September 1, 2015

Backhand Serves From the Middle and Forehand Side

Over the last few days I've watched several players practice backhand serves. They worked really hard at it, and yet they were missing something. All four players only did the serve from the backhand corner. (They were all righties.) That's okay, but it's lacking. Germany's Dimitrij Ovtcharov might have the most effective backhand serve among top players, and he usually serves it from the middle and even the forehand side. Here's a video of him doing the serve, in slow motion. (The video is 3:12 long and shows all his serves, but the link should take you to his backhand serves, which start at 1:22 and go to the end.)

By serving from the middle or forehand side of the table (and we're again assuming righties – lefties adjust), you get the following:

  1. An angle into the receiver's forehand, especially short forehand, forcing the player to step in over the table and make what for many is a somewhat awkward forehand receive. (Most players favor backhand against short serves.)
  2. If you put backhand serve sidespin on the ball, the ball jumps even further into the forehand angle, making the receiver even more uncomfortable. This is why most players who serve short to the forehand from the middle use backhand, tomahawk, or reverse pendulum serves, since those sidespin will jump left (for a righty).
  3. By forcing the receiver to cover the short forehand, he tends to leave the wide backhand open. If you can use the same motion and serve short to the forehand or long to the backhand, you can cause havoc.
  4. Players are so used to serves from the backhand side that when someone does the same serves from the middle or forehand side, the serves become unfamiliar and they become uncomfortable.

The downside, of course, is that serving from the middle or forehand side leaves you out of position, especially if you want to play a forehand follow-up. But you have more time than you think! Watch how Ovtcharov finishes the serve by moving back into position. It's part of the serve.

Because so many players serve from the backhand side, I tend to do that with my students. But they all know that, at key times if it gets close, I'll step over to the my forehand side and win free points by throwing serves at them that are no different than my normal ones, but coming from a different angle they are completely different. It's all a part of Do Something Different!

Health Benefits of Table Tennis Chart

Here's the chart.

Alzheimer's Table Tennis Therapy Program

Here's the video (1:22).

U.S. Olympic Trials Host Venue Request for Proposals

Here's the USATT article – want to host them in your area?

Support from Olympic Solidarity and Xiom Enables Samoa to Turn Up the Heat

Here's the ITTF article, which features Richard McAfee, who recently ran camps for players, teachers, and coaches in Samoa during two visits.

World’s Best Defensive Players Joo Sae-Hyuk and Hou Ying Chao Compete at 2015 Butterfly Los Angeles Open

Here's the story by Barbara Wei.

Ask a Pro Anything: Hugo Calderano

Here's the interview video (3:48) by Adam Bobrow, where the Brazilian Pro answers questions. Find out why they are turtle surfing and watch Hugo solve a Rubik's Cube in 11 sec!

Rafael Nadal Plays Swedish Table Tennis Champion Malin Pettersson

Here's the article and video (2:01) from yesterday's Wall Street Journal.  

Meet the Teen who Beat Rafael Nadal (at ping-pong)

Here's the video (1:33) from Fox5 News, featuring Estee Ackerman. Yep, that's two Nadal table tennis stories today!

History of U.S. Table Tennis, Volume 6

It's now online, covering tournaments from April, 1988. (Want to buy a copy? Here's Tim Boggan's page! Disclaimer: I do the page layouts and photo work.)

Lots of pictures from 1988 – including ones of (in order - and I placed all these pictures on the page, with Tim looking over my shoulder and giving the orders!): Gary Hranek, Jim Goodwin, Sally Dahlin, Rutledge Barry, Ricky Seemiller, Attila Malek, Khoa Nguyen, Wei Wang, Lan Vuong, Jack "Buddy" Melamed, Sam Houston statue, Gary Fagan, Cliff Metzger, Terri Weaver, Christian Lillieroos, Kelton Jago, Derek May, W.C. Cleveland, Brian Pace, Pete May, Rocky Wang, Dave Sakai, Danny Seemiller, Pat Cox, Mitch Rothfleisch, Joe Ng, Eric Boggan, Sean O'Neill, Cheng Yinghua, Mariann Domonkos, Insook Bhushan, Julie Barton, Carolyn Sylvestre, Tomiko Ly, Jane Chui, Dave Strang, Gene Lonnon, Ardith Lonnon, Larry Rose, a cartoon, Julian Millan, Christian Lillieroos, Rong Lillieroos, Ardith Lonnon, Lisa Gee, Rong Li, Marta Zurowski, Scott Butler, Khoa Nguyen, John Allen, Christian Lillieroos, and Khoa Nguyen.

Maryland Table Tennis Center September Newsletter

Here it is – I'm the editor. This is our 40th monthly issue since I started it up.

Tri-State and DC Championships

Here's the article and results for the tournament, which was for players from Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington DC.

Czech Open Video Montage

Here's the video (3:26). It was held this past weekend; here's the ITTF page for it.

Just Some Junior Training

Here's the video (2:35).

Asian Table Tennis Movie?

Here's the movie poster.

The Hindu Goddess Durga Playing Table Tennis?

Here's the video (9 sec).

More Mike Mezyan Pictures

NOTE - If you are unable to see these pictures, all you have to do is join the Table Tennis Group - it's easy! Here are all the past, present, and (soon) future pictures he's collected. (I pick out his best ones for here - he has more.)

Country Ping-Pong

Here's the picture!

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