Update Your BACKHAND SERVE - eBaTT |Tutorial #21

Summary

In this instructional video, Ellie Bharati offers valuable tips to enhance the backhand serve in table tennis, particularly for backhand-dominant players. She emphasizes the importance of a substantial backswing to generate energy and spin, introduces techniques to vary spins by changing contact points on the ball, and stresses the necessity of a consistent serve disguise to confuse opponents. Additionally, Bharati provides a bonus tip on utilizing wrist movement for extra spin, ensuring a high-quality serve that can give players an edge in matches.

Takeaways

• 🏓 The backhand serve is crucial at the domestic level and can offer significant benefits if executed correctly.
• 🤔 Players often lack sufficient backswing or stand too square on when performing the backhand serve, which reduces its effectiveness.
• 💪 Emphasizes the importance of a full backswing to generate energy for the serve, suggesting crossing the arms or standing off-square to achieve this.
• 👉 Advises using the legs effectively by transferring weight from the back leg to the front to enhance the serve's power.
• 🔄 Demonstrates the difference between a serve with little backswing and one with plenty, showing how the latter generates more spin.
• 🎾 Highlights the need for variation in spin during the backhand serve by varying the contact point on the ball to create backspin, side spin, or a mix of both.
• 📏 Explains the importance of bat angle in achieving different spins: an 85-degree angle for backspin, 60 degrees for a mix, and 45 degrees for side spin.
• 🕵️‍♂️ Stresses the value of disguising the type of spin in the serve to make it difficult for the opponent to anticipate the ball's behavior.
• 🎭 Provides a visual diagram to help understand the different contact points on the ball for various spins and emphasizes maintaining a consistent serve motion regardless of spin type.
• 🤝 Suggests using the wrist in addition to the shoulder during the serve to generate more spin, with a relaxed grip that tightens at the point of contact.
• 👏 Offers an extra tip on the importance of implementing a 'rest' in the serve, which involves using the wrist for an extra kick of spin.

Q & A

What is the main topic of Ellie Bharati's video?

The main topic of Ellie Bharati's video is the backhand serve in table tennis, focusing on tips to improve it, especially for backhand dominant players and back-end servers.

Why is the backhand serve considered important, according to Ellie?

The backhand serve is considered important because it can have many benefits if executed correctly, and it is particularly valuable at the domestic level of play.

What is one common mistake Ellie mentions players make when executing the backhand serve?

A common mistake is that players either stand too square on or do not have enough backswing before the point of contact, which results in a serve that lacks impact.

What are two methods Ellie suggests to improve backswing in the backhand serve?

Ellie suggests crossing the arms or standing slightly off square to allow for a more significant backswing and energy generation during the serve.

How does Ellie demonstrate the difference between a serve with less backswing and one with more backswing?

Ellie demonstrates by showing the difference in spin generated; a serve with less backswing results in less spin, while more backswing allows for more spin.

What is the purpose of varying the contact point on the ball during the backhand serve?

Varying the contact point on the ball allows the player to create different spins, such as backspin, side spin, and side spin topspin, making the serve more unpredictable for the opponent.

How many different contact points on the ball does Ellie discuss for varying the spin in the backhand serve?

Ellie discusses three different contact points on the ball for varying the spin: underneath for backspin, around 4:30 for a mix of backspin and side spin, and at 3:00 for pure side spin.

What is the significance of the bat angle in relation to the type of spin generated during the backhand serve?

The bat angle is significant as it determines the type of spin; an 85-degree angle generates pure backspin, around 60 degrees generates a mix of backspin and side spin, and around 45 degrees generates pure side spin.

How does Ellie explain the concept of disguise in the backhand serve?

Disguise in the backhand serve refers to making all variations of spin look the same in the movement, making it difficult for the opponent to anticipate the type of spin.

What is the bonus tip Ellie provides at the end of the video?

The bonus tip is to use the wrist in addition to the shoulder when executing the backhand serve, which allows for generating more spin by squeezing the handle with the fingers at the point of contact.

What does Ellie suggest for improving the quality of the backhand serve?

Ellie suggests implementing a rest in the serve, which involves using the wrist and not just the shoulder, to generate higher quality serves with more spin.