Learn to read your opponents movement and exploit space on the table
Being aware of your opponents position on the table and placing the ball accordingly can be key to success in match play. In this example you can see in the slow motion the player takes a small step towards his backhand side after the serve and Academy coach Tom Maynard spots this and plays his backhand flick wide to the forehand where the opponent can’t reach.
This situation can happen often against players who like to play forehands all over the table, as they try to move around to the backhand side they leave space in the wide forehand which can be exploited.
Its easy to get tunnel vision when playing and only focus on your side of the table and your own shots, but training yourself to watch your opponents and concentrate on good ball placement is often more effective than simply trying to play faster and harder.
One of our recent Academy videos takes a look at this tactic in greater detail here.
