You have practiced your attack for months…
 
Hired a physical trainer…
 
Perfected your favorite table tennis robot drills…
 
Purchased the newest equipment…
 
Watched every table tennis video on the market…
 
Held tight to your diet…
 
Prepared mentally for your first tournament…
 
BUT failed to win a single match! What went wrong? As an offensive player, your experienced opponents were probably able to attack first.
 

Blog --- Mental Strategies Part IX
Think Quickly!
 
 
     In practice matches, you probably play against opponents that you feel comfortable playing against.  You understand your opponent’s basic strengths, weaknesses, serves, and common patterns.  Often, in a tournament, you will compete against a variety of styles.  From the first few points, it is critical that you quickly make a game plan then continue to readjust your game plan as the match progresses.

Four Elements of Footwork
 
“If I can lose 10 pounds, my footwork will really improve!”
This is a common statement made by hundreds of club players nationwide.  Yes, their footwork probably will improve, but losing 10 pounds is only 1 of the 4 elements to having excellent footwork.  I have seen some great athletes (in other sports) who had very poor footwork in table tennis.  I have also seen some 300 pound table tennis players who had decent footwork.
 
Element #1 Mechanics