The most prevalent illegal serve in table tennis is a concealed serve. The player conceals the touch site with his free arm or his body. It's impossible to determine if this was a topspin, no-spin float, or backspin serve. The concealed serve was formerly permitted, but the ITTF amended the regulations. Now all serves must be delivered from the waist up.
Another common form of service is the fast serve. Here, the player runs towards the net and swings the ball over it as hard as he can. This kind of serve is not legal in tennis because it violates the rules on how high the ball must be when served. In table tennis, however, there are no restrictions on how high you can hit the ball so the fast serve is perfectly acceptable.
Finally, the shooter cannot stand behind the baseline to shoot at the net. If he does so, then this is called hari kiri (Japanese for "dead duck") and he will be penalized.
These are just some of the many rules in table tennis. There are more than 100 others! To learn them all, you will need to read several tables tennis books or attend some training sessions.
People may conclude that underhand serves are forbidden after reading or hearing the rule since good players seldom chuck an underhand serve. However, if you look attentively, you will notice that dishonest servers release the ball and allow it to drop slightly just before making contact with their serving hand. As a result, it is allowed to conduct an underhanded serve.
In fact, there is no specific prohibition against serving underhand; it's merely not done by well-trained players because it's difficult to execute properly. The main reason why underhand serves are prohibited is so that defenders have an equal opportunity of hitting the ball when it is served underhand. If this rule were not in place, then underhanded serves would be highly effective since only the server can direct where the ball goes.
Some people may believe that an underhand serve is not legal because it is not mentioned in the rules. However, this is incorrect since chapter 2 of the regulations clearly states that "The server must serve the ball upright with a free arm and straight elbow." Since underhand serves are not permitted, it follows that anyone who executes one has violated the rule and should therefore be penalized.
Here are some tips for improving your underhand serve: First, practice until you become comfortable with the motion. You need to learn how to generate enough power to hit the ball solidly even though it is coming from below shoulder height.
A lob serve is legally legal, although it is an useless approach against the vast majority of non-novice players. Here are a few more intriguing laws concerning legal and unlawful tennis hits: You cannot change positions while serving by sprinting or walking. This is commonly taken to suggest that your front foot must stay immobile. However, since the modern game is so fast paced, coaches do not focus on this aspect of the game as much as they used to.
The ball can be served only with the hand, except when played during a rally when any part of the body can make contact with the ball. When serving, the player should stand behind the baseline and deliver the ball with a gentle swing. Illegal shots include: bouncing the ball (this can break strings on a wooden racket), hitting the ball with the face of the racquet, and striking the ball with any part of the body other than the arm, forearm, and chest. These violations result in free points for the opponent.
Illegal serves are common at junior levels because the pace of play makes it difficult for young players to keep their feet still while delivering the ball. As you gain experience, you will find ways to improve your serve without running around the court.
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