Mastering the Pendulum Serve in Table Tennis: Step-by-Step

Mark Kemp's picture
by Mark Kemp | updated Mar 20 2023
Pendulum Serve in Table Tennis Tutorial Video with Eli Baraty

Key Takeaways: Mastering the Art of the Pendulum Serve in Table Tennis

  1. The pendulum serve is a versatile and powerful weapon in table tennis, known for its deceptive spin and unpredictable ball trajectory.
  2. Eli Baraty, an international table tennis coach, provides insights and tips on mastering the pendulum serve for beginners and experienced players.
  3. The sidespin pendulum serve is the most common type, used to deceive and confuse opponents.
  4. Other variations of the pendulum serve include topspin, backspin, and a combination of spins.
  5. Essential elements for executing the serve: grip, stance, ball toss, swing, and follow-through.
  6. Baraty emphasizes the importance of experimenting with different techniques to find the most effective serve for each individual player.
  7. Practicing the pendulum serve will help players improve their overall serve game and give them a competitive edge.
  8. Remember to remain patient and persistent in training, as it takes time and dedication to master the pendulum serve.

Introduction

Welcome, table tennis enthusiasts! Are you ready to level up your game and leave your opponents in awe? In this article, we'll delve into the fascinating world of the pendulum serve, a versatile and powerful weapon that can transform your table tennis skills. This popular serve, known for its deceptive spin and unpredictable ball trajectory, can give you an edge over your competitors and make your matches even more exciting.

So next up is How To Do A Pendulum Serve in Table Tennis. Progress is the best measure for success and making you happy when learning the game of table tennis. Because we want you to progress in your game and get better we have teamed up with Eli Baraty who is an impressive international table tennis coach, who works with internationally ranked table tennis players. Whether you're a beginner looking to learn the basics or an experienced player seeking to refine your technique, our comprehensive guide will provide you with valuable insights and tips on mastering the pendulum serve.

Often called the side spin pendulum serve, because this is the most common type of spin used on a pendulum server, this is quite a complex technique to master. However it is very effective when done correctly and the goal of this is deception to completely confuse your opponent. In this video coaching lesson, we will take you through it. Because of the complexity of this serve it's best to practice it from scratch indoors without the added distraction of playing on a table outside where a breeze could upset the shot. So, let's grab our rackets, put on our game faces, and dive into the thrilling realm of this indispensable table tennis serve. Happy spinning!

Understanding the Pendulum Serve

Before getting into the details of how to execute the serve, it's essential to understand what a side-spin pendulum serve is. This type of serve involves creating side spin on the ball as it leaves your paddle, making it challenging for your opponent to anticipate its trajectory. The serve can be a game-changer, allowing you to set up a strong offensive attack.

1. Focusing on the Grip

The first step in executing the best serve is to focus on your grip. Holding the paddle with your fingers wrapped around the handle and the thumb resting lightly on the back of the paddle is essential. For a side-spin serve, place your index finger on the edge of the paddle and your thumb on the rubber, angled toward the ball.

2. Paying Attention to Stance

Stance is also critical in executing the best pendulum serve. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your body facing the side of the table. Keep your knees slightly bent and your weight evenly distributed between your feet. Pivot your back foot so that your toes are pointing toward the table.

3. Ball Placement Matters

The placement of the ball on the paddle can affect the type of spin and speed you can create with your serve. Hold the ball in your free hand and place it on the paddle near the center. Adjust the placement of the ball based on the type of spin you want to create. For a side-spin serve, place the ball closer to the right side of the paddle (for right-handed players).

4. Mastering the Back swing

The back swing is where you generate the power and spin for your serve. Start with your paddle down by your side, then bring your arm back and up, using your wrist and forearm to create power and spin. Keep your elbow close to your body and your wrist relaxed.

5. Contact is Key

Contact with the ball is where the magic happens. Meet the ball at the peak of your swing, with your paddle at a 45-degree angle. Brush the ball with your paddle, using your wrist to create a side spin. Make sure to follow through with your arm, extending it forward and down.

6. Perfecting the Follow-Through

Finally, the follow-through is just as important as the back swing and contact. Keep your eye on the ball and extend your arm forward and down. Point the paddle down toward the table and hold the position for a moment before returning to your starting position and getting ready for the next serve.

7. Common Mistakes

Even the best players make mistakes. Here are some common ones to avoid: Gripping the paddle too tightly: This can affect the speed and accuracy of your serve. Swinging too hard and losing control: Focus on using your wrist and forearm to generate power and spin, rather than your whole arm. Not following through enough and losing power: Make sure to extend your arm forward and down to generate maximum power and spin.

8. Experiment with Techniques

Some other techniques you can use to improve your side-spin pendulum serve include topspin, forehand, and backhand techniques. Practicing the grip, stance, back-swing, contact, and follow-through can help you become more proficient in executing the side-spin pendulum serve.

When playing table tennis. By following the steps outlined above, you can learn how to execute this serve with precision and power. The grip, stance, ball placement, back-swing, contact, and follow-through are all essential components of the serve that must be executed correctly. Avoiding common mistakes, such as gripping the paddle too tightly, swinging too hard, and not following through enough, can also help you to execute the serve more effectively.

By practicing the side spin pendulum serve regularly, you can make it a valuable weapon in your table tennis game. With the right technique and focus, you can create unpredictable shots that will keep your opponents on their toes. So, give it a try and see how the side spin pendulum serve can help you to take your table tennis game to the next level!

Types of Pendulum Serve

A. Traditional Pendulum Serve

  1. Mechanics and benefits: The traditional pendulum serve is characterized by a side-spin motion that causes the ball to curve away from the opponent. This serve technique is essential for generating significant spin through a swift forearm and wrist action. The benefits of this serve include making it difficult for opponents to predict the ball's trajectory and forcing them into weak returns or errors.
  2. Tips for execution: To execute a traditional pendulum serve, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the ball in an open palm. Toss the ball upwards, and as it descends, swing your arm in a semi-circular motion while using your wrist to brush the ball at a slight angle, generating the desired side-spin.
  3. Common mistakes and how to avoid them: Some players struggle with inconsistent contact on the ball, resulting in a lack of spin. To overcome this issue, focus on keeping your wrist relaxed and practice the brushing motion until it becomes second nature.

B. Reverse Pendulum Serve

  1. Mechanics and benefits: The reverse pendulum serve is similar to the traditional version, but the ball curves towards the opponent instead of away from them. This serve can be highly deceptive, as opponents may expect a traditional pendulum serve and react poorly to the unexpected spin direction.
  2. Tips for execution: Start in the same stance as the traditional pendulum serve, but instead of swinging your arm in a semi-circular motion, rotate your wrist inward and brush the ball with an upward motion, creating the reverse spin effect.
  3. Common mistakes and how to avoid them: Players often fail to generate enough spin on the reverse pendulum serve, which makes it easier for the opponent to return. To improve spin generation, focus on the wrist action and ensure that you are brushing the ball with an upward motion.

C. Hook Pendulum Serve

  1. Mechanics and benefits: The hook pendulum serve combines side-spin and topspin, causing the ball to curve away from the opponent and then kick forward after bouncing. This serve is effective at forcing the opponent out of position and can lead to weak returns or outright errors.
  2. Tips for execution: Begin in the same stance as the traditional pendulum serve, but as you swing your arm, angle the racket slightly upwards to impart both side-spin and topspin on the ball. The brushing motion should be a combination of horizontal and vertical contact with the ball.
  3. Common mistakes and how to avoid them: Players may struggle to achieve the right balance of side-spin and topspin. To address this, practice varying the angle of your racket during the brushing motion until you can consistently produce the desired ball trajectory.

D. Fast Pendulum Serve

  1. Mechanics and benefits: The fast pendulum serve relies on speed and minimal spin to catch the opponent off guard. This serve can be useful for surprising your opponent and forcing them to make quick adjustments or errors.
  2. Tips for execution: For this serve, use a similar stance and arm motion as the traditional pendulum serve, but focus on generating more forward momentum instead of spin. Strike the ball with a flatter racket angle and a more direct arm swing.
  3. Common mistakes and how to avoid them: Players may struggle to maintain control and accuracy when attempting a fast pendulum serve. To improve control, practice your timing and focus on hitting the ball with a clean, flat contact.

Pro Ping Pong Players Who Use The Pendulum Serve

There are many professional table tennis players who use the side-spin pendulum serve as a part of their game. Here are some prominent players known for their effective use of the serve:

  • Ma Long: The Chinese table tennis player, who is a two-time Olympic champion, is known for his powerful and accurate side-spin pendulum serve.
  • Fan Zhendong: Another Chinese table tennis player, Fan Zhendong is considered to have one of the best serves in the game, including his lethal pendulum serve.
  • Timo Boll: The German table tennis player is known for his versatility and has a range of serves, including a deceptive pendulum serve.
  • Dimitrij Ovtcharov: The Ukrainian-born German player is another top-ranked player known for his effective use of the serve.
  • Jun Mizutani: The Japanese player is known for his unique and unpredictable serves, including a tricky side-spin pendulum serve that often catches opponents off guard.
  • Vladimir Samsonov: The Belarusian player is a veteran of the sport and has been known to use the serve to great effect throughout his career.
  • Joo Sae-hyuk: The South Korean player, known for his defensive style of play, is also adept at using the pendulum serve to create opportunities for attack.

These are just a few examples of the many top-level table tennis players who incorporate the serve into their game.

How To Do A Side-Spin Pendulum Serve In Ping Pong Video

Eli gives us a great demonstration on How To Do A Pendulum Serve with the Transcription below. Eli advises standing on the backhand side and having the dominant leg forward to increase speed and spin. The grip can vary, and experimenting to find the best option is recommended. Changing the toss of the ball can also affect the spin and velocity of the serve. The goal is to keep the ball low over the net and place it in different spots to weaken the opponent's returns.

"Probably the most used serve in the world because of the amount of variation you can use in to the serve.

You want to try and stand like this on the back hand side with your right forward if your left handed and your left leg forward if you're right handed.

The grip again it's a loose grip, but it depends on how you feel more comfortable you can experiment with different grips.

Forehand, no fingers, index finger on the top, it's your choice, try and experiment to find the best balance for you.

The tip of the head points downwards, it slightly varies depending on what type of side spin you want to put on the ball. If you want to put side-spin backspin, pure side-spin or side-spin topspin.

So in general you want to try and get as much side-spin on the ball as possible and then try to disguise it.

As soon as you have contacted the ball you want to move your hand in a different direction to deceive the opponent in which point you contacted the ball.

It's difficult for them to see it once you have hit the ball and then moved your arm very quickly.

So this is how you do the Pendulum Serve. Again there is many different variation but this is just one example.

As you can see the ball swerves a little bit like a banana, it bends, what that means is you have put a lot of side-spin, again there is many different variations.

So if you can learn to disguise the ball with the Pendulum people generally miss-read if it's a bit of backspin side-spin.

If it's topspin side-spin and therefore you get weaker returns or misses and that makes your serve a great serve.

We hope that you have enjoyed this coaching video, watch out for more video to come as part of our Master Table Tennis Training Series with Eli Baraty.

Best Table Tennis Tables aim to bring you the best coaching tips around so you can improve your game and progress with your new-found techniques."

Pendulum Serve Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Q1: What is a pendulum serve?

A: A side-spin pendulum serve is a type of table tennis serve that involves creating side spin on the ball as it leaves your paddle. This spin can cause the ball to move sideways as well as forward, making it challenging for your opponent to return the ball.

Q2: Why is the side-spin pendulum serve effective?

A: The pendulum serve is effective because it creates an unpredictable shot that can be challenging for your opponent to return. The side spin causes the ball to curve in the air, making it difficult for your opponent to anticipate where the ball will land.

Q3: How do I grip the paddle for a pendulum serve?

A: To grip the paddle for a pendulum serve, hold the paddle with your fingers wrapped around the handle and the thumb resting lightly on the back of the paddle. For a side-spin serve, place your index finger on the edge of the paddle and your thumb on the rubber, angled toward the ball.

Q4: What is the proper stance for a side-spin pendulum serve?

A: To execute a pendulum serve, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your body facing the side of the table. Keep your knees slightly bent and your weight evenly distributed between your feet. Pivot your back foot so that your toes are pointing toward the table.

Q5: How do I create side spin on the ball?

A: To create side spin on the ball, meet the ball at the peak of your swing, with your paddle at a 45-degree angle. Brush the ball with your paddle, using your wrist to create a side spin. Follow through with your arm, extending it forward and down.

Q6: What are some common mistakes to avoid when executing a pendulum serve?

Some common mistakes to avoid when executing a side-spin pendulum serve include gripping the paddle too tightly, swinging too hard and losing control, and not following through enough and losing power.

Q7: How do I practice a pendulum serve?

A: To practice a side-spin pendulum serve, start by practicing the grip, stance, and back swing. Once you feel comfortable with these elements, practice making contact with the ball and generating spin. Experiment with different ball placements and angles to create different types of spin. Finally, practice the follow-through to ensure maximum power and spin.

Q8: How do I incorporate a pendulum serve into my game?

To incorporate a pendulum serve into your game, start by practicing the serve in practice matches. Once you feel comfortable with the serve, try using it in real matches. Experiment with different ball placements and angles to create different types of spin and keep your opponent off balance. Remember, practice makes perfect!

How To Do A Pendulum Serve in Table Tennis by Eli Baraty

Get Social - Follow Us