Many players reflexively reach for the ball when caught out of position. This means leaning toward the ball, with your weight on the foot in the direction you are trying to move - and so you can no longer move in that direction! And so, rather than move into position you are forced to lunge for the ball. If you'd instead stepped, you would be in a much better position to make a good shot. This is a fundamental problem that should be fixed. Instead, the first reflex should be to step to the ball, while staying balanced. Reaching should only happen as a last resort. (Stepping includes shuffling so both of your feet move together.)

The only "good" lunging is after you have already stepped to the ball, and still cannot reach it. (It means you were truly caught out of position, a separate problem you might want to address.)

One way to practice this is to imagine a loose-fitting hat on your head, or actually wear one. Try to move without the hat falling off. This forces you to stay balanced as you move to the ball rather than lunge. And then, if you still can't get to the ball, only then should you make a last-second lunge as your hat falls off.

Mike Tyson once said, "I tried to punch his nose bone into his brain." That's a rather graphic way of showing how to maximize power as well as killer instinct. (That's a separate issue.) But it is one of the reasons why he had such power. In boxing, they tell you to punch through the target. This forces you to accelerate your fist through the target, thereby maximizing power.

The principle is the same in table tennis. When you are looping or smashing, don't think of hitting the ball; think of accelerating through the ball. If you just hit the ball, then you lose much of this natural power. Don't try to spastically "muscle" the ball; it should be a smooth acceleration through the ball, leading to "natural power."

And if you want to add in some killer instinct, smack the ball so it goes right through the table! That way you not only get power . . . but you make sure it actually hits the table.

In the standard random drill, one player (the "feeder") plays backhand (or forehand) randomly anywhere while the other player (the "driller") keeps it to his backhand (or forehand). There are really two things going on here, as both players are actually doing a drill.

For the "driller," he's reacting to ("neuromuscular adaptation"), moving to (footwork), and stroking (technique) the ball. He's also learning to recover from the placements of the feeder. This is one of the most game-like rally drills you can do. Do the drill regularly and it becomes instinctive.

For the "feeder," it's key to remember that he's also doing the drill. However, his focus is on consistency and placement. Consistency is key, as with all drills. However, to get the most out of this drill, focus equally on placement. This is where you learn to go to the "three spots" - wide forehand, wide backhand, or elbow (midway between forehand and backhand). But it’s not just randomly playing the three spots – this drill allows players to learn what combinations work. For example, when you go at the middle, it forces the opponent to move out of position to play forehand or backhand – and so one of the corners open up. Sometimes the player overreacts to cover the open corner, and so the other corner is the one that opens up. This drill allows the backhand player to learn how best to maneuver the opponent around. Do the drill regularly, and it becomes instinctive.

In both cases above, the key phrase was "Do the drill regularly, and it becomes instinctive." When it becomes instinctive, you'll do it in a game, and your level will shoot up.

A common problem for many players is starting slow. Often they have a bad loss or two before they get going, and from there on they play well - but it's too late for that tournament. And this happens over and over. I struggled with it for many years as well - in fact, in my early days, I relied on my serves at the start until the rest of my game came around. If not for my serves, I would have lost the first game to just about everyone competitive. But I solved this problem. Here's how.  

The key is both physical and mental. Physically, players do too much robotic warmup, and so aren't ready for real play. Instead, the last few days before a tournament should include lots of random drills and match play, and that prepares you better. Before playing the first match in a tournament, it's also best to play real points to prepare. Everyone's different - when the Hungarians famously upset the Chinese at the 1979 Worlds, I’m told they did two three-hour practice sessions just before the final, back-to-back, with only a short break in between to prepare. But they were in incredible shape. I used to need about an hour to warm up and be at my best.

Mentally, it's a matter of getting yourself into the same mental state you'd be in later on, when "in the zone." Being in the zone isn't anything magical, it's just a matter of focus. Some do this easily; some have to play (and often lose) several matches before getting into it. Instead, as I always tell my students, "Think of the mental state you were in during the best match you've ever played." Then go into the match with that same mentality, for every match you ever play. For me, I spent many years remembering the mentality I had when I beat 2550 player Rey Domingo in 1990, 21-15, 21-14. It was magic – everything seemed in slow motion and I could do no wrong. That's what worked for me when I had to overcome this same problem many years ago and has worked for many others I've coached. 

The key is to go into the match able to "play free," where mental and physical overlap. The physical side means letting yourself go and just reacting to an incoming ball. That's why predictable warmups like forehand to forehand or standard footwork drills won't by themselves prepare you for a match - you aren't reacting to an unpredictable ball since you know roughly where the ball is going, and so aren't working on "playing free." Besides playing points (not necessarily games), a great drill to get into this is a standard random drill, such as where your partner blocks to all parts of the table and you just react, FH or BH, like in a game, except keeping it to one side, either forehand or backhand. This allows a player to get into "playing free."

It's also good to have a code word or phrase that you tell yourself, that helps signal your subconscious that it's time to play. I always feel a bit sluggish early on, and so mine has always been simply "push yourself." I would say this to myself between points as I walked about, and it worked, both physically and mentally.

I think you'll find these 20 general tips useful. Many are covered in other Tips, but now they are compiled in one listing!

1. If your opponent hits the ball aggressively at your crossover point between your forehand and backhand (where your playing elbow is), return it mostly with your backhand if you are close to the table, with your forehand if you are away from the table.
2. Learn to place your shots either to the wide corners or to the opponent's crossover point between backhand and forehand (roughly his playing elbow).
3. When the incoming ball is traveling slowly (serves, pushes, chops, etc.) use more wrist. When the ball is traveling fast (fast drives or loops, etc.), use less wrist.
4. If your opponent is looping your serve effectively, you have three options: 1. Serve shorter (so ball would bounce twice before going off the end of the table) so opponent can't loop; 2. Serve faster, so he cannot get into position or react; 3. Lose.
5. If your opponent keeps hitting forehand winners from his backhand corner, play to his forehand first, and then come back to his backhand.
6. When playing a combination racket, don't avoid the off-surface. The off-surface (long pips, anti, etc.) is a weakness in your opponent's game, or everyone would use the stuff. Learn how to exploit it and play both sides tactically.
7. Don't go into a match with the goal of winning - it can only hurt. Go into the match with the goal of playing your best, and you will maximize your chances of winning.
8. Age and smart tactics will often beat youth, athleticism, skill, and poor tactics.
9. Learn to serve legally. Someday an umpire might require you to do so.
10. There is nothing more sorry than working for the point, getting the shot you want, and hitting it to the one spot on the table your opponent can reach. Place your shots.
11. If, in a typical game, you miss two easy winning shots because of lack of concentration, you are rated at least 100 points lower than you would be if you concentrated throughout.
12. If you have trouble topspinning against backspin, you probably aren't opening your racket enough. If you have to strain to lift a backspin ball, you definitely need to open your racket more.
13. When you block, sink the ball straight through the sponge to the wood. You should hear and feel the wood. (This is different than a "topspin" block where you essentially spin the ball off the bounce.)
14. Develop two types of serves: serves that you can consistently follow up with the type of attack or rally that you want, and "trick" serves meant to fool an opponent outright. Develop both, but rely on the first type. Don't overuse the latter or they will lose their effectiveness.
15. One of the quickest ways to improve is to learn to serve short (usually backspin) and, since most players will push it back long, follow with a well-placed forehand or backhand loop.
16. A spinless serve that looks spinny is more effective than a spinny serve that looks spinny. To serve no-spin, simply contact the ball near the throat of the blade (where racket travels slowest) instead of near the tip (where racket moves fastest), but still use a spinny-looking motion.
17. It is easier to serve short consistently if you make the first bounce on your side of the table closer to the net, and by grazing the ball so the ball has more spin than forward motion.
18. To serve the ball so it bounces very low on the other side, contact the ball at net level or lower; graze it so it's mostly spin; make first bounce closer to your own endline but not so close that you can't keep it short (assuming you want to); and have it cross the net as low as possible.
19. When serving fast, make the first bounce on your side of the table as close to your endline as possible. Make the second bounce on the opponent's side of table as close to his endline as possible. This maximizes the amount of table for the ball to drop onto, and so maximizes how fast you can serve. It also jams and rushes the opponent by going deep.
20. If you win the first game easily against a player near your level, watch out! He has nothing to lose in the next game, and you do.