Always Serve First When You Win the Toss - Common Table Tennis Sayings

This common table tennis saying would have to be one of the most accepted pieces of ping-pong wisdom around. But is the decision of what to do when you win the toss really as simple as that?

Like most things in life (and table tennis), it's not always as clear-cut as you might at first think. First, let's take a look at what your choices actually are when you win the toss.

Winning the Toss - What Are Your Options?

2.13 The Order of Serving, Receiving and Ends

2.13.1 The right to choose the initial order of serving, receiving and ends shall be decided by lot and the winner may choose to serve or to receive first or to start at a particular end.

2.13.2 When one player or pair has chosen to serve or to receive first or to start at a particular end, the other player or pair shall have the other choice.

So if you win the toss, you have three options - to serve, to receive, or to choose an end of the table to start from. Note that the laws of table tennis only mention that the decision is by lot, although the Handbook for Match Officials mentions that it is usually done by tossing a coin or a disc having two distinct sides (Point 14.1.1). Also note that unlike tennis, as the winner of the toss you do not have the option of giving the choice to your opponent, you must choose one of the three options available.

Once the winner of the toss has made his choice, the loser of the toss then chooses between the options that are left. That means that if the winner chooses to serve (or receive), the loser is automatically the receiver (or server), and has the right to choose which end of the table he starts from. If the winner has chosen which side of the table he wants to start from, then the loser of the toss can now choose whether to serve or return first.

So as you can see, regardless of whether you win or loss the toss, you still have a decision to make. And now that we know exactly what our options are, let's take a look at the arguments for each one.

Reasons to Serve First in Table Tennis

• Get the early lead. If you are a player who plays best from in front, you should serve first. Most points between advanced players are won by the server, according to popular belief. You can confirm this for yourself by watching some professional matches and counting how many time the server wins the point - you'll generally find the server will win at least 60% of the time. This is probably even more true for all players who have reached a level where they can serve effectively (usually the ability to serve well outstrips the ability to return serve well at less than professional levels), which means that if you choose to serve first, there is a pretty good chance that you'll finish the first two points with either a 2-0 lead, or a 1-1 scoreline.

  If the score is 1-1 you can tell yourself that everything is still even at the moment, and you can relax your nerves a bit and get ready to return serve well.

  If the score is 2-0 in your favor, you have made a great start and should have a bit of a confidence boost. Now if you can just win one point out of your opponent's next two serves, you will be 3-1 up and in great shape.

  If the worst does happen, and you are 0-2 down, it's early days yet and you still have a lot of time to work your way back into the first game.

• Take control. By choosing to serve first, you will be able to take your time when serving, with full control of where the ball is going. In contrast, your opponent has to react to whatever you throw at him. If your opponent is a little nervous or not fully warmed up, you may get a couple of cheap points through his mistakes.

• Endgame Pressure. If you and your opponent are evenly matched, then there is a reasonable chance that you will be serving at 8-all in the first game (or maybe even the final game). If you serve well, then you have the opportunity to be 10-8 up, and your opponent has to win both points in order to avoid losing the game. That's a fair bit of pressure that your opponent has to withstand. And if you do get to 10-8 up, you can play a bit more aggressively if you like, taking a chance on each point. After all, you only need to win one of them to win the game. If you take a big swing at 10-8 and just miss, then your opponent might just feel a bit intimidated on his next serve, knowing that you are going to try to ram it right back down his throat. I think we all feel a bit antsy when we know our opponent is game point up and looking to blast a winner!

Reasons to Receive First in Table Tennis

• Use your opponent's nerves against him. By receiving first, you force your opponent to use his fine motor control skills to serve, just when he is likely to be at his tightest. With a little luck, he may serve the ball long unintentionally, allowing you to use your gross motor skills (which are going to be less affected by nerves) when looping the ball back on the return of serve.

• Settle your own nerves. Since the server is likely to win the point, you can relax and use the first two points as a chance to get settled into the game. Return as well as you can and have a go at a winner if you get the chance. Since the server is expected to win the point anyway, the pressure on you is less, and you get two chances to blow away the cobwebs and reduce any tension you are feeling.

• Impose pressure right from the start. Because you are receiving, you get the first chance to 'break' serve. Most good servers expect to win both points on service. So if you lose them both, that's no big deal. If you win one of them, you have effectively broken his serve (like in tennis), and now you have the chance to win both of your serves and go 3-1 up. And if you win both of his serves, you are now right in the driver's seat, with the odds in your favor to be 4-0 or 3-1 up after both of your serves.

• Play mind games. If you choose to receive first, you are effectively telling the server that you aren't afraid of his service at all. Some players might take that as a challenge, and overdo their serve and follow up in an attempt to show you how good they really are.

Next: Reasons to Choose a Side of the Table

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