Forehand Pendulum Serve

Before I evaluate my strategy, I should figure out where I start each point. This is serves and service returns. I'll be breaking down my serves by motion and my service returns by spin and placement. First up is my most used serve, the forehand pendulum.

I use this serve for the reasons everybody states. It leaves me ready to hit a forehand and the side-spin brings the ball back towards me, which gives the opportunity to play my stronger forehand against my opponents backhand. Besides this there probably isn't much advantage over other serves. It is the only one of the four most used service motions that has the correct side-spin. (Those four would be the forehand pendulum, forehand reverse pendulum, forehand tomahawk, and backhand pendulum.) If one could develop a serve that has the correct side-spin and still have decent spin and disguise, it could be a big advantage. Possible candidates are the backhand tomahawk, Jeff's reaching forehand serve, hitting the other side of the ball on the forehand tomahawk, and left handed serving then switching hands.

Back to the FHP, I basically use two motions with this serve. One motion for side-spin serves, that emphasizes the side-backspin and the other that's close to pure topspin. I also have a slightly different motion for pure side spin. This motion needs to add a topspin and/or a backspin variation to be truely effective. I'll analyze each serve by depth, placement, and amount of spin.

Motion 1 (Open Faced):
This serve is done with an open face. I have three spin variations from this serve, back-side, top-side, and no spin. Overall I'd say my deception between the three is OK.

Back Spin: Probably the most developed of these spin variations. I can out spin most players at the club with this at least once. When I'm going for the full amount of spin I lose control of the placement, so that it can go half long or triple bounce. I can serve this serve long with good speed and spin, but this probably needs more practice to perfect consistency and placement.

When I serve this short and wide to the backhand I should expect a push towards the middle of the table or a flip cross court to backhand side. Against the push return I can loop cross court or down the line. If it's flipped, I'd probably lose the point, probably try to block to forehand side. There's a third possibility of a loop, but I haven't played anyone, who can do this consistently.

Serving a double bounce, I can expect the same returns. This time the push comes to the backhand side. I can loop backhand, or step around my forehand. The preferred return is a forehand cross court to the backhand side. If needed I can push and reset for a fifth ball attack. It's possible against some opponents to serve this half long to invite a weak backhand loop, that I can smash or do a controlled block.

In the long variations, I can attack a player who doesn't have a strong loop or a looper who likes to step around the backhand.

Things to work on for this serve: On the double bounce, serve the first bounce closer to the line. Serve this with less side spin to invite a weak forehand flip. Learn to serve fast to forehand side to attack a weak forehand loop against backspin.

Topspin: This variation lacks a bit of spin. Mostly I play this serve to the wide backhand. At the level it is at right now, I can only use it as variation to try and get my opponent to push it. Then I can do an easy put away loop. If it's read correctly, the spin it too weak to prevent an attack. I need to improve the spin, before this can be a staple serve.

No Spin: I've just begun developing this serve. Haven't used it enough to really know this serve. I have been getting people with this serve.

Motion 2 (Neutral face):
This serve is only a long serve. It is done by hitting the ball close to the table around net height with around a neutral face. I only have a topspin and a no spin variation. My wrist movement exists, but is muted compared to the first motion. The keys to this serve are speed, height, and placement. I feel this serve is about as developed as it'll get. I'm mostly looking for outright winners with this serve. I get three different returns against this serve.

Any type of backspin return is popped up and usually is an outright winner.

Attacks against the no spin variation almost always hit the top of the net. These are blocked back with speed to good effect sometimes. Attacks against the topspin usually fall long, as the attacks are outspun. If the attack actually falls it's usually a winner from the speed of my serve. Using placement wide to the forehand, wide to the backhand, or at the elbow prevents most players from attacking this serve with any consistency.

Blocks are the only shot that have effect, but I can take away from the effectiveness of this shot with good placement.

So basically if any of the elements I metioned before are off, this serve is easily attacked for a winner. It works well against players below 2000. Past that the lack of side spin it too much of a weakness. I also have no plans after I do these serves as I'm expecting out right winners either way. From a miss hit serve being killed or the serve overpowering the oppenent. Further study of the uses of this serve is needed to develop a third ball attack off of this serve.

Other motions:
I use a slightly different motion than these two for my pure side spin variation. If I can develop a topspin variation to use with the side spin, this could become a third motion that I use. I'm also trying to develop another topspin serve that I swing up from below the ball, more like Jeff uses for his topspin variation.

There are many possible avenues to explore here for improving the service. The first thing I should work on is understanding the third ball attack for motion 2. I also need to develop the other spin variations for motion 1. My current topspin variation from motion 1 is almost a different motion, since I follow though upwards instead of downwards. I should revist this serve after I've developed all these motions and variations more completely.

To recap on new motions. We have a forehand open faced with a downward follow through, an open faced with an upwards follow through, the neutral faced (motion 2), the side spin variation that is also done with a neutral face, but the edge of the blade is facing the receiver. This could help obscure the contanct point. So really three service motions to develop.