The Serve for Beginners

Learn all about the serve in table tennis, with theoretical and practical tips and advice on how to improve your serve and troubleshoot any problems.

Learn why the serve is so important in table tennis

Tips and advice for beginners on the theory of serving in table tennis.

Tips and advice for beginners on how to practice the serve in table tennis.

What to do when your table tennis serve isn't working well.

How to troubleshoot and fix the problem when your table tennis serve is bouncing too high or too low.

How to troubleshoot and fix the problem when your table tennis serve is going too long.

How to increase the amount of spin on the ball when you serve.

How to serve sneakier in table tennis. Improve your deception.

Want to improve your serving in table tennis? There are three basic shakehand grip variations to choose from when serving, all with different strengths and weaknesses. Find out which ping-pong grip is best for you.

Do you want to get more spin on your table tennis serves? Greg Letts, your About.com Table Tennis / Ping-Pong Guide, explains how to get more spin when serving in ping-pong.

About.com Table Tennis/Ping-Pong Guide Greg Letts investigates exactly how long it takes to learn a new serve in table tennis.

Guest author Scott Houston writes about the importance of the serve in table tennis, and how to practice the serve properly.

Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to do a forehand backspin serve in table tennis.

Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to do a forehand float serve in table tennis.

Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to do a forehand topspin serve in table tennis.

Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to do a backhand backspin serve in table tennis.

Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to do a backhand no spin serve in table tennis.

Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to do a backhand topspin serve in table tennis.

Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to do a forehand pendulum backspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to do a forehand pendulum backspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to do a forehand pendulum sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to do a forehand pendulum sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to do a forehand pendulum topspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear side-view photographs and explanations of how to do a forehand pendulum topspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear photographs, videos and explanations of how to do a forehand reverse pendulum backspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear side view photographs, videos and explanations of how to do a forehand reverse pendulum backspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear photographs, videos and explanations of how to do a forehand reverse pendulum sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear side view photographs, videos and explanations of how to do a forehand reverse pendulum sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear photographs, videos and explanations of how to do a forehand reverse pendulum topspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear side view photographs, videos and explanations of how to do a forehand reverse pendulum topspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to do a backhand backspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear explanations and side-view photographs of how to do a backhand backspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to do a backhand sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear side-view photographs and explanations of how to do a backhand sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear photographs and explanations of how to do a backhand topspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear side-view photographs and explanations of how to do a backhand topspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear photographs, videos and explanations of how to do a forehand tomahawk topspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear side-view photographs and explanations of how to do a forehand tomahawk topspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear photographs, videos and explanations of how to do a forehand tomahawk sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear side-view photographs and explanations of how to do a forehand tomahawk sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear photographs, videos and explanations of how to do a forehand tomahawk backspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.

Watch and learn from clear side-view photographs and explanations of how to do a forehand tomahawk backspin/sidespin serve in table tennis/ping-pong.