(I pinned this comment for my comment/clarification) Look at that, I suppose you're right in a way. I guess I have to clarify that for a straight serve or a sidespin serve, it isn't an absolute must (although you still can) to have a low-to-high swing, but that doesn't mean that 'high to low' is suddenly a good option for everyone. I would say that keeping your racket height level is the better option, rather than 'low to high'. At least, here's why I think so: You see, if I let somebody start practicing serve and I want them to really get this acceleration of the wrist or forearm to get enough rotation, I want them to exaggerate at first by swinging excessively (usually from low to high). When you see a lot of beginners or amateur level players serve, you'll notice how flat they hit the ball. They can't accelerate enough yet in order to put enough rotation in the serve. That is (in my opinion) in no small part due to the fact that 99% of those people just put the ball on the table, since they have this high-to-low swing. I guess I have to revisit my standpoint a bit for that particular serve (as I said in the pinned comment that 'low to high' doesn't apply for every serve), so thank you for bringing that to my attention! I guess I didn't think it through enough.
Thank you for watching! Like/comment if you want to see Service 201. In that video, I could go more in depth on the height where you should touch the ball, the touch, the difference in length you can use... Some remarks👇 'Low to high' is not applicable to every serve, or doesn't have to be applied to every serve e.g. tomahawk, scoop serve, ... The screensaver at 08:35 is a generalization, there are some nuances which depend on how you hold your racket, how the angle of the racket is relative to the ball,... I went quite quickly over keypoint 4, but I could go over it in Service 201 if that is something you wish to see. At 12:05, I am referring to an "exact place" where your first bounce should be. It is true in a way, if you serve properly 'into' the table. Then, the ball will glide over the table and won't be affected much by the different frictions of different tables. If you serve with a 'curve', then you will find out that you do have to keep in mind the differences in first bounce. The lines I 'drew' on the table at a.o. 13:08 are, obviously, longer than what would be applicable. That was just a visual choice, so that you could see the general shift in placement of the first bounce. Also, looking at the first bounce requires a lot of eye-hand-coordination and it is for some people, understandably, a lot to take in at one time. I bought myself a mic already, so the echo will be gone by Technique Breakdown EP. 4 (I already filmed 2 and 3 that day). I am not preaching the gospel, these tips and their approach (this one in particular) are stuff that are methods which work for ME. Everyone overcomes different struggles when playing table tennis, and everyone has their own solutions for that. Follow me on social media 👉 Facebook: TT Technalytics facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550500131168 YT: Olav Kosolosky ru-vid.com/show-UCYfdcqB9YNKF-8iLXKqlxsQ Instagram: olav.k.ttt instagram.com/olav.k.ttt/ Check out the webshop of my sponsor Killypong: www.tafeltennis.be/
Hello Olav, thanks for the informative video! Can you make a comment about KP4 - for example forehand pendulum serve for a lefty. If you look at bottom two quadrants in a circle (180-360°). In which moment does it apply for backspin, nospin and topspin generalization diagram, before 270°, exactly in 270° or after 270°... All the best, and good look in future!
Thanks for your tutorial some very interesting points which could be helpful. Subscribed today for your future videos which I encourage you to make. I enjoyed your format and presentation.
This video is very helpful and informative. It showed me what I need to improve my serve in table tennis. The coach explained the importance of the serve and the key elements of a good serve. He also gave some practical exercises and drills to practice the serve. I learned how to improve my grip, stance, swing, contact, placement, and variation of my serve. I also learned how to avoid common errors and bad habits. This video was very easy to follow and understand. I will try these tips in my next training session. Thank you for sharing this video.
Masha'allah ya Olav! Interesting information (meaning different than what you can read in books) from an expert player. I particularly liked your subtle humour and the graphics you used. A job well done, and it must have taken you quite some time as well. I agree on the microphone comment and would also advise to use camera shots in which you only have the intimacy of the table and its direct surrounding. In doing so, the viewer only keeps seeing vibrant colours and not the pale background with all the other tables. Overall, I do believe you have a natural skill for this and I am very interested in the next video!
Thank you Olav, your service explanation is simple and excellent. I have picked up a lot of pointers from your demonstration and will work on them. Can you do a video on service recovery and anticipation ? I'm guilty of always watching my serve and slow to recover. Keep up the good work. Cheers
Thanks a lot Olav for the detailed explanation.. i can catch a some of your point but the rest is still half understanding i think.. i repeat over and over.. but maybe i need better camera angle so i can see what is the certain serve’s ball flight from start to end. Also try using better mic next time. Anyway great table tennis learning video! 🔥👍👍
Fantastic video Olav - cant wait for the second one. Would love to learn more about the racket contact position and details of why that is. Also the whole topic if getting more spin which i find challenging - big movement, small movement and how to control it. I thing the problem is many people dont keep the angle of racket the same during the whole stroke! ? What do you think?
Thank you for commenting! I am planning on going more into detail about the point of contact (and the effect this has on different rotations) in Service 201. It's a little bit further down the road, since I have a lot of video ideas that I want to get out, but it's definitely going to be made. To try and answer your question: the changes in racket position should be as small as possible if you want to vary rotation. Camouflaging correctly should always be a main goal when serving. However, it is very hard to have the exact same motion/'aperture' of your racket when, let's say, you play a serve with side/downspin and one with side/topspin. As I said, I'll be touching on the topic in a future video, and maybe even go over how you can do a kick serve
Those are basically show tables. I don't think they're commercially available, since their main functions are aesthetics and advertisement, not to prevent balls from rolling under the table
There is, but it's supposed to come naturally, at least in my opinion + experience. I believe that as you continue to play and everything becomes more and more automatic, you'll also automatically search for a way to generate a maximum amount of quality with (basically) the same movement and mechanics. Small changes in point of contact will do that for you, but I don't think it's something to be super mindful of, or you shouldn't chase it so much at least. It'll moreso come naturally.
Don't worry, I heard the remark already and I'm also quite annoyed at the audio quality myself. By TB EP04, the audio will have improved. I already have bought a mic, but recorded one more video before that
