How to Win at Table Tennis (When You’re Playing Bad)

Last Updated on April 24, 2024 by Alex Horscroft

We all wish we could be Ma Long. Immune to mistakes with picture-perfect form. Yet the reality is we can’t, and that’s okay. We all have off days… and on days for that matter. It sure does feel amazing when you’re overperforming and crushing your puny opponents underneath your boot.

But what do you do on those days when nothing is going right?

You know full well what I’m talking about. You’re hitting air half of the time, and of the balls you do hit, your opponent puts them away as if you picked up the sport a few days ago.

Well today, I’m here to answer exactly that.

My Horror Performance Last Week

Before we get into the tips I want to quickly touch on what inspired this post — my horror performance last week.

For context, I’m a division 1 player in my county and I have been playing for the division 3 team at my club to help them out. A bit naughty I know and I do feel a bit guilty, but hey, life’s unfair.

Anywho, I’m expected to deliver three out of three wins each time I play. And previously, that’s how it has worked out. However, last week I’m not sure if I walked under a ladder or got hexed, but for whatever reason, the table tennis gods sought to punish me.

I played the worst table tennis I have played in years, and scraped by in my toughest match winning in five sets after saving two match points. I had to call on absolutely everything from my bag of tricks and only just got the job done.

If this is evidence of anything, it’s that bad days can be seriously bad. However, you shouldn’t stop fighting, even if you are certain that you are going to lose.

My Top Tips

1. Identify a Weakness

As with any time you are playing a new opponent, your first step should be to identify any flaws in their game. Sure you may be two games down and have come up empty so far, but you should still seek to test your opponent everywhere.

Finding just one weakness that you can exploit can completely shift the momentum of a match. And there are plenty of places you can look, think angles, short balls, long balls, different types of spin, varying levels of speed. You get the picture.

2. Rely on Your Serves

While relying on serves can certainly be counter-intuitive, I can’t recall how many times my serves have saved my ass.

They are the only time in a match where you have complete control of the ball. So if you’re struggling at implementing your will during points, try focusing on winning points outright from serves or third-ball attacks.

Remember, variance is key. Do the same serve too often and your opponents may figure it out.

3. Revert to Basic Serves

On the flip side, your determination to win points using particular serves may be part of what is killing your game. I for one am guilty of this far too often. Whenever you’re trailing in a match, you need to make a change, and switching to a basic serve could just do the trick.

Think of it like when you are playing a long pimples player. Sure a heavy and fast topspin pendulum serve may win you the point, but if the ball lands back on your side of the table it can be a right mess to deal with! Instead, a light chop serve sets you up much better for the third ball.

4. Experiment With Spin

While this won’t work for everyone, experimenting with spin is one of my preferred strategies when things aren’t going my way. As a very spinny player, I can produce above-average spin which usually gives my opponents trouble.

This usually takes the form of slow-rollover loops, but I’ll throw in heavy pushes and sidespin pushes too to see how my opponent handles them.

5. Resort to Pushing

I know, I know. It’s lame and I feel dirty writing this. As an offensive looper, I almost feel like I’m betraying my kind!

But hey! Sometimes you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do to secure the win!

If you’re an attacking player and mis-hitting most of your offensive shots, switching to pushing is a perfectly viable strategy. When pitted against a fellow attacker, you just need to force some extra mistakes out of them.

Vary the spin on your pushes and keep most of them short so that they can’t open up. This will frustrate them and increase the likelihood of them attacking balls that are not there to be attacked. And for instances where they open up successfully, make them work with precise blocks and counters. I love using these shots when I’m struggling as they have a much bigger margin for error than the likes of smashes and loops.

Alternatively, if you’re up against a pusher. Sorry, but you’re going to have a long night if you take the pushing route! I don’t like getting into pushing battles with pushers as it’s their domain. I’d recommend trying another strategy.

6. Work Angles

Hitting the ball wide is a great idea as it forces your opponent to move and gives them less time to set up for their shot. Make sure you work both the left and right sides as this will give them the greatest distance to cover.

Also, you want to be unpredictable with your placement. If you can, fake hitting it in one corner and then go for the other. Trust me, it works a treat!

7. Keep Your Cool

One of the main mistakes I see players make when they are performing poorly is losing their head. And once that’s gone, it’s pretty tough to come back.

It’s essential you remain calm and approach the situation from a logical standpoint rather than an emotional one. Sure you just missed a free smash, but why did it happen?

Did you try and hit the ball too hard?
Were your feet in the wrong place?
Did you let the ball drop too low before smashing?

These are the sorts of questions you need to ask yourself. The mistake has passed and there’s no point dwelling on it. Just establish the reason you made the mistake so that you can reduce the odds of it happening again.

The Takeaway

Off days are the worst, and you’ll likely leave the sports hall feeling frustrated whatever the outcome of your matches.

That being said, scraping a win is better than losing, and it’s these dips in form which really put our skills to the test. They show us what we are made of and help build character.

There’s often a path to victory, even if things seem bleak. It’s merely a matter of finding it. So the next time you’re in a pickle, try out the tips I have provided and see what works.