The first goal of the offensive server is the acquisition of the point directly from the serve. The second one is to place the ball in such a spot and in such a way that it will lead to the winning of the point at the third ball (third ball attack). Long serves near the line or short serves near the net are the most effective ones. On the other hand the defensive player's primary goal is to fend off the offensive players attack and secondly to use their serve to create the conditions for his own attack.

Factors that have a positive or negative influence on the serves are:

• The grip. The Asian grip permits a greater mobility to the wrist in comparison to the European grip. Players who use the European grip increase their wrist movement by loosening their grip and changing the position of their fingers around the handle*.
• The position of the server at the table.
• The angle of the racket before and during its contact with the ball.
• The synchronization and precision when tossing the ball.
• The quick movement of the arm.
• The part of the ball that touches the racket.
• The point on the server side of the table upon which the ball bounces.
• The power of the wrist.
• The movement of the shoulder, the hips and the legs.
• The concentration and confidence of the server.
• The condition of the rubber on the racket.

Serves are divided into: (a) backhand and (b) forehand serves. They can, however, be divided into other categories depending on their speed, spin, type and length.

The combination of the above can give great variety to the serves and a great advantage over the opponent during the game. Arm movement during execution of the serve can be divided into four stages:

• The tossing of the ball.
• The movement of the racket before it touches the ball.
• Contact with the ball.
• The follow-through.

A good player is able to throw the ball to different heights. Varying the height of the toss causes problems for the opponent who can misevaluate and end up making a lousy return. Tossing the ball to a great height gives the player time to make different wrist movements and deceive the opponent. These movements are mostly done so the opponent will not see the spin, speed and direction of the ball.

The point on the racket that contacts the ball plays an important role in the final result of the serve. When we play a serve all the parts of the racket do not move at the same speed. The racket tip moves faster than its base. This means that with the same movement more or less ball spin can be produced depending on where it contacts the racket. The height the ball bounces can be adjusted depending on how close to the table the ball is hit. The lower the racket and ball contact is, the smaller the bounce of the ball and its distance from the top of the net.

After touching the ball, the racket continues its movement as a result of the power applied during the serve. Some players use this movement in order to confuse and distract the opponent**. Big arm movements, however, should be avoided at this stage because the player must be ready for the next stroke. Arm movement aside, the movement of the body plays a major role in the execution of the serve. Although the exact body movements depend on the particularities of the serve, some players use their body to gather power and speed by combining as many muscle groups as possible. At the moment of contact with the ball, they transfer this power and speed to the racket. The contact of the racket and the ball should be close to the lateral axis of the body to maintain balance. The distance of the body from the table depends on the game style and the particularities of the serve. Naturally the exact synchronization of the body and the arm is the ideal way of playing a serve.The kind of serve used depends to a great extent on the opponent's playing style, his weaknesses and his place at the table at the specific moment. The player must be able to evaluate the situation and select the serve that will be the most difficult for the opponent to return. For example, if the opponent is close to the table, a fast and long serve can force the opponent out of his position. Whereas if the opponent is far from the table a close serve from the opposite side enables the player to win the point on the next stroke.

*The racket is held mostly between the thumb and forefinger.

**This technique is only used at the forehand serve.

Source: Table Tennis: From A to Z e-book

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