The thickness of the table's playing surface and the ball hardness as well as the types of floor surfaces are factors, which influence the performance of the players. For example, the defensive players usually have greater difficulties than offensive players when they play on a hard table with a hard ball. Whereas when both the table's playing surface and the ball are soft they have advantages against the offensive players who must add power to their shots to compensate for the unfavorable conditions.

One of the most difficult aspects of table tennis is making the best decision at the time of the stroke. The reason is that the game is fast and decisions must be made in a fraction of a second.The player must anticipate his opponent's next ball so that he is ready to execute the stroke that will win him the point.

The anticipation of the opponent's stroke consists of two important factors for the evolution of the game. The first one refers to the direct tracing of the condition, the trajectory of the ball and the behavior of the opponent. The player's experience is a major factor in his understanding of the opponent's behavior and how he will play the next ball. Experience is essential to tactics and it is acquired with continuous special training involving the constant play of unexpected strokes and, of course, participation in tournaments. In this way the player develops self-confidence and self-control in his game. He also avoids coming to hasty conclusions about his opponent's next stroke.

Source: Table Tennis: From A to Z e-book

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