Topspin serve
Table Tennis Serving
Last updated 8 years ago
maarten koopmans Asked 8 years ago
Hello Coach,
the past few weeks i have been trying to learn how to do the forehand topsin serve but i just can't seem to get the hang of it. The ball goes in the net a lot and if i succeed i cant get the ball to go where I want. got any tips for this slow learner?
Alois Rosario Answered 8 years ago
Hi Maarten,
Try to get the first bounce of the ball closer to you on your side of the table. This will give the ball more time to get up and over the net.
See how it goes. I am sure you aren’t a slow learner… it just takes time.
Thoughts on this question
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maarten koopmans Posted 8 years ago
Thank you for the answer, I will try the tip and keep training.
Steve Billmire Posted 8 years ago
Maarten,
How long have you been playing Table Tennis? The reason I ask is if you are just starting to play, maybe you should try and bounce/drop the ball on the table first before trying to hit your topspin serve. Then after you get the hang of your topspin, you can start serving it correctly. That is how I learned how to do a really nice topspin serve.
Just a thought.
Johan B Posted 8 years ago
Started using long fast topspin serves for the first time this week. It was surprisingly easy to get good accuracy with it. Anyway, this is how I do it, and maybe it is of help for you. You basically do a pendulum serve, but you hit the ball completely flatly. Try to contact the ball as close to the table as possible as it falls down, which will allow you to hit it as early as possible on your side of the table, so that you can put as much force and spin into it as possible while maintaining a low ball trajectory. Hit the ball forwards and downwards into the table on your side. Just keep trying until you can land it quite reliably close to the baseline on your opponent's side of the table. If you hit the ball with good spin and speed, you will see it dip down quite fast towards the floor after the second bounce. When you feel confident you can move on to spreading serves along the base line (the distance will naturally vary given your own position)
Good luck!
maarten koopmans Posted 8 years ago
Thanks for the tips guys,
steve I have been playing for a few years now so thanks for the hint but i don't know if its really effective.
Johan thanks this is really usefull information that i can try to use in my serve game.
And thanks again Alois because I won a Tournament yesterday and keeping your advice in mind I made the final point in the finals on a topspin serve after playing mostly back and side spin serves so I caught my opponent off gaurd giving me the win. My serve game is not bad but I want to have more variation to make it even harder for my opponents. I still mess up sometimes but the risk certainly paid off here.
So thanks guys really usefull tips that just might help me to completely master this serve
Steve Billmire Posted 8 years ago
Maarten,
Congratulations on the tournament win!!! I pretty much thought you have been playing TT for a while. Just through that suggestion out because I wasn't really sure. I think serves are one of the most important parts of TT and something I practice for hour's. With or without a practice partner, you can never get enough serves in is what I always think. I remember the first day I received my ball collection net. I was practicing my serves until my arm practically fell off. LoL And as Alois knows, I had a sore shoulder for a lot days after that. But that is what happens when you serve 1000 balls or so!!!
Good work Maarten, we are very proud of you for learning a good topspin serve and sneaking it in to win the game!!!
Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 8 years ago
Well done Maarten! Nice skills.
maarten koopmans Posted 8 years ago
Thanks guys!