The Art of Table Tennis

Anyone who plays Table Tennis at the post-beginner level will know that it is a game of tricks and disguises. You fake a shot to the forehand of your opponent while the shot goes to the backhand. You hit the ball with a back-spin but the ball goes straight through with no-spin. You vary your top spin speed and force a mistake from your opponent. The bigger your bag of tricks is the better are your chances for a win.

But, the bag doesnt get big just like that. You have to develop great control over your shots. You should be able to play the shots at different positions in the balls trajectory and you should be able to recover your position faster after each shot.
And then there is the pace of the game to consider. You should be able to bring it under control. Often times, between two players of equal calibre, its the player who can control the pace that wins. Its all about position and timing! Its an Art!

Speaking of tricks It is imposible to lowlight the importance of a good service. It should be definitely be a part of your bag of tricks, preferably with a few subtle variants which are difficult to spot.

Thus spake my friend Bijoy, the TT master.