How to do a LEGAL table tennis serve (part 1 of 3)

In this video, I explain how to do a legal table tennis serve.

The keys areas I focus on are:

- tossing the ball a minimum of 16cm
- tossing the ball near vertically
- ensuring your opponent can see the ball

This video is part of a mini-series on serving legally.

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[RobertoCostas]

2:04 I asked Ovtcharov about this. Here is his response:

"The rule is that the toss has to be almost vertical. At the grand finals 2020 it was the first time were high tech cameras was used, which measured the degree of the service toss.

Up to 30° degrees was allowed"

[allopeth]

Nice video really enjoyed it, turns out i had been always been serving illegally without knowing it

[ayt]

Hi Tom, and thanks a lot for all insightful advise, can't wait to see you in person one day!

[noahwadsworth]

Thanks Tom! Very informative stuff! Keep swinging!

[risdarputra]

Just won a doubles match at my office and gained a lot of points from serves that i learned from your video. Thank's

[tovarotinanana]

Thanks for all your videos!! I'm improving so much

[saitama]

Can we serve from inside the box like while we lift it near vertically then it shoud be outside the table or we can do both?

[aseq]

16 cm is the width of the blade, Tom, not the height. It's also the net height.

[inquistive]

Tom it 16cm is the with of the rubber service not the length of the bat

[andrijaknezevicg.i.]

thank you, i really enjoy your videos

[yeeyuenlim]

Hi Tom! I realised that the pro ping pong players sometimes throw the ball really high like Ma Long and does not need to be 16 cm can be higher.

[reviewvlogs]

I have a question, if ball is going out of table and my opponent touches the balll with racket whose point is it

[chazstrickland]

thanks, tom. 16cm is just a bit more than the WIDTH of a paddle. of course greater toss height is legal. the LENGTH of the paddle is about 25.4cm.

[raulvalorborreguero]

hello, if in the serve the ball bounces 1 time in your zone and 2 times in the opponent's zone is that legal? it's for me that point or goes to the opponent? thanks

[kevinkleinhenz]

Can you serve outside the parameters of the table (left or right) ?

[rickgut]

Dudes at work serve very fast. Learned that they serve illegally (and I do too)! They throw the ball at the paddle while also swinging the paddle at the ball.

[sampalmer]

when you serve can it bounce twice on their side
and can you serve go off the side?

[yashkumarsingh]

If at the time of serving my first bounce is on my side and before going to opponents side it dashes to the net and comes back will the opponent get a point or reserve

[SLNT]

Myself and everyone I work with is doing illegal serves... But damn, we have some dangerous serves 🤣

[smeaf]

Can person body (who is returning the service) be infront of the table when playing doubles?