Why Do Table Tennis Players Throw the Ball So High?

If you are a fan of watching table tennis games, you just have noticed that the players usually throw the ball so high when they serve. Some people find this strange and even describe it as a weird serve. Being so small, the table tennis ball and the playing area don’t look like it’s ideal for throwing the ball so high in the air before making a serve. However, that’s a technique that masters of the game usually employ to create a perfect service that can win them a point. With that said, what does throwing the ball so high in the air do to the table tennis ball?

A player may impart extra spin on their serve by tossing the ball higher. A well-thrown ball gains velocity as it descends, allowing a player to apply additional topspin, backspin, or sidespin. However, the velocity of your paddle also determines the amount of spin on the ball.

If you are a tennis player, you understand the importance of the spin of the balls, mainly when you serve. The spin is vital in giving you a quality service, and as such, every player playing the game will want to execute that perfect shot that will give the opponent a tough time returning the ball.

The higher you throw the ball, the higher the amount of velocity it will gain on its way down. The proper velocity on the ball plays a significant role in giving the ball the exact amount of spin you want.

Because the ball drops higher on the high-toss than on the short-toss and thus travels significantly faster at the contact point, the high-toss server may frequently deceive an opponent’s timing by randomly choosing to put more or less spin on the ball than he would ordinarily put on the ball if the ball weren’t tossed higher. This contributes to the element of unpredictability, which keeps your opponent wondering about your plan and gives you a chance to outwit them.

It is not as simple as it looks. In fact, it can look quite weird because of it. To be effective, you must be able to toss the ball up 8-15 feet and have it fall where you want it; this helps you to avoid reaching for the ball and interfering with your serve movement.

When you’ve mastered the throw, start serving as if it were a short toss. It will be more challenging to graze and control the ball due to the increased velocity. To keep it lower and shorter, make contact with the ball as low as possible, just above table height. Long and short lengths should be supplied to both the right and left sides.

To achieve additional spin on your high throw, you must exploit the speed of the ball as it makes contact with your racket to generate spin. It would help if you learned to use all of your might when serving. To spin into the ball, use your shoulder and, most importantly, your wrist. You can’t achieve a decent spin without a solid wrist snap.

Furthermore, the high throw is most effective when paired with other serves, so practice your other serves as well. You may also try alternative high-toss serves, like the forehand high-toss with racket tip up, where you go up and then down rather than down and then up. A combination of these high toss serves and the backhand high-toss are pretty strong and will help you perform a spectacular serve that will undeniably improve your table tennis game.

Tossing the ball so high in the air before making a serve also allows you more time to decide on the kind of serve you want to execute. Since the ball will take a considerable amount of time in the air before it gets closer for you to make a serve contact. You will have enough time to arrange for the serve and decide the best kind of spin you should place on it to get that splendid serve you want.

However, it is worth noting that when the ball is tossed high in the air, you should not use the extra time to foreshow your paddle moves to your opponent. One of the strategies to getting a good serve is to conceal your move for as long as possible until the last minute when you make contact with the ball. 

Many table tennis players have mastered the art of concealing their moves to take the opponent by surprise, and that goes a long way to making sure that they give the best game. Other times players toss the ball high to get time to read what the opponent is anticipating, then go with an opposite strike to catch them unawares. This, however, narrows down to the kind of spin the player will apply on the ball.

Table Tennis Service Rules

Table tennis has some rules meant to keep the game fair and transparent. These rules serve to create a common ground for the opponent during the game to avoid foul play and ensure fairness. Some of the critical table tennis service rules include:

• Toss the ball at least 6 inches upwards.

Many players don’t acquire the necessary height from their toss and will hit the ball directly out of their hand or execute a rapid drop-and-hit. This offers an unfair advantage since controlling a ball on a higher toss requires more skill and attention than a drop-and-hit, when the ball is almost immobile in the air.

• The whole service must begin behind the end line and above the table surface from toss to initial racket contact.

Some players may start the toss with the ball already on the table, or they may strike the ball while it is above the table, which is forbidden. Additionally, the ball height must always be higher than the table surface, so you cannot begin your super-high toss below the table level.

• Your toss must be almost vertically up, with no sideways or backward movement.

To produce additional underspin, players commonly toss the ball rearward away from the table but attempt to avoid doing so. The majority of your throw should be vertical, with a minimum horizontal movement in any direction. It’s tricky since the guideline is vague and doesn’t specify how straight your toss must be.

• During a serve, you cannot conceal the ball with your body or arm.

Previously, you could leave your free arm in front to hide the receiver’s view so they couldn’t see what serve you were making, but that has changed. You must now remove your free arm and body so that the recipient has a clear view of the ball during the serve. You can’t hit the ping pong ball with your hand either.

• Strike the ball when it is dropping.

You can’t strike the ball while it’s still rising from your throw; it has to start falling before you make contact. It doesn’t have to fall all the way down to where you tossed it, but it must fall. So, if you fling it 7.8in high, you can strike it even if it drops 0.4in from the toss’s apex.

Types of Spins In Table Tennis and How They Work

The ability to execute the spin shot is one of the most significant distinctions between a recreational and competitive table tennis player.

The benefit of doing a spin is that it makes it more difficult for your opponent to return the shot. The speed with which the ball approaches you may not give you enough time to determine how much spin is on the ball.

Because using spin is an advanced skill, it’s critical that you first learn the fundamentals of table tennis, such as the table tennis grip, the four basic table tennis strokes, and the essential table tennis serve.

The three fundamental types of spins are Topspin, backspin, and sidespin. The mechanics behind each spin is almost identical – when the ball rotates in midair, variations in air pressure between the ball’s top, back, and sides cause the ball to curve and dip.

When the ball makes contact with the table, the underlying spin and air pressure force the ball to accelerate or decelerate.

Topspin

One of the most crucial strokes in an attack-minded player is topspin. If you strike the ball with a lot of force, it will bend downward and hit the other side of the table instead of flying off.

When the ball spins forward, the top of the ball travels in the same direction as the ball. The spin of the ball typically puts downward stress on it. This downward force acts in the same direction as gravity, forcing the ball to descend faster toward the table.

Topspin is a technique that allows talented players to smash the ball with tremendous force from below the net while landing on the other side of the table.

To produce a topspin.

1. Begin your stroke beneath and behind the ball.
2. Wait for the ball to bounce upwards off your table.
3. Brush the ball at a slanting angle from a high position, moving your arm forward and upwards.
4. After it bounces off the table, the ball’s trajectory will arch downwards, gathering up speed.

If countered poorly, your opponent’s resulting return will fly off the table, giving you a point.

Backspin

Backspin, also known as slice, is a defensive shot that is generally employed when you hurry to return a quick ball and set up extra time for your next return.

When you initially start practicing, don’t be shocked if most of your sliced balls sail right off the edge of the table due to the significant amount of spin involved.

Backspin occurs when the bottom of the ball moves in the same direction as the ball itself. The ball’s spin usually puts an upward push on it. This upward force acts in the opposite direction of gravity, slowing the ball’s descent.

A hard backspin stroke delivered from many feet away will routinely significantly slow down its forward speed over the opponent’s side of the table, then softly fall down the playing surface because a table tennis ball is light and readily slowed by air. Defenders employ the stop and drop’ effect when playing against topspin strikes.

To produce a backspin.

1. Position yourself behind and above the ball with your stroke.
2. As the ball descends, move your racket from a high to a low position.
3. With some forward motion, brush the ball on its lower surface.

The amount of spin on the ball will influence what it does after it reaches the table. The ball will not bounce as far as a no-spin ball with less intense spin. The ball might bounce straight up or backward with a more excellent strong spin.

If you counter improperly, your opponent’s return will not clear the net, resulting in a point for you.

Sidespin

The sidespin may be used to both attack and defend. The ball spins from right to left or vice versa, creating a massive yet low air curve. The amount of spin you’ve provided to the ball, the speed of your sidespin, and the angle you used to smash the ball with your racket all contribute to this.

When using sidespin, the force applied to the ball is parallel to the ground and either the left or right side. The ball drops at the same velocity as a no-spin ball, but it curves in the air to the left or right.

Sidespin may be combined with either topspin or backspin to produce a moving ball influenced by both forces. A topspin and sidespin ball will drop swiftly and curve to the left or right, but a backspin and sidespin ball would drop slowly and curve simultaneously. It is not possible to impart both types of sidespin to the ball simultaneously or topspin and backspin.

There are two methods for adding sidespin, both of which are pretty straightforward to grasp.

To do Push sidespin.

1. Move the paddle laterally away from your body while hitting the ball.
2. Sidespin will be transmitted differently depending on whether your paddle is pointing to the right or left.

To create Pull sidespin.

1. Move the paddle laterally toward your torso when striking the ball.
2. The ball will curve again, but at a faster rate, depending on whether you adjust your paddle to the left or right.