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Table Tennis Advanced Guide to Serving - the Crossover Point

By Greg Letts, About.com

The Crossover Point and Power Zones

Diagram of Crossover Point and Power Zones

Crossover Point and Power Zones

(c) 2005 Greg Letts, licensed to About.com, Inc.
A good option is to cross over or go into the opponent's playing elbow (also called the point of indecision).

For shakehanders and reverse penhold backhand (RPB) penholders, this area is where the opponent must make a decision between returning with a forehand or backhand.

For standard penholders, the point of indecision is the area where they must decide between a forehand side hit and a backhand side push/block or hit.

Crossing over or entering this area forces the opponent to decide quickly which stroke to use, and then he must also use footwork to allow him to hit the stroke correctly. By forcing him to make more decisions and use footwork too, you increase the chances of him making the wrong decision, or making a mistake whilst trying to move and then hit the ball.

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