Table tennis is a widely popular sport internationally. This sport is popular among amateurs and professionals alike, and there are several techniques that are involved with playing the game well. New players often find themselves struggling to serve when learning to play the game and wonder what is the easiest way to serve effectively.
The easiest serve is the basic forehand serve, followed by the basic backhand serve. These serves are executed by simply striking the ball to move it across the table and are the first serves every player learns. The easiest spin serve is the chop serve that puts backspin on the ball.
There are several ways to serve the ball in table tennis, and every serve type has its own strengths to consider, but they all require specific skills and practice. Some serves are significantly easier to execute than others and are excellent for beginner players. Let’s explore the easiest and most effective serves in table tennis for beginners.
What Is The Easiest Serve To Execute In Table Tennis?
Table tennis is surprisingly complex. Anyone who has never played the sport may not understand how challenging it can be and how much skill is required to play the game at a high level.
However, not every table tennis match is played at a high level, and anyone who wants to try the sport pout for the first time needs to know some basic fundamentals for playing the game before they get going.
Among the most important aspects of table tennis is the serve. The serve sets the tone for the match and usually determines the outcome of the game.
For this reason, it is important for every player to learn some good serves to set themselves up for success. With that in mind, what is the easiest serve for a beginner table tennis player to execute?
The easiest serve in table tennis is known as the basic forehand serve.
This serve does not generate any spin on the ball, and it is not the most effective serve in the sport, but it is the easiest to execute, and every new player can use it well.
The basic forehand serve is executed by simply tossing the ball up and striking it on its back as it descends with the side of the paddle in line with the player’s palm.
This serve is easiest to execute when standing perpendicular to the table and can be made to send the ball diagonally across the table or straight across the table.
The basic forehand serve the easiest serve in table tennis because it requires the least skill to execute, it can be done with plenty of power to generate a fast ball speed, and it is very easy to control.
This serve makes it easy to perform a legal table tennis serve with a single bounce on both sides of the net, and any player can use it with a high degree of efficacy.
What Is The Best Serve For Table Tennis Beginners?
We have established that the easiest serve in table tennis is the basic forehand serve, but there are multiple easy serves that beginner players can use to great success.
The best serve for table tennis beginners remains the basic forehand serve, but there are others that are as easy to use and as effective as well.
The basic backhand serve is a good option for beginners, alongside the basic forehand serve, as practicing this serve also allows the player to practice returning serves with a backhand strike, which is an essential skill for all table tennis players of every skill level.
The basic backhand serve is the same as the basic forehand serve, except it is executed with the side of the paddle in line with the back of the player’s hand and is played from the opposite side of the table as the forehand serve.
Other excellent serve that is very effective for beginner table tennis players include some basic spin serves that cause the ball to spin as it moves through the air, creating an unpredictable bounce when it hits the table, making it far more challenging for the opposing player to return the serve.
All beginner players should learn at least one basic spin serve, as this gives them a far better chance of scoring points, recouping points that they may have lost in the match, and can even ensure their win.
Every basic serve takes time to learn, but none of them are beyond the reach of even the most inexperienced beginner table tennis player.
Which Is The Easiest Spin Serve In Table Tennis?
Learning basic serves, such as the basic forehand and the basic backhand, are crucial for every table tennis player, but learning some spin serves is a better option.
Spin serves are far more effective for scoring points, confusing opponents, and winning matches than basic serves are, and learning to execute spin serves significantly increases your chances of winning.
The easiest spin serve to learn is called the chop serve, or the backspin serve.
This service is executed by tossing the ball up in the air a few inches and using the paddle to strike the ball by slicing it horizontally from underneath as it comes down.
This serves sends the ball forward across the table, but it also applies significant backspin to the ball.
The momentum of the ball is enough to carry it forward from its first bounce on your own side of the net, but when it reaches the other side of the net, it will spin backward toward the neck, making the ball trajectory very difficult to follow, and making the ball exceedingly difficult to hit, especially for an inexperienced player.
The chop serve can be altered to cause frontspin and sidespin, as well as backspin. Learning this serve and mastering every variation of it will set you aside from other players.
Fortunately, the chop serve is not difficult to learn. This serve sounds complicated, and it can be tricky to get right in the beginning, but if you take some time to learn the basics of the serve, you will improve upon it every time you play table tennis.
The chop serve is the most basic spin server, but it is also among the most effective serves that any table tennis player can use.

Are Easy Table Tennis Serves Effective?
There are many serves that can be learned for table tennis, and some are far more effective than others, but they are also significantly more challenging to learn and use. This leads some players to wonder if basic serves are worthwhile or if they should just move directly to learning more complicated serves.
The truth is that basic serves are very effective if they are used well, and they can be excellent in the hands of the right player.
Every beginner table tennis player has to learn their first serve to learn more complex versions of those serves to become a better player.
Learning basic serves does not only teach the player how to serve, but it also teaches the player to control the ball and to serve with force, speed, and power, it teaches them how to play better, and it teaches them how to use their paddles better.
Learning basic serves is not only essential for starting to play, but they are essential for making good progress as well.
If a basic serve is done well, it is highly effective for scoring points and winning points in table tennis, especially against another beginner p[layer. It is important for all new players to develop their basic serves to a high skill level in order to use them well, but they are always effective for serving in the game.
There are more effective serves in table tennis, but basic serves are excellent for new players.
Which Easy Serve Is The Most Effective In Table Tennis?
There are several easy serves for new table tennis players to learn, but which is the most effective?
The most effective, easy serve to learn for a new player, once they have learned the basic forehand serve, is the chop serve. The chop serve is a basic backspin serve that can be nearly impossible to return for new players.
If you can learn to use a basic chop serve well, any new player you play against will struggle to return your serves.
Experienced players will return the serve well, but it will be far more challenging for them than a basic forehand or backhand serve.
The chop serv is the most effective, easy serve for any new player to learn, and it can be useful in many different ways during a match. The chop can also be used as a strike, and it is an excellent foundation for learning more complex serves while remaining highly effective on its own.
Is it Worthwhile Learning More Difficult Serves?
Learning easy serves is good for every new table tennis player, and every player needs to learn these serves to begin playing the sport but is it worthwhile to quickly progress to learning more difficult serves?
The reality is that more complex serves are more effective in table tennis, but they are much more difficult to learn than basic serves, and they require much more time and practice.
This means that learning more complex, more effective serves is only useful for players who take the sport seriously, and for those who play very regularly.
Weekend-warrior table tennis players and those who enjoy the game at parties and barbeques do not need to learn these complex serves.
The time and effort required to learn the more complex and highly effective table tennis serves are usually only worthwhile for serious players, but they are available for anyone to learn.
However, for beginner players, it is better to master the basic serves, and the most basic spin serves.
These serves will allow any beginner player to beat other beginners in table tennis without much trouble, and they will teach the player some of the most critical fundamental techniques of playing the sport that will further better their skills.
What To Remember When Serving In Table Tennis
Learning to use table tennis serves well is critical for scoring points and winning matches, but there are some important things to remember when serving in table tennis or the serve may not legal, and it may not be effective.
When serving in table tennis, regardless of the serve, the serve must always be executed behind the baseline of the table, which is the thick white line that forms the edge of the table.
Any serve that is made over the table or passed this line is not legal and must be retaken.
A table tennis serve must be done only after the ball is tossed no less than six inches in the air from an open palm. The ball must be struck on its descent, never on its ascent, and if the ball is thrown with a closed hand or by the fingers, it is not a legal serve.
Keeping the serves within the official rules of the sport ensures that every serve is made fairly and that no player achieves any unfair advantage over another.
To make a serve effective, the player should always try to push the ball forward with their strike, never directly down. If the ball is struck from the top, it will bounce high, move slowly, and be very easy for the opposing player to hit.
If you strike the ball on its back during a serve, the ball will move forward more quickly and be far more challenging to hit. This is true when executing spin serves, but the ball should be struck with more precision.
If you remember these rules and tips when serving, you are sure to execute some excellent serves that will easily win you points in table tennis.
Conclusion
The easiest serve in table tennis is the basic forehand serve that every new player uses instinctively, but the most effective easy serve for a new player to learn is the basic chop serve to give the ball backspin and make it more difficult to return.
Every player should learn to progress further than the basic forehand serve, but it is the easier serve to use and can be effective when used correctly.
References
- https://www.experttabletennis.com/3-table-tennis-serves-every-player-should-master/
- http://www.sunshinetabletennis.com/articles/6-service-rules
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfmPcpi4sfc&t=221s
- https://www.rookieroad.com/table-tennis/what-are-the-types-of-serves-in-table-tennis/
- https://www.allabouttabletennis.com/table-tennis-serve.html
- https://gregsttpages.com/guide-to-table-tennis/beginners-guide-to-table-tennis/basic-concepts-for-table-tennis-beginners/how-to-play-the-basic-strokes-of-table-tennis/how-to-serve-in-table-tennis/beginners-guide-to-serving-in-table-tennis/
- https://www.tabletennisspot.com/learn-up-some-easy-table-tennis-serves/