OOAK Table Tennis Forum

interesting when posting this topic - there are only 2 pages of serving topics - for such an important part of the game?!

I have always in the past thrown the ball basically the 16cm required. Recently though, I have been experimenting (in practice and league matches, not yet in competition) with a higher throw. What is interesting - the league opponents, who have become used to my serves over the last month, are now struggling much more with the high toss serves. I am not yet sure if its because it is different to what I did before, or whether it is a better quality serve (when I serve as intended!).

Thought it would be interesting to see range of throw heights out there

Hahahahahahahah! PRW, you forgot the "Under 16cm" category!
(And there's a heck of a lot in that category, whether they admit it or not),

Personally, I find a toss of about 10 inches is comfortable for control of serve execution. I've experimented with a high toss before, but I never really found a big enough advantage in my serve style to use it. I tend to serve mainly off the BH though, so unless I really started developing my FH serves, its unlikely to "serve" (pun intended) much purpose.

Very few in my club serve with a very high toss. Some toss a foot or 2 above their head. A very high toss can make you cringe a little when you don't see it often, but that's when you just have to tell yourself to wait and watch the ball contact and don't let your eyes follow it into the lights

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haha - I thought about that - but I thought that if they do serve illegally, they are unlikely to admit it!

Watching He Cheng Zhiweng at the recent World Vets, I was amazed at the spin he got with short pips - and the amount of top class players struggling with his serves.


if this video is not very clear - watch on http://ittf.com/ittv/ , World Veterans Alicante, Mens Singles 50 Finals

"Normal" backhand or forehand serve: 16 - 25 cm
Fast no spin serve: closer to 16cm
For a change up: 200cm+, usually limited by ceiling height

As you have noticed PRW, for some reason opponents treat higher toss serves very cautiously.

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Most of my serves are just high enough to be legal. Like Reb, I don't get enough benefit from a higher toss to compensate for the more difficult timing, although I should probably persist with this a little more.

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For lack of practice, my very high toss is lacking the amount of spin I have on lower ones. I do the high serve just for distraction/variation and works quite well.

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