How To Serve In Ping Pong
In table tennis sports, serving is crucial because it is the beginning of a team’s active scoring, so serving is one of the most important parts of table tennis. A good serve can directly score points (ACE ball) or create an active advantage for the next attack. However, mastering the serve involves understanding the rules and practicing various techniques.
1. The Stance: When you start to serve, pick up the ping pong ball with your palm fully open and place the ball flat, allowing the ping pong ball to rest on your palm for a second or two, as your hand needs to remain stable before you throw the ping pong ball into the air. At the same time, keep the ball above the table and behind the serving line.
Your racket can be hidden under the table tennis table to hide the way of serving. But you’ll need to quickly bring your racket up, once you throw the ball into the air to get ready to serve. As soon as the ball has been projected, your free arm and hand shall be removed from the space between the ball and the net. The space between the ball and the net is defined by the ball, the net and its indefinite upward extension.
2. The Throw: You should throw the ball almost vertically upwards without applying spin, so that the ball rises at least 16 cm after leaving the palm of the free hand, and then falls without hitting anything before being hit. This is the serving rule included in “ITTF Statutes” issued by the International Table Tennis Federation.
3. The Strike: Don’t hit the ball when it’s still going up in the air or when it’s at the top of your throw, wait until ball is coming back down toward the table.
4.The Bounce: The ball must bounce once on your half table before it goes over the net, hit the ball so that it lands on your half table at first.
5. Deception: Practice until you get the proper force needed to follow the regulation, a serve that’s fast enough but not so strong to trick your opponent, otherwise it misses your side of the half table.
6. Free Arm and Hand position: The ball can also go around the net so long as you can curve it enough to get it back onto your opponent’s side. This is a pretty difficult skill, therefore, aim straight over the net until you’re sure you can make a curving serve.
Above all, it is the responsibility of the player to serve so that the umpire can be satisfied that he or she complies with the requirements of the Laws, and either may decide that a service is incorrect.