Weak Points

Hello Pingskills,

I would like to ask you how to find an opponent weak point and how to use it?

I think it's very difficult to find a weak point, because in my school there is two undefeatable players. They can return almost any serve with smash and if they return serve simply, they still gonna smash later. They can play fast and slowly, return smash, return shot from corner to corner and play nearby and far away of the table.

And how to cover my own weak points: I can't return smash from small distance especially sidespin; it's very hard for me to return shots from one corner and when from the other.

Hi Tom,

Sometimes another player is just better.  What you need to do there is to improve your overall skills so that you can compete with them.

Still though think about which side is better, between their forehand and backhand.  THis may also be different when they are defending and when they are attacking.  Also think about which serves are most effective for you when you play them.  Another thing to think about is whether they like the ball coming to them slowly or fast.

Once you have discovered these go to the PingSKills Vault (http://www.pingskills.com/vault/opponents.php) and put in the information so that you don't forget it for the next time you play them.

You can do a similar analysis of your own game to find where you need to improve.  This can be a good starting point for your training plan.