General points - whichever serving stroke you adopt there are some very effective variations you can do to bamboozle your opponent.

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High toss - this is where you throw the ball very high before your serve contact. This has 3 advantages that we can list. Firstly it is unusual and by being unusual it may unsettle and unnerve your opponent and give you an advantage. Secondly opponents can lose the ball in the air and background or lose focus a little bit and by the time the serve reaches they have lose the timing of their receive and make a weak return. Finally the speed of the ball is increased as it drops from on high, so when you brush your serving stroke to impart spin you can get more spin on the ball.

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No spin / float - these are variations that can deceive the opponent who is used to you putting lots of spin on the ball. Go through your normal service motion but contact point is nearer the handle that is moving slower and will not generate spin. A float serve is a serve that looks like you are hitting it with heavy backspin but in fact hit it with no spin.

 

Fast long serve - with some serving strokes you can do a really fast version of it. Especially the pendulum serve, You make very solid contact behind the ball and stopping the follow through quick. Bounce the ball on your side of the table near yourself and this serve will go long to the opponent. Beware if you do not make it effective they can play a full attacking shot in reponse.

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Mix n' match - what is described on this page! The possibilities are endless, e.g. high toss, tomahawk serve with no spin etc etc. Again vary flight, depth, placement, spin, vary where it lands on your side and on your opponents.

 

3rd ball - it is great when have highly effective serves. However many times the ball will still come back with variations of quality on that return. It is important to back up your effective serving with a high quality 3rd ball of the rally. This will reap the benefits of the gain you made in your good serving. Your 3rd ball can then clinch the point for you or put you in total control towards a successful point. Ensure your 3rd ball is effective. You can do this by understanding the type of serve you are doing and the spin you are putting on it. When you serve to the opponent's forehand or backhand, short or long and with a certain spin type most opponents will generally respond to the same part of the table time after time. Observe what type of returner your opponent is and how they tend to respond. For example if you are a forehand orientated top-spin player you can then make serves that increase you get a 3rd ball to play to that strength. Once you understand this you can be ready and in place to clinch the point. You can practice this serve and 3rd ball combination and hone it. After serving always make sure you recovery is quick, bounce into the ready position and be ready for what comes back. So think of your serving and 3rd ball in combination. If you have a good serve but it then gives you a 3rd ball that means you are playing one of your weak shots then it isn't actually a good serve, unless it makes the opponent non-return it.

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Check out the websites in our Recommended Content section. Find out more about these great serves and start learning them! Pendulum Serve, Reverse Pendulum, Tomahawk Serve.