areas to serve is short over the net so that the ball bounces twice on your opponents side of the table. This makes it impossible for your opponent to take a big swing at the return. In the top levels of Table Tennis, the short serve is utilised 80 to 90 percent of the time with a long serve thrown in for surprise every now and then. It is much easier to keep the serve short if you impart a little bit of backspin on the ball. This helps hold up the ball when it bounces. Make sure to take a look at the video to see how a good short serve can set you up for a strong attack.
