Receiving
Alois,
I have problem with fast surprise serves. Usually it happens when I play against better player than me. I always watch his paddle when it hits the ball and keep track of it. He serves either forehand or reverse pendulum. The ball goes right corner or left corner.
Thank you in advance,
Rodrigo
Hi Rodrigo,
The main thing is watching the ball as soon as it leaves your opponent's hand. The earlier you start tracking the ball the better.
The more you receive these serves the better you will get at reading the direction.
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Struggling to return spin serves? You're not alone! In this video, we break down how to read spin, adjust your bat angle, and return serves effectively—so you stop giving away easy points.
🔹 Skill Breakdown: How to identify different types of spin and adjust your return technique.
🔹 Common Mistakes: The biggest errors players make when returning spin serves—and how to fix them fast!
🔹 Viewer Q&A: Answering your top questions about handling tricky spin serves.
🔹 Train Smarter: Drills to help you practice and improve your serve returns.
Mastering serve returns is one of the fastest ways to level up your table tennis game. Try these tips and let us know in the comments: What’s the toughest spin serve you face?
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Kevin James Posted 7 years ago
The surprise serve is usually a hit and miss. Don't premeditate and stay in your comfortable position and watch the complete ball follow up. With practice you would get better in handling such serves.
Frank Lucas Posted 7 years ago
I'd also recommend stepping a little away from the table when you return serves, if they serve deep and fast, that half step will buy you a little more space and time.