Table Tennis Strategy--Every Point Is Important!

"What's the score?" Slim Slammer asked with a confused look on his face. He knew he would not hear any good news, but he was hoping that maybe his opponent had lost track of the score and that it wasn't as bad as he knew it was.

"10-0." That was the only response from his dreaded opponent.  Slim really disliked playing Loose Tooth Lou, probably because Loose Tooth always beat him badly and never showed any mercy!

It was now Slim Slammer's serve as he looked desperately for a place on the table to hit the ball so that Loose Tooth would miss it. Slim thought in his mind, "Maybe if I just barely serve the ball over the net, he will not be able to hit it back and I will win a point!"  So, with this in mind, Slim threw the ball up the minimum six inches and eeked out a measly serve which barely passes over the net. As Slim watched the ball cross over the white line on the top of the net, he honestly thought the net was moving magically upward to stop his serve, but quickly he returned to reality.

With the speed and mobility of a fast charging elephant, Loose Tooth Lou lunged forward, extending his arm and paddle to the maximum. There was a loud screeching sound and everyone in the club stopped and looked quickly at Table # 3. Slim could not believe what he just saw. Loose Tooth had somehow managed to extend his arm, as if it was made of rubber, and tap the ball up into the air, almost to the ceiling, and the ball fell like a floating feather and hit the table directly in front of Slim Slammer! Slim was so shocked, he could only watch the ball in amazement bound hopelessly away to the dark confines of the playing area and scoot under the cardboard barrier. Loose Tooth Lou was ready to issue a loud "Boo-Yah" in celebration, when all of a sudden, someone spoke!

"Wait! You moved the table. That point goes to Slim Slammer!" Loose Tooth opened his mouth but nothing came out as he stared at the loud mouth spectator who was pointing his finger right at the table.

Slim Slammer, with a look of amazement on his face, shook his head in agreement and a hush came over the crowd.

"Yep, you moved the table and it is my ever-loving point!"  Slim Slammer was now grinning from ear to ear.  He had won a point and it was now 10-1. Even though he was still losing, a little bit of confidence was now entering Slim Slammer's thought processes. He thought now that he had won a point, he could very easily win another point and then another, and another and who knows, he could actually win the game!

Loose Tooth Lou, with a grimace on his face, acknowledged that he had indeed moved the table and was prepared to move on with even more determination. You could almost see smoke coming from his nostrils and his beady eyes were more focused than usual as he prepared to smash the next serve from Slim Slammer and drive it right between his opponent's eyes.

Slim Slammer saw all this and he actually felt his knees quiver, just a bit. Slim tossed the ball high this time, causing everyone to look skyward with shock and awe. The ball magically circled the high gymnasium beam at the top of it's arc and came plunging down with break-neck speed. Slim, wasting no time, slapped the ball silly with his infamous K-Mart Blue-Light Special paddle. The ball flew with remarkable speed, over the net, and with one swift skid-mark showing, it sped just under the paddle of the astonished Loose Tooth Lou.

Someone yelled out, "10-2, Go for it Slim!" Of course, no one in the crowd expected Slim to win, or even get another point.

Slim appeared dazed until he finally realized that he had actually won two points in a row from the dastardly Loose Tooth Lou. A look of growing anger was now apparent on the face of Loose Tooth! The crowd of nosy spectators was growing around Table # 3 as Loose was eager to avenge the loss of two points in a row, a revolting development that had never happened before against Slim.

Loose Lou was now ready to deliver his devastating Power Corkscrew Serve, one which Slim Slammer had never returned, not once! Slim took his stance with his eyes opened widely and his paddle aligned awkwardly at the edge of the table.

Loose Lou swirled around and moving his arm in an almost tornado-like fashion, struck the ball with the full force and fury of a mad man, out of control and angry at the world. The ball shot through the air like a high-speed bullet. The crowd could feel the wind from the ball as it hurled across the net toward Slim Slam's awkwardly held paddle.

The crowd watched in pure and utter amazement as the racing ball struck Slim Slammer's paddle and ricocheted back across the net, crashing on Loose Tooth's side of the table and bounding high into the shocked crowd of spectators, that was now 3 rows deep at both ends of the table.

"10-3", yelled several people in the crowd, in unison!

Slim Slammer looked at his paddle and saw the indention in the rubber was still there from Loose Lou's Power Corkscrew Serve. He now realized that he had won three points in a row, which no one could ever remember happening in the history of all matches against Loose Tooth Lou.

Someone in the crowd yelled out, "One point at a time, Slim! You can do it!"

And this is where we pause the story and reinforce the importance of each and every point in a table tennis game.

Never forget that each serve or return of serve is like a new beginning for you in a game. It is up to you to focus entirely on the next point.

Always remember that the game is not over until your opponent scores 11 points or is ahead by two points if the score goes beyond 11 points.

Take your time and mentally and physically prepare for each point, regardless of whether you are ahead, behind or tied in points with your opponent. Don't give up, just because you are behind in points, even if it is 10-0. Always try to get that one extra point and do it every time you serve, return or volley.

Now back to our story of Slim Slammer versus Loose Tooth Lou!

Coach Gus Gruff, who was watching the match intently, motioned for a time-out and Loose Tooth Lou, showing some embarrassment, headed to the sidelines to confer with Coach Gruff. Gruff, waving his arms wildly, chastised Loose Tooth for everything under the sun, including the orange shoelaces in his EverGrip Table Tennis Shoes.

Coach Gruff, still holding the blunt end of an unlit cigar in mouth, with steam escaping from his collar, gave Loose Tooth Lou one last command, "Go out there and obliterate him. Hit the ball so hard and so fast, that it will make everyone in this gym cringe with fear!"

Sadie Simmons, the amateur photographer, had been taking photos of the match all along.  She had an eye for Slim Slammer, and taking photos of matches with Slim playing, was sort of an unspoken fact that everyone knew. Sadie had the full story, right in her camera.

So, now let's fast-forward, two weeks into the future. The match is over. Everyone has gone home. Life has returned to normal in this small table tennis community. The only evidence of what happened on that fateful day is the memories in the minds and hearts of all the spectators and in the souls of Loose Tooth Lou and Slim Slammer.

If you ever come to our small table tennis club, ask to see Sadie Simmon's picture album for May 2010. The remarkable story is there for everyone to see, 57 photos in all.

Yes, that was the infamous day in history when Slim Slammer defeated Loose Tooth Lou by the score of 12-10.

Will it ever happen again, you ask?

Well, it very well could.

Remember, Every Point Is Important.

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