Advanced service differ from the basic service in the following ways:

• The stroke is the same for all spins
• By controlling where you hit the ball on the paddle(tip, middle, near handle) you can control the rate of spin
• By controlling at which point in the stroke you hit the ball, the combination of spins is possible
• The toss is often higher to aid in speed, spin, and deception
• A variety of techniques, including high tosses and foot stamps, are used to prevent the opponent from anticipating the spin on the ball

There are two primary families of advanced serves: backhand sidespin, and forehand pendulum. Each uses a different side of the paddle, and both have variable points in the stroke that will produce one or more of the spins.

BACKHAND SIDESPIN SERVE: From the backhand side of the table, stand with the feet and shoulders 45 degrees to the left. This helps the body block some of the stroke from your opponent's view. Bend the wrist back. Bring the paddle, which is open, back and upward, while the ball is tossed from an open palm in front of the paddle. When the ball starts to drop, bring the paddle downward with your elbow in a semicircular motion sideways. At contact, snap the wrist. If you desire a sidespin serve with a little bit of backspin, graze the ball in the first third of your semicircular motion(downwards, right). For almost pure sidespin, contact the ball at the bottommost part of the swing. For topspin/sidespin serves, hit the ball at the last third, when the paddle is travelling upwards in the semicircle. This last spin may be the toughest to execute, but it can be done. Remember that topspin in these serves is not at all like the basic topspin serve, where the racket moved forward through the ball. The advanced topspin serve is more of a lob, or loop against backspin, where the paddle 'tugs' the ball upwards, causing spin. Thus it can still be executed with an open paddle. Follow through is the same regardless of the spin you chose, and this is important to complete the deceptive movement of the serve.

FOREHAND PENDULUM SERVE: The racket movement required in this serve cannot be achieved with the normal shakehands grip. The paddle is held almost entirely with the index finger and thumb. The other three fingers are curled against the handle. On one side, the index finger lies flat against the rubber, sticking towards the tip of the paddle. On the other, the thumb rests on the bottom part of the rubber(note: the thumbnail is not perpendicular this time to the blade. hold the rubber with the printed part of the thumb). Rotate the paddle back a bit more backwards in your new grip without bending the wrist-something that isn't possible with the shakehands grip. Now you can rotate the paddle in a semicircle with your wrist.

Stand in the forehand(or backhand) corner of the table, with your left shoulder and foot back so your body faces away from the table. This position helps hide the ball during contact. Place the ball in the flat of your hand close to your stomach, and with the new grip hold the paddle slightly behind the ball. Toss the ball about 1-2 feet into the air(more as you get better), and move the paddle back and up, with the hitting surface open. Use the elbow as a pivot point, and try to keep its movement to a minimum. the wrist back as far as possible. When the ball starts to drop, swing forward and down with the forearm, keeping the elbow in place. To hit a backspin/sidespin shot, graze the ball in the back-right region early in the swing, when the paddle is travelling down and left. For an almost pure sidespin shot, graze the ball at the bottom of the swing on the back of the ball. For topspin/sidespin, graze the back of the ball as you pull up on the racket. With this serve, the topspin portion can be especially tough when you consider the body is facing away from the table. For this reason it is vital to make sure that you perfect the grip for maximum wrist movement, and use the forearm and elbow only for the swing.

Advanced service notes: Be sure to shift your weight during the serves for maximum spin and speed. If speed is your goal, then there will be less spin. Speedy serves should hit your side of the table very close to your endline. That way the ball has the maximum distance available to travel in the air, and also land on the other side(preferable very close to his/her endline). Serving cross-court increases this distance. For increased spin or speed, make your toss higher. Incorporate exaggerated movements/follow-throughs to confuse your opponent. Everyone's serve is unique. If you have an unorthodox version and it shows promise, practice it. Practice a wide variety of angles, spins, and depths. After your service, remember to go into the ready position as fast as possible, and prepare for the return. If you use the special grip for the forehand pendulum, practice the transition from that grip to the shakehands(or insert your preferred grip here) grip. This goes double for speedy serves.

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• Table tennis technique - Receiving serves
• Table tennis technique - Basic serves techniques

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