I've written tips on attacking the middle, but it can't be overemphasized how important this is. It's likely the most under-used rallying tactic at the intermediate and even advanced intermediate level. Advanced players don't have this problem - it's usually their go-to spot. What are the advantages of attacking the middle?

• If they cover the middle with the backhand, you simply go more toward the forehand. And vice versa.
• When you go to a corner, the opponent instantly knows if he's going to play forehand or backhand. When you go to the middle, there's that split second of indecision as he decides which shot to use, leading to mistakes and fewer aggressive returns.
• Most players drill mostly from the corners, and so aren't as comfortable playing from the middle.
• You don't have to guard against an extreme angled return.

So, stop middling about and play the middle!

You've practiced, you've worked with a coach, you've done physical training, you've done mental training... you're ready for the tournament. What could go wrong? Let's see . . . the floor's slippery, so you can't move... it's humid, so the ball is sliding off the racket . . . and the only thing around to eat for lunch were hot dogs, and now you're feeling sick... AAAAAAAHHH!!!

Okay, let's calm down and make sure these things don't happen again. Here are some tips.

• Slippery floors. Make sure to have relatively new shoes before a tournament or big match if you are playing on floors that might be slippery. You might even have a brand new pair of table tennis shoes that you only use in tournaments, and put aside between tournaments so they stay relatively new and grippy. Another solution is to put a slightly wet paper towel on the floor, and step on it between rallies. Or bring a hand towel and wet it. (Bring a plastic bag to store it between matches.) This will make your shoes extra grippy, but only for a minute or so. It's a hassle but it pays off. (Top players rarely have to deal with this problem, at least in big matches, since they rarely play on slippery floors. Most big tournaments these days have special rubberized flooring with just the right amount of grippiness.)
• Humidity. Use two towels, one for you, one for the ball and racket only. The towel you use for yourself will get damp rapidly and will be useless in drying off your racket or the ball. Have extra towels to replace these when/if they get damp.
• Food & Drinks. Bring fruit, light sandwiches, and other food items that are high in carbohydrates, but not too high in sugar. Eat small amounts throughout the tournament rather than periodic large meals, although you should have a relatively large breakfast. Drinks such as Gatorade are good, but so is water. Make sure to drink fluids from the start of the tournament, not just when you are thirsty - by then, you are already dehydrated, and slightly weakened.

Few things are more frustrating than losing a match because the other guy got a bunch of "lucky" nets and edges. And yes, each of those nets and edges were lucky - individually. But in the long run, certain styles or tactics lead to such "luck." So, how can you get lucky?

• If you play aggressively, you'll get more edges because your shots will tend to go deep.
• If you play aggressively to wide angles, you'll get more edges on the side.
• If you play shots low to the net, you'll get more nets.

But there are tradeoffs for each of these. If you play deep, you're more likely to go off the end. If you play wide angles, you're more likely to go too wide and off the side. If you play shots low to the net, you're more likely to go into the net. It's all a tradeoff.

In generally, it's good to play aggressively deep and wide. Most players play too safe, and so limit the effectiveness of their shots. Instead, challenge yourself to play these shots more aggressively, as the top players do.

However, you might not want to play your rallying shots too low to the net. When serving or pushing, that's when you want your shots low to the net. But once in a topspin rally, you need more arc on your shots for consistency. Even aggressive loops cross the net with a decent net clearance.

So, you've got to ask yourself one question. Are you ready to get lucky? Well, do ya, punk?

Do you have weaknesses in your game, ones that often cost you a match? Of course you do! Everyone does, since weaknesses are relative to your level, and so the weakest parts of your game are the weaknesses in your game. (If you improve a weakness to the point where it is no longer a weakness - and thereby improve - than some other part of your game becomes your weakness, relative to your new level.) So, how do you fix these weaknesses? There are three steps. 

• First, you must identify the weaknesses in your game. You might already know what they are. I'll start - the biggest weaknesses in my game were a tendency to be too soft with my backhand in rallies, difficulty in covering my wide backhand, and I struggled with spinny loops to my backhand. (Hmmm, there's a pattern here.) So what about you? There's an easy way to figure out what the holes in your game are - ask your regular playing partners! Table tennis is a collaborative effort and playing partners should constantly be giving feedback to each other.
• Second, you must fix the weaknesses. How do you do this? Coaching and practice. When I say "coaching," that doesn't always mean hiring a coach, though that's the first thought. You can also ask experienced players for help, or self-coach by watching how others do it. And then, you practice it until it is no longer a weakness in your game (or in some cases, not such a glaring weakness). To use my own example, once I realized I had difficulty in covering my wide backhand, I figured out why - it was because I did so many drills that went to my backhand corner that I'd literally trained my feet to stop once I reached that corner, and so struggled with anything that went wider. By the time I started addressing that problem, I was already more of a coach and was no longer training seriously, and so I never really fixed the problem. But the solution would have been to have practice partners go as wide as possible to my backhand in drills, forcing me out of the comfort zone I'd fallen into.
• Third, you should learn how to hide the weaknesses in your game. This is a tricky option, since by hiding it, you might not develop it. And yet, no matter what your level is, and no matter how many times you fix a weakness until it is no longer a weakness, there will always be weaknesses in your game, relative to your level. At some point, if you are looking to win big matches, you have to tactically play to win now so as to win those big matches, which means covering up for whatever weaknesses you have at that time. Which means you need to get in the habit of covering for those weaknesses - which means you need to find a balance.

  ​​​​​​​That might mean playing a little different in many practice matches, where you try to fix the weaknesses, but in more serious matches (tournaments and leagues), and in some practice matches, you find ways to cover for those weaknesses. For example, because I always had trouble with spinny loops to my backhand, my solution was simple - I got into the habit of flipping or pushing short against nearly all short serves. That way I didn't have to push long and face a spinny opening loop, since loops against backspin (i.e. a long push) are spinnier than those against topspin. (When I did face spinny loops to my backhand, I'd often cover up the backhand weakness by trying to step around and smash or counterloop with my forehand every chance I could - both because my forehand was strong against spin loops, and to cover for the backhand weakness.) Of course, it might have been better for me to have just pushed long a lot, so I could practice against those spinny loops! It all comes down to finding a balance between doing what tactically works now (my not pushing long) versus longer-term strategic thinking (pushing long so I'd become more comfortable against spinny loops to my backhand). If I had strategically pushed long until I'd become comfortable against those spinny loops to my backhand, then there would have been some other weakness I'd have to cover up for - and, as noted above, eventually, if I wanted to win big matches, I had to accept that you sometimes have to simply cover up for your weaknesses or you'll forever be exposing your weaknesses . . . and losing.

If your opponent is quicker than you, than the last thing you want to do is let him rush you. If you put the ball short over the table, then your quick opponent will be able to hit very quickly at wide angles. So keep most shots deep against quick opponents to give yourself more time. (This is especially true against players who hit quick off the bounce with pips of any sort.)

At the same time, don't be so intimidated by quicker players that you play everything deep, thereby being predictable. Deep balls are usually easier to attack then short balls, and if your quick opponent is attacking them effectively, then perhaps start some rallies with a short ball (short serve or short push) to throw him off and bring them over the table - and then go deep.