If you want to improve, then it's important you develop standard third-ball attack serves - serves that are difficult for opponents to attack and set you up to attack, but usually don't win the point outright except when the opponent is overly aggressive. These are usually short or half-long (where second bounce would be right about the far end-line, sometimes barely off). Most opponents will push them back long, allowing you to loop. More advanced opponents may try pushing short or flipping, but if the serve is done properly and with enough variation, it's tricky to stop those third-ball attacks. The importance for most players to develop their game around such serves cannot be overemphasized - not only do they set up the attack, but over time, they allow players to develop their third-ball attacks (like most top players), and so their attacks (including their footwork to position themselves for it) get better and Better and BETTER. Let us call this the Yin.

But there is also the Yang. If you only do third-ball serves, you not only are giving up "free" points, but you are also making things predictable and therefore easier for your opponent. So you should also develop tricky long serves that, if used sporadically, catch the opponent off guard and give you these "free" points, either by outright misses or weak returns. If overused, such serves are susceptible to strong attacks, which is why they should be used sparingly. But if the opponent has to guard against them, then he is less ready to make effective returns of your normal third-ball serves.

The most common third-ball serves (Yin) are short or half-long with backspin (often combined with sidespin) or no-spin. (To serve no-spin, use the same big spin motion you'd use when serving with spin, but contact the ball near the slow-moving handle.) As long as these serves are very low to the net, they will usually set up an attack. You can also serve short topspin or sidespin-topspin as a variation.

The most common tricky deep serves (Yang) are big, breaking sidespins that go deep on the table, often breaking into the wide corners, though they can also break the other way. Another is fast no-spin, which can catch opponents off guard, especially if done right at the playing elbow, between the forehand and backhand. The more you do these types of serves, the more you develop an instinct for when to use them.

Having said all of the above, tricky deep serves can dominate up to a somewhat high level. Even 2000 players struggle returning these serves, if done at a high level and not overusing any one of them. Relying too much on these serves can give a lot of success to a certain extent, but they are limiting, because opponents get used to them, because higher-level players have less problems with them, and because they do not lead to your developing your own game - you instead rely on opponents missing.

But the other extreme, relying completely on third-ball serves, while maximizing your own improvement by developing your attack, is limiting as you are giving away "free" points you might have won, and making things easy for your opponent, who doesn't have to guard against these serves. Plus, if you rarely use tricky deep serves, you won't develop an instinct for when to use them.

So what's the solution? Find a balance. If your goal is to reach the high levels, focus on third-ball serves, but develop a variety of tricky deep serves as variations. If your goal isn't so high, and you are looking for a "quick fix" to improve your rating or ranking, then perhaps develop your game more around such tricky deep serves. (A small number of players have reached very high levels doing this, but it usually involves acrobatic counterlooping when the opponent loops their serve. Some defensive players also do this.)

It's all about finding the balance between Yin and Yang.  

Here are ten "mini-fixes" for little problems you may face as you move up the table tennis rankings.

1. Slippery floors? Put a wet towel on the floor and step on it between points. You've probably seen top players do this; try it, it really works. Also, get new shoes if you are going to play a tournament on a slippery floor.
2. Humid? First, have two towels, one for you, one for the racket and ball. Second, get one of the special sponges designed to dry a damp surface. At Butterfly, they are called Cotton Sponges. (Most major distributors have a version of this.) They really work. Get one, put it in your playing bag, and it'll always be there when you need it.
3. Bad lighting? Close your eyes for ten seconds, then open them, and it will seem brighter. But most important - really focus on watching the ball to the exclusion of all else. Tactically, fast, quick shots are hard to pick up, so look for chances to do that. It's also harder to read spin, so use extreme topspin and backspins, and your spinniest serves.
4. Tired or sleepy? Splash water on your face and it will solve half the problem. (But make sure to get enough rest and sleep next time.)
5. Lost focus or nervous? Clear your mind, and either close your eyes or look at something in the distance for 5-10 seconds. Remember the mindset of the best match you've ever played. Google "Sports Psychology Table Tennis" and lots of useful links will show up. Check out www.dorakurimay.com
6. Losing track of the score? Make sure the server calls the score out after every point.
7. Having trouble getting a good warmup before a tournament? Arrange in advance to warm up with someone that can give you a good warmup.
8. Didn't play well? Practice and get coaching! If you play better in practice than in tournaments, then play lots of tournaments so you get used to them.
9. Not sure about your tactics in a match? Get a coach or top player to coach you in a few matches. Part of the reason for having a coach is to help you win that match, but it's even more important in learning how to play tactically. After you've played a number of matches with a coach talking to you during and after the match you'll get an idea of what you really should be doing out there, as well as what aspects of your game you need to improve. Once you have a better understanding of what's going on out there, most tactics will become reflexive.
10. Can't find the right equipment? Spend some time trying out lots of different rackets and sponges, borrowing from everyone at your club or (if you can afford it) buy lots of equipment to try out. You need to have a good idea of what's out there before you find the right combination for you. Once you find that right combo, stick with it until there's either a major change in your game or a major new equipment innovation.

Many matches are decided in the rallies. The Larry Line (can I copyright that?) is that level of speed, quickness, and spin (done consistently) that overwhelms a given opponent so that they start to either fall apart or are forced to back up and play defensively. Everyone has such a line; if you can find your opponent's and are able to play just above that Line, the opponent will become erratic or be forced to play defensively. The key here is not over-playing by going so far above this Line that you lose consistency. If you play just below it, then the opponent will feel comfortable and won't make many mistakes. Play 1% above it and your opponent will start to miss or make weak returns that you can put away.

Here's the corollary - if, instead, your opponent is able to find your Larry Line and you are unable to play above his, then you have to develop alternate tactics. Sometimes you can win because the opponent overplays, going well above your Line, and so makes too many mistakes. (Or, if they are a weaker player, they simply lack consistency whether above or below your Line.) Otherwise, either you play more defensive (usually stepping back to give yourself more time to react), or dominate with serve and receive, with early attacks that end the point before getting into too many losing rallies. But then, once the match is over, go practice to raise your Larry Line - because, if you are like me, you draw the line at losing!

Often an opponent serves short backspin or no-spin serves to the middle or backhand, and all you can do is push it back. If so, you should develop your flip. But there's an alternative that's often overlooked - a simple quick, deep push to the wide backhand.

To do this, you take the serve right off the bounce, aiming it wide to the server's backhand. You can either hit it relatively fast to the wide corner, or (often better) hit it a bit softer (with a slightly downward stroke to keep the ball low), but outside the backhand corner – essentially, you chip it back. Give it a good backspin, though placement and consistency are more important. The result? First, it pretty much takes the server's forehand attack out of play. (If they do step around and forehand loop, next time try the same receive, aiming to the backhand again, but at the last second push it quick to the forehand.) Second, even if they have a strong backhand attack, they will be rushed, angled, and have to move sideways to make the shot. In most cases, since they are being rushed, jammed, and forced to move sideways, their attacks will be inconsistent or weak, along with putting them out of position - and so it's likely they'll just push it back. Congratulations, you've just disarmed their service game!

As a corollary, it's helpful to develop your backhand loop as this tactic will often lead to a serve and push to your backhand. A consistent, spinny backhand loop against backspin is a huge weapon as a "four-ball" attack - opponent serves, you chip it to their backhand, they push it back to your backhand, and you backhand loop.

We're going to have a little fun this week. There's more to table tennis than just going to the table and relentlessly trying to win. There's also the fun part! And next to lobbing, the funnest thing I do in table tennis is blowing the ball in the air. I know, because it's often what I'm asked to demonstrate more than anything else!!!

What am I talking about, blowing the ball? Here's video of the trick, from an interview I did in 2020 with Kevin Nguyen. (The link should take you to 38:45.) Notice that I'm not just blowing the ball up, but I'm blowing it sideways - and somehow, magically, it just floats in mid-air. Here's how you do it.

First, learn to do it straight up. To do this, face straight up. (In the video, I'm facing somewhat sideways, but you can't start that way.) Hold the ball a few inches from your mouth. Blow gently, and then release the ball. The key is to find the right distance and how hard you blow the ball, so that when you release the ball, it doesn't shoot up or down - it just stays where you let it go. If you don't get this right, and the ball goes up or down as you release it, you'll lose control. You'll notice from the video that I started blowing first, and when I released the ball, it barely moved.

Once you've mastered this, you can move to the next step - blowing the ball sideways. The key here is to blow the top of the ball. Most think you blow under the ball, but that won't work. If you watch the video closely, you'll see that when I release the ball, the top of the ball immediately begins to spin away from me, since I'm blowing the top of the ball. This spin causes the Magnus effect - the same thing that makes a topspin ball drop and a backspin ball float (or curve upward if there were no gravity). By spinning the top of the ball away from me, it creates a low pressure area on the top of the ball, and a high pressure area on the bottom of the ball. Result? The low pressure area pulls the ball up, while the high pressure area pushes it up. Result - the ball "magically" floats in mid-air!

So . . . get practicing! When you can do it, show it to me (and everyone else) at a tournament!