The Float Serve - with a fast action

Hi Alois & Jeff

 I observed players having a serve , where the bat slides under the ball , say parallel to the table , something like a serve 'Werner Schlager' has. I also see some videos where they term this similar action as a 'Float' serve .

( i.e ball having a different speed in contrast to the action being used )

   Is it good to vary the speed of the ball , having a fast action and the ball popping out slowly therby confusing the opponent .

 ( I remember trying to get this serve but ended up with something like the 'punch serve' which i saw in your recent video.)

  I am not sure on my observation but if correct , could you guide me as to what to focus on while mixing up speed of the ball while serving.

Thanks

Regards

Grenville

Hi Grenville,

A float serve is just a no spin serve.  By having a flat contact on the ball you can get this effect.  By having a different action you can give the impression that the ball has a different spin but the contact of the bat on the ball is the vital part.

Because the ball has no spin it will tend to look like it is coming out slowly even though the rest of the action may be fast. 

So in trying to get this effect, have a similar action to your other serves but just get a flat contact.  See if this works for you. If you have some video of the serve you are talking about put a link here and we can have a look at it.