Image Up Advertising & Design

58 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | OCTOBER 2023 Hello Pickleballers! October brings out the cooler weather on the pickleball courts, hopefully. Therefore, we put our best foot forward in our game, pick up our paddle (put down the broomstick: no, it is not an alternative paddle) and try not to knock down our classy pickleball sign on our courts. Come on out and join the fun. Witches, warlocks, and gremlins are welcome to join our Saturday morning 9:30 am drills to perfect your "ghoulish game" and don't forget to wear a stunningly crazy costume on Halloween. C u on the courts. ~ Karen Reed, kbfini@gmail.com Pickleball Aside, perhaps, from the offensive top spin slam that wins many points in table tennis, the next most powerful stroke where one player has a distinct advantage is the serve. The server controls the speed and direction of the ball, and probably most importantly, the amount and direction of the spin he/she generates. This is why using legal and proper technique when serving in table tennis is so critically important to the game. Many beginners or those just playing recreationally tend to serve by holding the ball in their closed fist and strike it directly from that position. Any spin that is generated by this method is generally invisible to the opponent. For this reason, this technique is illegal in tournament play. There are six basic steps to the legal table tennis serve that many should practice if they are serious about the game: • Prior to being struck, the ball must be placed in the middle of your flat palm above the table end line so it is visible to your opponent throughout the entire stroke. This position prevents the server from imparting spin on the ball with his/her fingers. (see the illustration above) • The server then tosses the ball up in a near-vertical direction a minimum of 6 inches, or about the height of the net, as seen in the photographs. • The serve stroke must begin and end behind the end line of the table. The server may move to the side of the table when serving, but must be behind the extended end line throughout the entire stroke. • It is illegal to position your arm in any way during the toss in an effort to hide the ball and conceal the spin. The ball must be visible to your opponent at all times. The Spin 'n Slam Table Tennis Club is open to all ping pong fanatics who are serious about the sport, and are at least cognizant of the legal technique of serving the ball. We usually meet on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 10 am. If you haven't played ping pong since your basement or garage days, feel free to come to the Courts and join us. Good serving. ~ Bob Rubenstein, brube88@gmail.com Spin 'n Slam Table Tennis Dusty witches broom is an alternative paddle for Halloween Bev Haller, Shelley Allard, and Karen Reed under crazy court sign Put your best foot forward

• Cover