Can I serve the ball straight out of my hand?

Rules

Jeff Plumb Asked 17 years ago

I recently played a friend of mine in a game of Ping Pong and he suggested that all of my serves were faults because I served the ball straight out of my hand. He said I had to make sure I threw the ball up at least the height of the net. Is my friend right? Looking forward to your answer, Garth.

Alois Rosario Answered 17 years ago

Well Garth, sorry to tell you that your friend is absolutely correct. You do have to throw the ball up at least the height of the net before you hit it. There are a few other technical rules like that one. You can have a look at these in the lessons section under in the section Rules of the Game under the section 'A Good Service'.

Hope you didn't make too big a bet on this one.

← Good Racket J.O.Waldner →

Notify me of updates

Add to Favourites

Back to Questions

Recommended Video

Top 5 Most Misunderstood Table Tennis Rules

In this video, we break down the Top 5 Most Misunderstood Table Tennis Rules that even experienced players often get wrong. Knowing these rules can prevent disputes, boost your confidence, and help you play with a clear head. We’ll cover common misconceptions like:

The correct toss height for serving 🎯
How many let serves can you do before it is a fault 🚦
Why touching the table with your free hand is a no-no 🖐️
When volleying loses you the point ❌
Whether you are allowed to hit around or under the net 🔄

Watch Now

Thoughts on this question

Garth Unknown Posted 17 years ago

Thanks for the answer. Luckily I didn't have any money on this question.

I've started practicing throwing the ball up as part of my serve and am starting to get the hang of it. Once again, thanks for the answer and the website - I love it.

Garth.

Jeff Plumb from PingSkills Posted 17 years ago
Thanks for the positive feedback Garth.
And keep working on that serve, it does take some time to adjust to throwing the ball up if you have always been serving it straight out of your hand.

Sean Unknown Posted 16 years ago

As Jeff mentioned, you will get used to it after a while. I was in the exact position as you, but after a week later, i got the hang of it. A good thing to remember, is to throw the ball nice and straight, as this will make serving a lot easier. If you really want to learn some more advanced serves, I'd recommend "Serving secrets revealed".

Become a free member to post a comment about this question.