After reading hundreds of coaching articles, taking lessons, practicing at home, playing at the club, and competing in tournament, you are probably wondering…  “When will I improve?”  You will improve your game when you begin making the right decisions and are consistently able to execute your shots.  So what kind of right decisions are necessary for improvement?  This is the exact topic that I will be talking about in this article - Decisions.  I will be talking about two game styles to illustrate my point – the looper and the chopper.
 
If you are a 2-wing looper, are you making the right decisions about when to use your forehand and when to use your backhand?  Are you making the right decisions about when to flip the serve and when to push short against the serve?  After your opponent attacks, are you making right decisions about when to block and when to counterloop?  After looping the first ball, are you making right decisions with staying close to the table and stepping back slightly?  If you are making the right decisions and practicing the right things, then your big jump of improvement is right around the corner!  If you are using your backhand from the wide forehand side, it will be tough to hit a strong shot.  If you are trying to push short on a long topspin serve, then it will likely go high and long.  Just like good decisions will help make you consistent, bad decisions will make you inconsistent!
 
If you are a chopper, are you making the right decisions about when to push with pips verses when to push with inverted?  Are you making the right decisions about when to chop with your forehand and when to counterloop with your forehand?  Are you making the right decisions about when to chop with spin and when to chop with a no-spin variation?  If you are making the right decisions and practicing the right things, then your big jump of improvement is right around the corner! 
 
You can apply this theory to any game style.  Practice doesn’t guarantee improvement!  Making wise choices and choosing the right shot at the right time will put you on the path of improvement.  With dedicated practice time, you should be well on your way to the next level!