How high should you toss the ball when you serve? At all levels there's a huge range, from tosses that challenge the six-inch rule to ones that go up to the rafters. And yet most top players toss the ball up to perhaps head-high. What are the advantages of these different tosses, and how high should you toss?

Let's start with the rules. You must throw the ball up at least six inches (that's the height of the net for perspective), and contact it on the drop. There's no limit to how high you can toss it.

You can divide tosses into three types: very short tosses, medium-high tosses (the most common), and high tosses.

The purpose of a short-toss serve is to rush the opponent. So these serves should be as short as possible, probably in the 7"-8" range, and often challenging the 6" rule. Many players push this to the limit, and often toss it up less than six inches. (If you do, prepare to be faulted on it sometimes, and for opponents to complain. Ideally, learn to consistently toss it just over six inches.) Short-toss serves are usually done on backhand serves (since higher tosses are tricky to control on that side), though it can be done on other serves. Ironically, since players are so used to higher tosses on forehand serves, a short-toss on that side often appears lower than the same serve on the backhand side, and so a short toss on the forehand side is more likely to rush an opponent - or to have him (often erroneously) complain that the toss is too low. Another advantage of a short-toss serve is the ball is traveling slower at contact, giving great control, especially on height and depth, once the server masters the faster timing required. The disadvantage of a short-toss serve: the server is somewhat rushed.

The purpose of a high-toss serve is to maximize spin as well as throw off the opponent's timing. By throwing the ball high into the air it maximizes the speed of the dropping ball. A good server can use this to increase spin. To do so, he must still accelerate his racket into the ball at full speed and just graze the ball - not an easy thing to do with a fast-dropping ball. Below the elite levels most high-toss serves are more for show than actually improving the serve - the player often simply doesn't yet have the timing or skill to graze the ball; it takes lots of practice. (But it might still be a good variation if not overused.) By throwing the ball high into the air you also throw off the opponent's timing as he has to stand there, waiting for the ball to come down. It also means he may take his eye off your racket as he watches the ball, and so miss the actual contact when the ball finally reaches it. (Suggestion for receivers - watch the ball only far enough up so as to see how high it'll go, then focus on the server's racket so you don't miss contact.) You can actually divide high-toss serves into two types - high tosses, and super-high tosses. Some throw the ball up perhaps five feet over their head; some throw the ball high up into the rafters, making the receivers crane their necks to follow it. The disadvantage of a high-toss serve: loss of control on spin, speed, height, and depth.

The purpose of a medium-high serve is to maximize control. This means tossing the ball perhaps up to perhaps eye level or just above. This allows the server to serve without rushing, and maximizes the overall control of spin, speed, height, and depth. At higher levels, where depth control is so important, this is the most common serve. (Why is depth so important at the higher levels? Because they usually want the serve to be as deep as possible and still be "short," i.e. second bounce right at the end line, or the related version where the second bounce is just barely past the end line.) Another advantage of a medium-high toss is that it allows you more time to do deceptive motions as the ball reaches the contact point. With a short toss, you don't have as much time to do this; with a high-toss serve, the ball goes by so fast you also don't have as much time to do this. With a medium toss, you can do all sorts of racket movements as the ball goes by to deceive your opponent. The disadvantage of a medium-high toss serve is you aren't rushing your opponent, nor are you throwing off his timing or maximizing spin.

My recommendation is to focus on medium-high tosses at first, until you have great spin on your serves as well as excellent control. Then you can begin experimenting with shorter and higher tosses. By varying the height of your toss, you can throw off an opponent's timing. At the higher levels, high-toss serves are especially effective, but don't make the mistake of doing them for show; learn to do them effectively. And that takes lots and lots of practice. As do all great serves. 

Where should you contact the ball when serving? This is one of those subtle things that many players spend their entire playing lives or careers never realizing they are giving their opponents an advantage. Where you contact the ball makes a significant difference on how your serve goes out and how it is returned. Here are three things to consider when serving.

First, your contact point should be low. The higher you contact the ball, the higher it'll tend to bounce on the other side. At minimum, try to contact the ball no more than nine inches or so high, but ideally even lower, even lower than the six-inch net. The lower you contact the ball, the easier it is to keep the ball low. And keeping the ball low when serving is one of the most under-rated parts of serving. It's not just that slightly high serves are easier to attack - they are - but also that super-low serves have to be lifted over the net, forcing weaker and less consistent returns. They also cut off most aggressively angled returns.

Second, contact should be as close to the table's end line as possible. If you contact the ball a foot behind the end-line, you give your opponent that much extra time to react to your serve. Why give him that time? Some players do toss the ball backwards when serving, since this allows them to essentially throw the ball back into their racket, which can give extra spin. (It also makes it easier to illegally hide the serve.) The rules state that the ball must be thrown up "near vertical," so there is some leeway here. In general, however, you want to give the opponent as little time to react as possible, so even if you throw the ball back some (within the confines of "near vertical"), you should balance this against the extra time the opponent has to read your serve.

Third, for fast serves that go deep on the table, move the contact point back. To maximize the speed on your serve, you want the ball to travel over the table for the maximum time between bounces so that gravity (and topspin, if you served with that) has the most time to pull the ball down, thereby maximizing how fast you can potentially serve. This means the first bounce should be as close to your end-line as possible, with the second bounce very deep on the opponent's side. To do this, you need to contact the ball a little behind the end-line, perhaps a foot back. The contact point should be very low to the table, no more than a few inches higher than table height, allowing you to serve the ball mostly forward and very low to the net, to maximize the speed you can put on the ball and still keep the ball on the table.

So focus on the position and height of the contact point on your serves, and take your service game to new heights!

One of the biggest differences between players at any level and players a little below them are their blocking skills. When watching two attackers of about the same level play, often the quickest way to judge who is the stronger player is by whoever handles the other's attack better, i.e. who blocks better. Or watch the best players in the world, especially the Chinese, and when they aren't counterlooping, watch how proficient and consistent they are blocking. Spectators often see the flashy attack shots, but often the biggest difference between these top players and those a level weaker are their blocking games. Here are twelve tips on improving your blocking game. (These are primarily for inverted and short pips players.)

1. Be quick and decisive when blocking. Blocking is not for the weak of heart, and is not a passive shot. Even soft blocks should be aggressively soft, i.e. a change of pace, not just a weak block.
2. Block aggressively against loops that land short and against slow loops. If you block these passively, you'll face the consequences. Loops that land short are easy to attack (with aggressive block, smashes, or counterloops), while if you return a spinny loop passively the spin takes on your racket more, making you less consistent.
3. Keep your blocks deep unless you are dead blocking. Deep blocks force the opponent off the table, cut off their angles, and give yourself more time to react to their next shot. Shorter blocks are usually easy putaways for opponents who are in position.
4. Block to all three spots - wide corners and opponent's middle, where they have to decide whether to use forehand or backhand. Avoid blocking anywhere else. Why would you?
5. Often change directions at the last second. This is especially easy and effective on the backhand, in particular by aiming wide to the backhand, then blocking aggressively to the wide forehand at the last second.
6. Against faster loops use the opponent's own speed to redirect the ball back aggressively. Think of it as a video or pinball game.
7. Blocking at the higher levels requires just as much footwork as attacking. Be light on your feet, and step to the ball; don't reach except as a last resort.
8. Master the forehand down-the-line block. Many players are handicapped by only being able to block forehands crosscourt. This turns them into punching bags for opponents who know where your next shot is each time.
9. Learn to change the pace with dead blocks, and perhaps chop and sidespin blocks. But if you are going to use these shots, practice them both in drills and practice matches.
10. Consider learning to topspin your blocks, essentially mini-loops. Many players don't realize that many or most top players block with topspin off the bounce, almost mini-loops.
11. Study opponents to see how soon you can pick up where they are placing their attacks. If you do this, your subconscious will pick up on it, it'll become second nature, and you'll begin to react sooner. You don't need fast reflexes to have fast reactions; fast reactions come from proper training over a period of time.
12. When you force a weak ball with your blocks, change from a blocking mentality to attack mode. Far too many players force an opponent into making a weak return - and then continue blocking. Your blocking has done its job; now's the time to attack!!!

One of the biggest changes in our sport at the higher levels since I started playing in the late 1970s is the development of what I call the "topspinny backhand." (I should trademark that term.) When I started, most players had relatively flat backhands, with only a little topspin. The idea was to hit or block aggressively. A few players backed up and backhand looped, but few players played close to the table and tried to topspin heavily with their backhands. Part of this was the equipment - modern sponges are much bouncier and better for this.

At first glance, a good, hard, flat backhand is a better shot. After all, it tends to come out faster, and it's easier to time, as opposed to trying to take a bigger swing and spin the ball off the bounce. There were many big backhand hitters and great blockers back in those days, but only a few really spun their backhands off the bounce over and over. (Tibor Klampar and Anton Stipancic are two that did.)

These days nearly everyone at the higher levels topspins off the bounce. There's a terminology problem - it's not quite a backhand loop (usually), but it's more than a regular backhand. Hence my term, "topspinny backhand."

What are the advantages of these topspinny backhands?

1. The topspin pulls the ball down, just as it does for a loop, and so you effectively have a larger target.
2. The topspin jumps off the table, messing up the opponent's timing. When a player hits a ball flat, it travels at roughly the same speed to the opponent, so it's easy for the opponent to time it. When a player hits the ball with topspin, it starts out at one speed, then jumps when it hits the table, making it harder to react to and time.
3. The topspin jumps off the opponent's paddle, further messing up his timing.
4. Against a flatter ball, an opponent can take a step off the table to give himself more time to react, but against a ball with a lot of topspin, he has to take it relatively quick off the bounce when blocking or counter-hitting or he'll likely hit a weak or erratic shot, meaning he has less time to react.

One of the tougher questions for coaches is when to start players with topspinny backhands. Some say around 1800 (roughly advanced intermediate level). Others teach it almost from the start. I've seen it successfully learned both ways. But it does help to develop this shot somewhat early or you may get ingrained in your habits. I developed a flatter backhand early in my development, and while I can demonstrate a topspinny backhand, I'd have to spend a lot of practice time if I wanted to incorporate it into my game - and there's no guarantee that I'd be able to do so successfully after 37 years of flat backhands.

It's your choice - go flat or go topspinny!

Far too often players make two mistakes when pushing. First, they push to the backhand over and Over and OVER. Second, early in their stroke they aim their racket where they are pushing, usually to the backhand, in an apparent attempt to make it absolutely clear that once again that is where they are pushing. This is a great collaboration with your opponent, but not a good way to win.

First, let's review what makes a good long push. It normally should be quick, low, heavy, deep, and wide. (Exceptions: sometimes you no-spin push as a variation, so it doesn't always need to be heavy; and sometimes you push quick to the middle so the opponent has to decide whether to use forehand or backhand.)

But there is one other important element - last-second changes of direction. If you aim your racket to the opponent's wide backhand, he'll likely react to that and prepare for a deep push to the backhand. If, at the last second, you change and quick push to the wide forehand, you'll likely cause havoc for your opponent as he makes a last-second lunge for the ball. Ironically, this is especially effective against players with strong forehand loops, the very players you would normally not push to the forehand against, since they are often edging toward their backhand side, looking to forehand loop from that side.

At higher levels, players push short more often, especially when returning a serve. If your opponent serves short backspin, instead of just pushing it short, why not aim to his backhand, and then at the last second drop it short to the forehand? Again, this causes havoc, and in this case you aren't challenging your opponent's a forehand loop. Moving in to return a short ball to the forehand takes time, so why not try to trick your opponent into anticipating the ball coming to the backhand, and watch as at the last second he lunges in for the short ball to the forehand?

Moral: Don't just be pushy, be deceptively pushy!