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Serves - which foot forward?

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cole_ely View Drop Down
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    Posted: 03/30/2020 at 7:03pm
So I was self-taught and always naturally served out of the normal stance that you would hit out of.  I loved serving but focused on just the amount and direction, and being able to place the ball.  

Later in college I saw people doing the off foot forward hidden spin thing.  My reaction was that I would be just as well served to keep focusing on getting my normal serves better, and hiding through motion.  In the long run I'd say it was a correct decision given the rule changes a few years back.

Now I see that every serve tutorial shows the off foot forward, even though hidden serves are technically a thing of the distant past.  Is this a useless appendage of an age gone by, or am I missing some other reason to put the off foot forward?


Edited by cole_ely - 03/30/2020 at 7:05pm
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JediJesseS View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JediJesseS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03/30/2020 at 9:32pm
If you are serving from the BH corner, I think off foot forward makes it easier to spring off that foot and get into ready position. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cole_ely Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03/30/2020 at 10:24pm
Originally posted by JediJesseS JediJesseS wrote:

If you are serving from the BH corner, I think off foot forward makes it easier to spring off that foot and get into ready position. 

I thought of that, but then I thought if the other foot is forward, aren't you already in position?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BauerPower Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03/30/2020 at 11:11pm
I think the point might be to get the racket-side hip out of the way.  If you are in the BH corner and standing completely side-on, it is hard to whip your arm through (and keep the racket close to your body) because the racket-side hip is in the way of the playing elbow.  By putting your off-foot forward, you are really just moving the playing-side hip out of the way and allowing free motion of the racket.  That and many players still use this stance to hide their serve, haha
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pingpongpaddy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03/31/2020 at 1:24pm
i think its about hiding the service motion and contact as much as legally? possible The black and black era which started after 77 worlds got players thinkiing more about all kinds of deception.
until 50 years ago most pendulum serves were done facing the opponent.
but players are constantly thinking about how to get advantage. in the 80's players would even turn their back on the table to serve.
England's carl prean could turn his back and serve under his left arm pit or right armpit -completely hidden.
i think the rotation into ready stance built into the swing is something else that is more about balance
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cole_ely View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cole_ely Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03/31/2020 at 1:49pm
A corollary question:  If someone were already used to serving normal stance, would you advise them to change?  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote pingpongpaddy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03/31/2020 at 2:21pm
i think its true that with the open stance you are already in position, but using the off foot the recovery rotation keeps you more active and ready.
On the other hand l dont think this is a choice that effects how high you can go in the game. there is still plenty of room for creativity with open stance serving


Edited by pingpongpaddy - 03/31/2020 at 2:22pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote stiltt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/16/2020 at 4:13pm
Originally posted by cole_ely cole_ely wrote:

Originally posted by JediJesseS JediJesseS wrote:

If you are serving from the BH corner, I think off foot forward makes it easier to spring off that foot and get into ready position. 

I thought of that, but then I thought if the other foot is forward, aren't you already in position?
Yes, the body can lean forward to add momentum and spin and both feet can push to jump into position.

Except on high toss serves, Liu Guoliang served with the off foot forward and it did not work that badly for him. Actually his 2 feet were parallel to and outside the table and he would throw his playing leg forward in the swing pushing off his left leg in the back. 

Before 2010 I used to serve like that not knowing about LGL and I changed to the conventional stance (playing foot in the back from a bh corner typical pendulum) under the silly pressure of club remarks about how wrong I was.

e.g: at 22m14s (and plenty other serves)

His high toss position is more conventional with the playing foot backwards:



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