Table Tennis Equipment

SERVES - Part 1

from Larry Thoman's Newgy Robo-Pong Training Manual

The Newgy Table Tennis Robot is also a handy machine to use when practicing serves. Turn the machine off and put all the balls into a shallow tray. Place the tray at your end of the table and practice serving into the robot's net. By using the collection net to catch your serves, you won't have to pick up as many balls from the floor when you're ready to refill your serving tray.

Before beginning to practice serves, let's cover some of the most commonly misunderstood rules concerning the serve.

(1) The ball must be placed in the stationary, flat, open palm of the hand. It must remain behind the end line or its imaginary extension and above the level of the table top. The ball does not; however, have to remain between the two sidelines or their imaginary extensions.

(2) The ball must be thrown near vertically upwards at least 6 inches and then struck as it is descending from the peak of its trajectory.

(3) The ball and the racket must remain above the level of the playing surface from the time the hand is stationary to the time contact is made with the ball.

(4) When the ball is struck it shall be behind the server's end line but not farther back than the part of the server's end line.

(5) The ball must first hit on the server's side of the table, pass directly over or around the net and its supports, then touch the receiver's side of the table.

(6) If the ball touches the net or its supports after having first landed on the server's side of the table and then landing on the receiver's side of the table or touching the receiver's racket without having touched anything else first, the serve is a "let" and is served over. There is no limit to the number of lets one can serve.

(7) Once the ball is tossed up, the ball is in play and the server must serve. If he stops his serve, even if he does not swing at the ball, he loses the point. Likewise, he loses the point if he swings at the ball and does not contact the ball.

For more serving tips and information on how to purchase training equipment, visit www.tabletennis.com.