How Much Do You Use Tactics In Your Matches?

Do you have set plays you like to use?
Image taken from a great site
experttabletennis.com

I am beginning to realize just how big tactics come into play in my table tennis matches.

I've recently had a decent string of winning a higher percentage of my matches and one thing that has stood out for me when I think about the ones I won vs the ones I lost. I'm largely using tactics & exploiting weaknesses to win.

Before you say "Well of course you need to use tactics to win." let me explain.

I know players who simply like to hit and are very good at it and getting into their game or style of points. Perhaps these players hit with a lot of speed and/or spin and it's simply hard to deal with. They overwhelm you. Those players exist. But for myself, I'm finding if I play more to a players weakness, even if it means playing shots that are not necessarily my strengths, I'm having more success exploiting that.

Kiss: Keep it simple stupid.

I am finding the more I simplify the game and try to give myself easy shots while trying to maximize the number of hard shots my opponent has to deal with, the better are my chances. What I mean by giving hard shots for my opponent doesn't mean difficult shots to hit in general. It means shots that player isn't as strong with thus are more difficult for them at that point in time. Perhaps a year down the line that player will no longer have a problem with that situation. Doesn't matter. The key thing is targeting what they struggle with now. What is tough for them might be easy for another. It's all about that individual matchup.

Example: I was playing a developing player at our club who is coming along nicely. Last time we played, he got the better of me in my EJ days, (see post here) which left me less than pleased with myself at the time. Today was payback time. While the serve is usually a big weapon for me, he's starting to play me enough times to be able to neutralize that more & more. Then it happened. I realized this player is simply struggles and/or has little confidence in his backhand. Why should I try to get fancy with my serves trying pendulum serves, reverse pendulum serves, etc when I can simply put the ball in play to his backhand and good things will happen? 

So that's what I did. In our match, i would switch it up and often stand middle table and simply start the rally to his backhand with speed serves of slight varying spin. You would have thought I was starting warm up if you didn't know a match was going on. Sure enough his inexperience & lack of confidence in his backhand showed and I must have got 7-8 easy points that way in a match that's best 3 out of 5. That's a big percentage.

I am a big believer in trying to acquire easy points here & there in a given match. If you can find what the player really struggles with, why not take a freebie? You don't have to hit every ball as a winner to get a point. Again, "keep it simple stupid."

You can use this approach to avoid weaknesses in your own game as well. I myself personally have never enjoyed, when i was playing the duel inverted, the push to push game waiting for someone to open up. I simply never had much confidence in my ability to outlast my opponent in this area thus i use to often opened up too early or at the wrong time going for tough shots. However in playing the style that most suits me, the short pip/long pip twiddle game, I like how I can opt to push with the short pips or twiddle with the long pips and attack that backspin giving my opponent topspin. For me it's an easy open up. So why not take it?

One penholder at our club is very talented in the fast pace topspin to topspin game. Thus, he serves long, spiny & fast the majority of the time. That's suicide right? Maybe for the pros but not on the level 99% of us will play. The returner has little choice but to be forced into attacking that ball getting into the exact style of point he's looking for and excels at. Simple approach that works for him on the recreational level.

If I were playing 2200 level players routinely, perhaps my approach of targeting an opponent's weakness vs trying to overpower them would have to be different as those players do not struggle with too many areas in their game. However that is not, and most likely will never be the case for me in playing that caliber of player. Most people you play have some sort of weakness. Exploit it. And if they don't, then at least stay away from their strengths to maximize your chances.

Evaluate your games and let me know if you feel you do the same. Do you currently evaluate your tactics during a match? Looking for weaknesses to exploit? Or are you the type of player that can turn their mind of during a game (which has its own benefits) and freely hit playing your game regardless? Let me know which approach you believe to be best.