A common problem for beginners is serving the ball with too much bounce, so that their opponent can easily attack the ball. The opposite problem, serving so that the ball does not clear the net, is also common.
If your serves are bouncing too high and being attacked by your opponent, you could try any or all of the following to make your serves bounce lower.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: Indefinite
Here's How:
- Throw the ball a little lower. The higher you throw the ball, the more speed it has when coming down. This extra speed at contact can often make the ball bounce higher.
- Make contact with the ball at a height closer to the height of the net. If you make contact with the ball way above net height, you will tend to get a ball that bounces very high.
- Hit the ball a little more horizontally, instead of up or down. Hitting the ball up will cause the ball to rise in the air more, making it bounce higher. Hitting the ball down will propel the ball into the table with extra speed, also making it bounce higher. Hitting the ball more horizontally will allow the ball to fall on the table with less vertical speed, reducing the amount of vertical bounce.
- You can also reverse these ideas to get more bounce if your service is bouncing too low and hitting the net.
- What to do if your serves are going too long
