Over the next couple of blogs, I'll be discussing some of the lessons I've learnt about one of the most important parts of table tennis: how to get the most out of your game when it matters the most. This is quite a broad topic (as the hundreds of books written on the subject would suggest) and I'll barely be scratching the surface. I'll make the point now that these are some personal views about what has helped and hindered me in some of my most important table tennis moments.

Firstly, tense competition will always be different to training. Your mind and your body will feel different and most of the time it won't be for the better. It won't do you any good to get upset with this fact, or use it as an exscuse, so everyone should have a clear picture in their mind that this is the case and then put time and effort into strategies that will give you the most chance of handling that pressure and getting you the best outcome.

Stress and pressure shows up differently in different people. Some become enraged with anger, some get the 'deer in the headlights' look and others play their best table tennis. The Australian National Coach Brett Clarke (a former Australian Champion and Olympian with a deep understanding of what athletes go through during competition) showed me this very interesting article http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/science/18angier.html?ref=science The basis of the article is that when faced with extreme levels of stress (like being nervous or tense during a table tennis match) animals react with predictable responses. We (yes we are the rats) revert to a few reactions and responses that subconsiouncly feel familiar and comforting during periods of high stress. I'm sure there are good evolutionary reason for this behaviour however that really doesn't do us much good if we are trying to win a table tennis match rather than stay alive. A lot dawned on me when I read the article and many questions were answered in one swoop. It explains why athletes are often so driven by very set routines even though these routines seem so trivial to the outside world (just watch Nadal rearranging his drink bottle next time he plays). So how can we use this to our advantage?

1. Prepare for the match like you're in the match. This almost becomes like a routine before the routine of the match and I really believe into putting time into mentally preparing for the match BEFORE you step out onto the court. If any readers have seen me prepare for a big match, like the final of the Nationals for example, they'll have seen me down the back of the hall by myself getting warm and getting my head into the place I want it to be. I like to have the same level of mental intensity and focus that I'll be experiencing in the match for at least a good 15 minutes before I step onto the court. One thing I strongly dislike about untimed events (ie your name is called and your expected to front up on court immediately after) is that I don't get my vital preparation time. I try to avoid playing these events. Match are too short to risk losing the first set because you're not prepared for battle!

2. Recognise and play to your strengths. Recognise what kind of points you want to be playing at 9-9 and come up with ways to steer the play towards these strengths. If you are a good rallyer with a strong backhand, you'll probably want to be serving short nospin or topspin serves to the opponents backhand making it easy for them to flick to your backhand and get into an open rally. It's no co-incidence that Ma Lin (the best third-ball attack player in the world) digs the ball short more often when it's close giving him the greatest chance of playing his best shots. It's equally understandable that Wang Hao serves short reverse sidespin/topspin serves making it hard for the opponent to push short and more likely to play a flick and let him start an open rally. Serve and return of serve are the obvious ways to achieve this as you have more control over what happens earlier rather than later in the rally. Spend time thinking about what your strongest shots are and how to increase the chance that you'll get to play them when you need them the most.

To be continued...