Manika Batra wants to change the wrong rules
Posted: April 30th, 2026, 7:30 pm
In the context of current rule, there is a good reason why you cannot have your hands over the table when you start the serve.
If you allow a player to have their hands anywhere over the table, they could literally have their hands within a feet of the net and start their serve
That would be absurd & that turns table tennis into asilly basement game.
This is very similar to why ITTF had to ban finger spin serves
As far vertical toss, I believe there is a ten degree allowance from the vertical.
And if I am not mistaken there is a proposal at the 2026 AGM in London to change it to 30 degrees .
I am not sure it is a good idea because if you allow 10 degrees , the players will argue at 30 degrees .
If you allow 30 degrees, player will argue 50 degrees.
So I think current near vertical rule is fair.
If you allow a player to have their hands anywhere over the table, they could literally have their hands within a feet of the net and start their serve
That would be absurd & that turns table tennis into asilly basement game.
This is very similar to why ITTF had to ban finger spin serves
As far vertical toss, I believe there is a ten degree allowance from the vertical.
And if I am not mistaken there is a proposal at the 2026 AGM in London to change it to 30 degrees .
I am not sure it is a good idea because if you allow 10 degrees , the players will argue at 30 degrees .
If you allow 30 degrees, player will argue 50 degrees.
So I think current near vertical rule is fair.