OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Hi,

What is the difference between table tennis tactics and table tennis strategy?
Table tennis, according to Will Shortz, is "chess on steroids".

In chess, tactics are sequences of moves ("combinations") you make in order to attack your opponent's chess pieces (of the opposing color). Tactics are short-term. They usually involve exchanges between the two players.
Strategy, in chess, is long-term and is about positioning your own pieces in the best way to give yourself some kind of advantage later on in the game. This is attacking the chessboard itself, rather than your opponent's pieces. This advantage you are trying to gain may be positional, material, tactical, or controlling (or all of the above) in nature, and because it is long-term, usually builds up slowly and only becomes apparent to the opponent over time.
Tactics, on the other hand, can be immediately seen.

So if table tennis is chess on steroids, what are tactics and what is strategy in table tennis?

In my opinion, table tennis tactics are your shot selection (the "sequence of moves"), which you "exchange" with your opponent in the short-term (thus, you are attacking your opponent with tactics). Whereas, table tennis strategy is more about how you are able to set the point up for yourself. For example, what type of shot you are going to get back from your opponent in order for you to get yourself in the best position to win the point. Thus, you are attacking the actual table tennis table itself, rather than your opponent.

What do you think is the difference between tactics and strategy, and what do you think each is in table tennis?

I think you answered this in your post. Tactics are the moves you make during a game; strategies are the moves you make before you get there. Tactics are choices you make from your collection of strategies. Tactics are determined by your need to beat your opponent during a game; strategies are determined by your need to improve those skills and techniques you want to bring into your games.

Tactics are dependant on your available strategies.

During a game you might realise that the tactic to beating your opponent is to go on the offensive, but that will depend almost entirely on the strategies you developed in your practice sessions. So, strategies always come first.

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I thought we had talked about this before (I couldn't find anything though lol)
anyway both words are often used for the same base meaning

I try and think of an example

Strategy...... Keep away from the op big forehand

tactics ... keep hitting deep to their backhand
............ get some sidespin loops to wide to keep them out of positition
............ aim some hard into the elbow
............attack first
............do short serves
............vary the spin
............ keep them in the backhand and wait for their pivit to counter hit

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For me to start with you need to keep training & improving your game then when under attack trust your preparation ... focus ... don't panic, adapt to counter your opponents game. Always have a warm up stretch routine before you start. Have plenty of serves, I never serve the same serve one after the other & really focus on your return of serves & remember see the ball be the ball

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