1. Home
  2. Sports
  3. Table Tennis / Ping-Pong

Table Tennis Basic Strokes - The Forehand Backspin Serve

By , About.com Guide

1 of 8

Ready Position

Photo of Forehand Backspin Serve - Ready Position

Ready Position

(c) 2006 Greg Letts, licensed to About.com, Inc.
In this tutorial, we will be looking at how to perform a basic forehand backspin serve. The idea behind this serve is to get the point started successfully, and prevent the receiver from making a strong attack against the serve.

View the Forehand Backspin Serve Video - 720x576 pixels version. (3.7MB); 640x480 pixels version. (1.8MB); 320x240 pixels version. (1MB)

Points to look for:

  • The feet are placed at roughly a 45 degree angle to the endline of the table, which allows the stroke to be played comfortably.
  • The knees are slightly bent, and the legs a little more than shoulder width apart to give better balance and faster recovery after the serve is completed.
  • The ball is placed on the palm of the free hand, which is flat and stationary. Also notice that the free hand is behind the endline and above the level of the playing surface.
  • The torso is slightly bent forward, to allow better balance.
  • The bat is held ready just behind the free hand, with the playing elbow bent at around 90 degrees.

Explore Table Tennis / Ping-Pong

About.com Special Features

Holiday Central

What to eat, where to go, fun things to do and how to save money on the perfect gifts. More >

Introduction to Pilates

Learning Pilates fundamentals can help you get the most out of your exercise regime. More >

  1. Home
  2. Sports
  3. Table Tennis / Ping-Pong
  4. Beginner's Guide
  5. Basic Concepts
  6. Basic Strokes
  7. How to Serve
  8. Table Tennis Basic Strokes - The Forehand Backspin Serve

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.