Learn How To Serve Short & Fast

Table Tennis Serving

Last updated 7 years ago

Mayo May

Mayo May Asked 12 years ago

If you hit the ball faster you'll get more spin but how do you keep it short and still make it bounce twice on the table for the 3rd ball attack?

Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario Answered 12 years ago

Hi Mayo,

The key is brushing the ball thinner.

The faster you brush the ball the more spin it will get but the thinner the contact the less distance it will travel.

That is why a fast thin contact is important.  However it also means it is a more difficult skill to master. 

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Thoughts on this question

Mayo May

Mayo May Posted 12 years ago

Thinner as in a short follow through ?
Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 12 years ago

Thinner means to touch the ball less.  So a completely flat contact would be to smash the ball, a thin contact is the opposite where you are only just touching the edge of the ball.
Mayo May

Mayo May Posted 12 years ago

Oo i see.. what is the best way to learn this ?
Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 12 years ago

Try stepping away from the table and getting the ball to come back towards you after you hit it.

If the ball is coming back or curving then you are brushing the ball.  Just keep having a try at it away from the table because you don't have the restriction of hitting the ball on the table.  Have a good swing at it and don't worry if you miss the ball completely.  In fact it probably means you are starting to get the idea if you are missing the ball because you are trying for a thin contact.

Mayo May

Mayo May Posted 12 years ago

its funny you mentioned if i miss the ball , becuz i was going to say i keep on missing , the timing is off. i have the spin away from the table but once i try the serve , i either miss the ball or hit the ball real high.
Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 12 years ago

Keep moving away from the table and then back to the table.  Eventually you will start to feel more comfortable.
Mayo May

Mayo May Posted 12 years ago

Thanks for the Video
mohammad panahi

mohammad panahi Posted 12 years ago

Hi dear Mr alois

i saw your video about how can we do a short faster serve exactly it was the question which i wanted to asked but fortunately it was asked by mayo. By the watching your video a could take me answer and i will try it during the playing. thank you so much. 

 

bye

Gaurav Simha

Gaurav Simha Posted 12 years ago

@Alois Rosario : Did you partially answer my question about the ma lin serve ?
Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 12 years ago

Hi Gaurav, Let me know which question it was and I will check it out.
Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 12 years ago

Hi Mohammad,

It is great that these sorts of questions can help so many players. 

Jeff Plumb

Jeff Plumb from PingSkills Posted 12 years ago

@Gaurav Simha yes this does partially answer the question about the Ma Lin serve. The Ma Lin serve question has got a lot of votes though so we'll probably still turn this into it's own video answer!
julian gil

julian gil Posted 12 years ago

as you say jeff, ma lin serve us superb, i cannot understand the amount of spin he inflicts into the ball and  the soft he hits it so the ball goes really really short but with a huge amount of spin, that is the result of years of practice, i ve been trying the last 4 months to master a nice backspin short serve, i can serve short with some spin, but im not even close to get the amount of spin ma lin puts into the ball
Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 12 years ago

Keep working on it Julian.  Ma Lin has a few years of practice on you.

It will just keep getting better and better. 

julian gil

julian gil Posted 12 years ago

thank you coach, ill keep practicing on it, a few years, he has just played table tennis since he was like 5 years now he is 31, if i need something ill come here thank you again.
Mayo May

Mayo May Posted 12 years ago

Gaurav Simha

Gaurav Simha Posted 12 years ago

Yeah ! This is the serve i'm talking about !
Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 12 years ago

Hey Gaurav,

That is a great serve that almost dies when it hits the table because of the amount of backspin.  The ball is really low over the net as well allowing it to go short.

julian gil

julian gil Posted 12 years ago

what a serve, the amount of backspin is unbelievable, but zhang yike is able to answer that, i think it was also his mistake, the tryed to loop the ball so late. i dont know for sure
Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 12 years ago

Yes he didn't read the length of the serve at all but I think there must have been a bit more spin on it.  It may also have been a slightly lower bounce than normal.
Ardak .

Ardak . Posted 11 years ago

Hi coaches! Mayo Mayo have uploaded the video above. Is Mayo Mayo one of the admins of this site? Or anyone can upload videos ?

 

Jeff Plumb

Jeff Plumb from PingSkills Posted 11 years ago

Hi Ardak,

When I saw the YouTube link, I modified it to show the video directly.

Ardak .

Ardak . Posted 11 years ago

Hi, coaches!

Thanks, I understand. I asked it because it will be great chance to beginners, if we can upload some videos and ask if it is correct or incorrect stroke.....

kathy mckelvey

kathy mckelvey Posted 7 years ago

Interesting video!!

Peter Niu

Peter Niu Posted 7 years ago

thx Alois 

 

sathiya' msn

sathiya' msn Posted 7 years ago

hii coach how to improve back hand 

Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 7 years ago

Hi Sathiya,

Take a look at our Strokes & Techniques page.  On there you will find some lessons that will help, including the Backhand Counterhit lesson.

Igor Poletaev

Igor Poletaev Posted 7 years ago

Hi Alois! Thank you for the video.

I'd like to ask you one question. To make the shot with a really thin contact with the ball, it is necessary to make this shot with a very opened racket, right? But shooting with an opened racked can cause that the ball will bounce too high, as it can be seen even in this video. How to avoid this? Thank you!

Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 7 years ago

Hi Igor,

If you push forward on the contact you can get the ball lower.

kathy mckelvey

kathy mckelvey Posted 7 years ago

Hi,  few of the players are trying to tell me to use my wrist more to stroke or flick the ball instead of pushing the ball.  Is pushing better just for short balls like you discussed.    However,  perhaps the pushing style does not look so cool to watch?  Thanks

Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 7 years ago

Hi Kathy,

You can flick the ball if you are comfortable doing the stroke.  However, the short push is probably the better and safer option to start with.

kathy mckelvey

kathy mckelvey Posted 7 years ago

Thank you Alois!!

René Houde

René Houde Posted 7 years ago

Hello from Québec Mr. Rosario.

As for the short push serve, I have problems to keep the ball low near the net. I do get 3 bounces thow and the ball sometimes dont leave the table; it comes back to the net. I gess I get enough back spinn.

I think I dont visualize the correct ball trajectory. What would be the ideal height to hit the ball at serving short push and the zone on the table to aim for the first bounce?

Thank you in advence, 

 

René Houde.

Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 7 years ago

Hi René,

Try to hit the ball as early as possible after the bounce on your side.  Aim to hi the ball to a spot about 30cm from the net on the other side.  Also focus on keeping your hand relaxed to help to absorb any speed or spin on the ball.

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