How To Serve Table Tennis

Learning how to serve in table tennis can be the most important step that you practice.  Since the serve is the only time that you are in total control of the ball, it is the only point which you will be able to direct the ball exactly how you want it.  A good serve can help you to win a game with ease, as it allows you to manipulate the direction that the ball travels.

To learn how to do a basic table tennis serve, you will need:

• A ping pong table with net
• A ping pong paddle
• A ping pong ball

1. Hold the ping pong paddle in your dominant hand. This will be the hand that you use for writing or eating.
2. Hold the ping pong ball in your free hand, keeping your palm face up and flat.
3. Toss the ping pong ball up about six inches from the palm of your hand.
4. While the ball is coming down, before it bounces on the table, hit the ball so that it bounces once on your side of the table, and goes over the net.
5. Add spin to the ball. This can be done in one of two ways.  To add back spin, instead of hitting the ball straight on, brush the ball in a downwards motion with the paddle at an angle.  For top spin, brush the ball in an upwards motion at an angle.  To add side spin, brush the ball in a sideways motion with the paddle underneath the ball and angled towards the other side.