Service Disguise

Do you have any tips as to disguise my serves? I am happy with the serves that I can do as they work well against players who are weaker than myself but against better players they are to easy to read therefore easy to play.

 

I can make some vids if that would help?

 

Thanks,

 

David

I am relatively new to TT but I will throw in my 2 cents worth in anyway.  It may be entirely wrong but you might get some ideas that might help you.

 

I think there are 3 basic types of deception serves.  The first and simplest one just involves hitting the ball on a differnet part of the blade.  The tip is always moving faster than the middle or area by the handle so it produces move spin.  Unless the blade speed is really fast, a good opponent can easily see the contact point.  I see this as more of reducing reaction time rather than deception, but if an opponent is not paying attention he can be completely fooled.

 

The 2nd method, already mentioned, involves moving the tip of the racquet in a semi-circular motion.   At one point it is moving down, at another more foreward, and finally slightly up.   The timing of the contact determines whether you get under, side, or top.   This is the basis of deception in the pendelum serves.   Of course the change of direction of the tip has to happen quickly so that the opponent can not really tell at what point the contact was made.   If done too slowly, you get more of reduction in reaction time effect as in method 1.

 

The 3rd method involves depth perception error.   In these types of serves the racket is moved straight toward the opponent and at the same time a blade angle change or a secondary movement is added.  Sometimes this secondary movement is done at or just before contact and at other times just after contact.   Limited depth perception of 2 in-line objects (ball and racket) can keep the oppenent from determining if the movement happened before or after contact.   The "scoop" serve where the racket is pushed tip forward toward the opponent can use this.   The blade can go from  angled down (slight top to dead) to level (full underspin) and anywhere in between.  The tip up at the end is just a follow through effect but does add some more deception.    You can also do a side-spin deception with the scoop.   Start with the basic timing for the underspin (level blade) serve.  Then add or fake a side-spin component by raising one side of the blade just before (side-under) or just after (under only) contact.    

 

Another version of the depth perception effect is making a wrist snap at contact or slightly after contact.   If the blade angle is kept constant and farily hoizontal you can produce heavy underspin with wrist snap at contact  and very light underspin if the snap is done after contact without the opponent being able to read if the snap was at or after contact.   Blade movent needs to be straight at the opponent.   If there is too much side movement it becomes eaiser to tell if the snap was at or after contact.  The last version involves an up and then down motion.  Usually it is a down and forward motion followed by an up and back motion.  Contact on the down and forward part creates underspin.  Contact on the up and back (even with an open racket) produces topspin.   Just as with the pendulum serve, the timing difference between down and up contact points must be really small.  I like to combine this with a little side-spin producing motion.  I think it is harder to recognize side-top vs side-under than it is to see top vs under when watching the ball bounce.

 

Good luck with your servers.

 

Mark

 

 

 

Thanks, I will keep this in mind. Mostly my serves are double bounce but I do vary the length and against weaker players I serve long so the I get a long return that is fairly easy to attack.

Any tips/views/advice welcome.

 

When playing on a proper table I do stand near the corner (left leg in line with the table leg) but as this was shot in my kitchen, space was limited and to get my serve in shot I had to stand further in and back.

 

EDIT: New video uploaded!