How to do top quality BACKHAND serves (with Craig Bryant)

In this video, top coach and service expert, Craig Bryant, explains how to do very effective backhand serves.

Most players serve with their forehand. But backhand serves can be very tricky to return too. You can generate lots of spin, get different angles and do lots of subtle spin variations.

In the video, Craig explains the basic backhand service motion. He demonstrates how to generate backspin, sidespin and topspin. And he explains how to use backhand serves effectively in matches.

As always, there's plenty of footage of myself struggling to return Craig's serves!

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[Waingro]

This is seriously a world class BH serve. I think the best thing about BH serve is you don't have to change your grip. I will start practicing this tomorrow!

[xTheRadioStar]

Watching the clips of the serve in action makes them seem so powerful! Great editing as always. I'm going to use more backhand serves in my games.

[VictorEduardoTorresTejada]

Good video, the skill to do the topspin serve with backhand with the same move as sidespin and undespin is so useful and also when Craig perform topspin serve with forehand, very very tricky to perform and a great service to surprise our opponents. I'll be waiting the second part, How to do a quality receive of those backhand serves, especially when it comes by the right side of the table with sidespin or topspin effect. Regards.

[radem]

Guys, I just love your videos. :) They are very illustrative and educational. Thank you for your effort and sharing your knowledges.

[Franky_]

As always a great video and a very easy to understand instructions from both of you. Since I watch your videos, I work more and more on my serves. Really great! Keep it up!

[HumbleBearcat]

Very good back hand serve instructions. I especially like all 3 serves look very similar and deceptive. Great video, thank you!!

[somerandomedgyguy]

Interesting. As a lefite, I have intuitively always favored backhand serves as they force the mostly right-handed opponent into sometimes awkward backhand returns and added some spin to it, not knowing which type of spin it was. I think I've been alternating between top and sidespin for it and made up for my lack of variety with decent control (short, long, slower, faster and tweaking the spin accordingly). Nowadays I'm also trying to add some forehand serves while improving my basics

[robertplatttTT]

As per norm an excellent serving video. Usual simple instructions, which make it easy to understand what you are doing. If I can master these type serves they will improve my game. Please keep them coming and very well done.

[rogerhance]

Another excellent demonstration from Craig. He is a class act.

[henriki]

This is so well explained, Craig. Quality as always from both of you. Love that you also try to answer the questions. Thanks!

I find the backhand serve really great for deception. Also great with the right sidespin, less people are good at receiving it. I do not get much spin on this serve compared with a pendulum, but I guess this can be improved. IMHO, it is much harder to get a thin contact.

[henriki]

One more question @Tom Lodziak and @Craig Bryant. How about making one of those old, dull forehand topspin videos? Yes, sure, there are a lot of them already in many variants, also on this channel. However, I think you guys work really well together and Craig has a unique way of explaining the details.

[erik....]

I do my backhand serve something like that but will have to learn how to split it up to the 3 different spins and vary them. 👍 Thanks.

[hemi]

Always love watching your vids, as always manage to pick up something new to add to my game. But I was wondering, as a leftie wheelchair Para player, have you ever considered making any training videos incorporating Para players?

[carolabroelman]

Thats a big problem in my game, to serve and return the serve. I hope i can try this. 💪💪

[DavidZhan-qu]

Tom: I want to play around-the-net when Craig serve to my right, but Craig don't allow me to do so😂(Just kidding) 6:46

[thoughraw]

thanks to both, this is possibly the best teaching video about bh serves.

[ku]

I'm new to TT.. Started playing recently.. will try back hand spin henceforth 😁

[ianowen]

Very instructional. Craig is an excellent server, who wins a lot of points on serve mainly due to the deceptive service action and resultant 3rd ball attack. Interestingly, it seems that Craig is holding the bat, whilst serving, virtually the same as players do during normal play. Most intermediate/advanced players appear to hold the bat between their thumb, and 2/3 supporting fingers whilst serving, then change to the traditional "shake hand " grip for normal play. This seems the case for most forehand serves, and indeed, a lot of players seem to serve exclusively using their forehand side in this way. Indeed I have seen a lot of very good table tennis players not even bother serving with their backhand, which I think is a mistake, as having variety and unpredictability whilst serving is a key element in anyone's game.

[drewlawrence]

Succinct as always, great demonstrations, hopefully this will help me add more variation to my BH serves. Looking forward to the 'Secrets from the Bundesliga' :D

[noahjude]

Very nice informative tutorial, will apply.