Tahl’s Top-Five Table Tennis Tips
Tahl Leibovitz
1/3/2007

1. Always open up to the middle and always finish the point to the middle. Most players don’t realize that the middle of their opponent is the weakest point in table tennis. By directing your first opening attack into the middle, you are forcing your opponent to make a quick decision between forehand and backhand. They must also move quickly. By finishing the point to the middle you’re forcing your opponent to get out of the way of the ball quickly. I would also recommend blocking attack shots directly to your opponent’s middle.
2. Serve short to your opponent’s forehand. One of the most difficult balls to return properly in table tennis is a short service to your forehand. Most players stand on the backhand side waiting for the chance to use their forehand. By serving low and short to the forehand, you can keep them off balance. Also, this is a tough ball to do anything with. I would recommend developing a backhand serve for this type of placement.
3. Never try and satisfy people with your performance and never worry about the results of a match. This is something my coach told me, and it has stayed with me. A lot of players are in a match for the wrong reasons. They are playing for someone else or playing to impress friends. Some are even worried about what other people will think while they are playing a match. To increase your results into more positive ones, you should never worry about what others are thinking. You should also never worry about the result of a match. You train the best that you can, and the results take care of themselves. We have no control over the results; we only have control over the preparation for a match.
4. A single match is actually played three times. A table tennis match is not played only when you’re on the court. It is also played before the match and after the match. What you do before the match has a huge outcome on what you will be doing during the game, and what you do after the match has a huge outcome on determining what you have done during the game. So, remember there are three parts to a match: the pre-match, the game play, and the post-match.
5. Service practice, service practice, and more service practice. The serve is the most important stroke in table tennis, yet it’s the least practiced. I would recommend practicing your serve at least two hours per week. Try and vary the height of the serve as well as the placement and speed. Good luck!!!

Tahl Leibovitz’s Equipment

[Playing Tips.]