Patrick Franziska's Serve Into a Shoe

Table Tennis Serving

Last updated 7 years ago

Xavi Gordillo

Xavi Gordillo Asked 9 years ago

Hi PingSkills I'm Xavi from spain. 

I've seen Patrick Franziska performing really well in the last WTTC and I think most of his success comes from his serve. I tried to copy it but I can't see how he does it. It's a variation of the reverse pendulum but he does it so the ball curves in the table. Could you explain how to do it? It would be really awesome if you could make a video about it!

Well thanks and keep up your good work!

PS. Here's a video of him doing the serve


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario Answered 9 years ago

Hi Xavi,

He is getting lot of sidespin on the serve and also not much forward momentum so that the ball curves quickly.  You will see on contact the bat is quite flat and he is brushing quickly sideways to get the sidespin.


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Xavi Gordillo

Xavi Gordillo Posted 9 years ago

Ok thanks. It would be awesome to see a video answer.


ujjval verma

ujjval verma Posted 9 years ago

Thanks a tonne. Watching you closely... It helped me a lot.


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 9 years ago

Good to hear it Ujjval.


Vu Do

Vu Do Posted 9 years ago

Love it, please show us how.


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 9 years ago

There is now a video above.


Halina Kaman

Halina Kaman Posted 9 years ago

Thanks  Alois  for the video J You  showed and explained  all the details  as always perfectly ... now we just need to practice …  

I hope that someday I   will be able to do such a serve too…

Best regards

Halina 


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 9 years ago

Give it a try Halina.  Let me know if you get it or if you need help with it.


Jay Bird

Jay Bird Posted 9 years ago

Think i need bigger shoes


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 9 years ago

wink


Syd Birchall

Syd Birchall Posted 8 years ago

Many thanks Alois & Jeff -- I'm in my 70s after a lifetime of TT but your videos are always helpful and this one shows that 'you're never too old to learn'!


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 8 years ago

Gala you liked it Syd.


Sergio Martinez

Sergio Martinez Posted 8 years ago

Is it possible to serve into anything else other than a shoe?


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 8 years ago

I guess it is just up to your imagination...


Sergio Martinez

Sergio Martinez Posted 8 years ago

If you can serve into a shoe, can one serve while sitting on the loo?  

What about serving into a hat?  Or what about a cat?  

I think I could at least do a dog, but definitely not a jumping frog.  

Speaking of amphibians, I did a back hand topsin to a newt again.  It's a difficult skill to master, I must work  on getting faster.  

I tried doing it with my paddle while sitting on my horse's saddle.  I'll try playing Alois while he's on his mower, but he'll have an advantage since he's lower.  

After our match we found a sleeping Jeff lying on his couch, so Alois said, "Hey let's try serving into his open mouth!".

It took us 30 tries before we finally got it right, and I said "Alois, we should remove the ball before he chokes and dies!"  

He sputtered and he coughed and he turned blue in the face, we hit him with our paddle so that he wouldn't faint.  It took a couple smacks but we finally launched the ball, it bounced off the TV and rolled into the hall.

We followed the projectile to see where it would go, it went into the bathroom and hit the Panda's toe!

We didn't know that Panda was sitting on the loo, he picked it up and hit it (he was embarrassed rest assured).  

The ball kept flying and came to Alois' table, when it finally rested I found out that one was able:  

Panda hit the ball while sitting on the loo, and then ball made it into Alois' shoe!

(Not the best structured poem I know, but I was feeling creative... And rather silly!)

 


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 8 years ago

Haha, well done Sergio.  Very likely with the amount that Jeff sleeps as well!!!


Francisco Fiuza

Francisco Fiuza Posted 8 years ago

Alois, I was wandering if there is anything I can do off the table to improve my skills on hitting the ball with minimum forward momentum.

I find it a bit hard to apply that very fine spin on the ball.

I see I progress very slowly trying to improve at this serve. This is sort of a complex move that could probably be split in 2 or 3 simpler moves and them I can try the complex one after I'm good on the simpler ones.

Sort of like a skill roadmap to the serve! Don't know if there is such a thing.

 

Thank you!


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 8 years ago

Hi Francisco,

I think one thing that is possible is to move away from the table and do the hitting on the floor.  This eliminates the pressure of getting the ball to bounce in certain spots.  So get the ball to bounce on the floor and come back towards you.  This will develop the feel of the contact on the ball that is required.  Then you can move to the table but instead of trying to serve, just work on getting the ball to bounce back towards you on the table.  Then as you feel confident with this you can start to thin about serving.


Francisco Fiuza

Francisco Fiuza Posted 8 years ago

Thank you very much Alois! I'll try that!!


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 8 years ago

Let me know how it goes.


kathy mckelvey

kathy mckelvey Posted 7 years ago

Skillfull  Thank's for the video's.


Fikau Teponga

Fikau Teponga Posted 7 years ago

It's amazing !!!  Looks easy demonstration on video.  I'll have a go practising it.  Hope one day I can do it.


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 7 years ago

Keep practicing...


D K

D K Posted 7 years ago

I have accidentally done this serve today :DD
I do not know how,as i was attemtping to do a reverse pendulum backspin serve.
Eventually,I learned to use this :D
Though,I have not enough forward momentum mostly.

Also: how can I do a reversed type of this serve?
(curve to the other side)


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 7 years ago

Well done.  Keep experimenting to get it to the other side...


D K

D K Posted 7 years ago

I hope I will be able to get some consistency.
The ball mostly curves on my half only.

OK,I hope I will manage to create a serve that will be served from the right corner,lands in the right half of my table,its first bounce on the opponent's half will be in his right half,and the second bounce in his LEFT side.
So that in doubles,the receiving player will have to take the ball above his left half of the table.



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