Many coaches, including myself for many years, encouraged up-and-coming players to return serves aggressively, even against short serves. So, they learned to flip short serves aggressively, allowing them to control the point. This often worked. But then I noticed that these types of players, in the long run 1) rarely develop good touch with pushing (short or long), and 2) rarely develop a good defense when the other player attacks.

What does this mean? Players who are willing to push long against short serves are developing two things.

First, they develop the backspin ball control that will allow them to push effectively, both long and (later on) short. At higher levels especially, if all you can do is return long (whether pushing or flipping), then opponents just step back slightly and loop everything back at you. That's why top players all need to learn to push short as well - and you can't do that by waiting until you are relatively advanced and then starting from scratch. You are years behind in developing the backspin touch that others learned by pushing serves back, first developing the long push, and then, when you have good backspin control, pushing short as well.  

Second, they don't learn how to play effectively when the opponent attacks first. We can all live in a dreamworld where whenever the opponent attacks, we effortlessly counterloop as if we were Ma Long. But realistically, you need to be able to handle many or most of these attacks by blocking, especially on the backhand.

Conclusion? Even if you can flip short serves, if you do it all the time, you are limiting your development. Instead, learn to both flip and push (both long and short), and learn to deal with opponent's attacks. (Learn to push long effectively before learning to push short.) And here's the part that you may most need to hear. If you generally have trouble with the opponent's loop when you push long, then guess what you need to do? Push long in practice games as a regular thing until you both have an effective deep push, and are comfortable with the opponent’s loops. When that happens, you'll be a better player.

There was a time that the smash, especially on the forehand side, was considered the most important shot in the game. Japanese and then Chinese players dominated with forehand hitting in the 1950s and 1960s, and often into the '70s and '80s, often using short pips. But in modern times, looping has dominated. When I started playing in 1976, you could almost divide players by whether they were hitters or loopers, plus blockers and choppers. (Note that the terms smash and kill mean the same.)

These days, at least at higher levels, it's basically all loopers with very few exceptions. Killing has nearly died out - except for loop kills and against lobs.

There will always be a place for smashing. Most still smash against lobs, though many these days loop even against those. Those that do tend to play long rallies against good lobbers since their loops don't quite have the penetrating power of a pure smash. Against high balls that aren't lobs, many still smash, though as you go to the higher levels, more and more they just loop. (There's a reason for this - not only does the extra topspin give more consistency, but it allows them to focus on just one shot - looping - rather than developing both a loop and a smash.)

Below the higher levels smashing is often easier against higher balls than looping. It takes a lot of training to really develop a good, powerful loop, though once developed it's extremely consistent against weak balls. Looping is also harder for older players or players not in top shape.

So, should you develop a good smash? It depends on your aspirations, playing style, and physical fitness. If you aspire to reach the higher levels, you should probably focus on looping, though smashing is always an option off higher balls. But there are plenty of hitters at the near and often elite levels. Among older players, hitters tend to dominate over loopers. In fact, it's almost like revenge of the hitters - after years of perhaps losing to athletic loopers, when they get older, it's the hitters that tend to dominate. However, older players generally need to hit from both sides to be effective since they generally cannot cover as much of the table with the forehand as they could when they were younger.

Personally, I started out as a hitter, learned to loop and became about 50-50 between them. Now that I'm older, I still loop, especially against backspin, but once in a rally, more and more I find myself hitting. It's just a shorter, quicker, less physical shot. I've even considered going to short pips on either the forehand or backhand, or perhaps both. I tend to prefer inverted as it allows both options. But that's just me. How about you?

When you see a ball you can put away, mentally (and possibly physically) your eyes go wide, you smile (perhaps inwardly), and you prepare to pulverize the ball with every bit of muscle-pounding power you can muster.

NO!!!

Never hit a ball with "full power." That's in quotes because I'm referring to the idea of using every muscle at full, spastic power. It's called "muscling" the ball, which is a bad habit. If you do that, you get a jerky swing that you cannot really control, and you often lose the greater power of a smooth, power-generating swing. This is especially true when looping.

Instead, you want to smoothly use the appropriate muscles in natural sequence. If you do that, you not only keep control of the swing, but you actually get as much or more power than if you spastically try to use every muscle at 100%. You generate power not by jerking a muscle at full speed, but by smoothly accelerating into the ball so that your racket reaches maximum velocity as it accelerates through the ball. For example, on a forehand loop or smash it starts with the weight shift from the legs, then the hips and waist, shoulders, arm, and wrist. And then you not only get a satisfying POW or WHOOSH . . . the ball actually hits the table consistently.

When you start out, the coach is the BOSS. If you are smart, you'll do what he says. Sometimes you'll have a coach that just doesn't work for you, or perhaps he's just not a good coach - and then perhaps you should switch coaches. But once you have a good and compatible coach, listen to the coach.

But as you advance in the sport, you become more experienced. As I've written in the past, if you want to become a good player, you have to become the world's top authority on Your Game. As you approach that, your work with a coach becomes more of a collaboration. He's the expert on developing table tennis players; you are the expert on your game. If the coach is a good one, he'll listen to you, and you should listen to him - and then, working together, you can become the best you can possibly be.

Make sure to discuss your game with the coach. You need to both have the same vision as to where you are trying to go in terms of style and level. Take the long strategic view, and GO FOR IT!

What does your opponent do that most threatens you? it's important to find this out as early in a match as possible - or, ideally, before the match begins. That's why it's important to scout out opponents, either by watching them live or on video, or asking others about them.

Once you know what their strengths are, it's very simple: How can you nullify it? Because if you can't, you've already lost.

To use a simple example, suppose a player is really good at serving backspin and then looping any long push. He's unstoppable!!! Unless . . . you don't give him that long push that he likes to loop. And at most levels, most players often just push serves back, over and over, even if the opponent is effective at attacking them.

Instead, figure out early on how to stop his strength. In this case, you have a number of options - and it's always mind-boggling how so many players either don't think of these things, or - more often - don't think of them at the table, and only after the match figure it out. So, how would you stop this? If the serve is even slightly long, then loop it. (If you can't, learn to.) If it's short, then you have all sorts of possibilities. Flip. Push short. Push long but very quick off the bounce and fast and at a wide angle. Push long but super heavy or with varying spin at wide angles. Perhaps discuss it with other players or coaches, and they may have suggestions. Find what works!

If you can't do what it takes to stop the opponent's strength, then it's up to you develop what's needed to do so . . . for next time. Go to it!