Preparing for a Tournament

Hi Alois,

i have signed for my first proper table tennis tournament in the junior Punjab olympics and the trials and selections are on the coming saturday. i have been out of form for a while cuz of my exams and i am worried that i won't be selected and also  the fact that there are people who are older and better than me whom i know only adds to my worry. May you plz give me some tips on how to prepare for the tournament and  i would be especially grateful if you wud give me some tips on how to analyze my opponent and look for his weaknesses and also if u may give me a couple of ways to help in the positioning and speed control of my serve. All help would be deeply appreciated.

Hi Basel,

Congratulations on taking the step to play your first tournament. Make sure you enjoy the experience. I'd suggest you read this blog Alois wrote on What to Expect at a Tournament. It provided plenty of advice.

To analyse your opponent, you can try and watch some of their matches before you play them. Try to keep it simple and see if you can see which is their weaker side. See if you can pick up any serves they might struggle with. If you can't watch them play beforehand, then you can make some judgements during your warm up with them and then during the match.

With your serve, don't try to change too much just before a tournament. It's hard to introduce new skills in a very short time frame so you are better off concentrating on your strengths. Use whatever serves are your favourite and work well against your opponents.

Good luck. Let us know how you go.