It would appear from the rules, as well as your explanations (which are incredible I might add), that it is legal to serve the ball such that it finishes off the side of the table. If this is the case, why is this not done more? (a non "yes/no" question, I realize)
Thank you in advance!
-Matt
At high levels, this gives your opponent the chance to attack first (which is something you don't want), and the heavy spin he can generate from using a full swing is enough to overcome any spin you have put on the ball in service (provided he has read the spin on the serve correctly).
High level table tennis players are also fast enough to cover the whole table, so it is virtually impossible to serve wide enough to get the ball past them untouched, unless you can somehow deceive them about which direction you are serving the ball, which is very difficult (especially in the modern era where hidden serves are banned). So on the whole, serving off the side of the table is a losing strategy in high level table tennis.
Regards,
Greg Letts
