BREAKING 2000 BY ALEX POLYAKOV

Book Review, Overview, & Insights



WHAT IS "BREAKING 2000" ABOUT?

Alex Polyakov (Author) set out with a specific goal. This goal was simple but certainly not easy. Alex was determined to surpass the 2000 USATT rating mark. Reaching this level is a clear sign of having attained an advanced level in table tennis. Not only that but surpassing a 2000 rating and maintaining it shows a high level of consistency under pressure in a competitive environment. So with this goal in mind, the author needed to figure out what he had to do to improve enough to reach and break USATT 2000.

Just to give you a brief overview of the various USATT levels, here is a rough outline of how they relate to playing skills and experience: Beginner (0-1000), Intermediate (1000-1600), Intermediate/Advanced (1800-2000), and above 2000 would be considered advanced players (with significant differences the higher you go - up to 2800+). 

Keep in mind, these are ratings for tournament players so even a beginner on this scale is often a step up from most casual players.

The book has a super interesting skills matrix outlined towards the end that points out specific skills that a player should possess at each USATT level and range. I think it is laid out in a way that really gives a blueprint for improvement and is worth the price of admission on its own, even before factoring in the total value this book provides, which is immense.


WHO IS THE BOOK FOR?

Well, it goes without saying that this book is aimed toward table tennis players with either a desire to compete or a desire to continue moving forward with their competitive table tennis journey. However, this book provides a wide variety of insights on beginner and intermediate play that are useful for anyone who enjoys the game of table tennis. In truth, it is written well enough to perhaps entertain and inform even the most casual table tennis, or ping pong, players. 

Ultimately, if you are interested in improving your game or enjoy the cerebral side of table tennis, then this book will be a joy for you to read. It is not overly long or drawn out, the ideas and stories flow well together, and you truly feel that you are along for the ride as Alex takes you through his training and tournament experiences.


WHAT VALUE DOES IT PROVIDE?

Have you ever dreamed of reaching USATT 2000? 

Have you wondered what it would take to improve your current game and move up a level (or several)? 

This book outlines a clear plan for the training and technical aspects that a player needs to move up the ranks. It also provides a wealth of knowledge on the mental side of the game, with a focus on intermediate play. This book has information that is directly and immediately applicable to nearly every player’s game. 

In the foreword, the coach says this book should be read at least twice by every aspiring table tennis player. I would agree, seeing as I have already read it twice, and I plan to reread it every so often to refresh the ideas and get in the right mental state for success.


WHAT ARE SOME KEY TAKEAWAYS?

The author starts out by talking about his first tournament and how he quickly realized that even winning one competitive table tennis match is a tall task. There were new factors to consider when playing such as nerves, distractions, new opponents, and different playing conditions. If you have already played in a tournament, then you are likely familiar with how these elements affect your game. It’s common to play well below one’s capabilities when getting started with tournaments, and this can persist even longer depending on how quickly a player can adjust their game to deal with these new conditions.

Almost immediately, one thing becomes clear in this book... The importance of proper coaching and guidance for a player to reach higher levels. Alex points out that while he respects players who choose to proceed without a coach, they are taking the scenic route in terms of improvement and are likely keeping themselves from unlocking their true potential. He also says that a good coach should assist with the long-term development of a player with a well-conceived training plan along with periodic game analysis to determine their level, measure progress, and decide on where to go next. 

Alex’s coach, Gerald, laid the groundwork for his development on his quest to break 2000. Immediately, he informed Alex that they would develop specific attacking shots that he would use throughout his competitive journey. As these weapons improved, they would be tools he could rely on to win. These techniques would be developed in such a way that they could be continuously tweaked in order to evolve into devastating shots with sufficient consistency to win important matches.

Something that Alex experienced, and many of you may have as well (myself included), was that while working on specific parts of his game, his short-term match performance suffered. This makes a lot of sense because during the early stages of training and technical development, there are a lot of bad habits to break, but these habits have often become habits due to the fact that they have been effective against the current or previous level of opposition. These habits may already be second nature, with fast and unpredictable outcomes, but they likely aren’t able to function as a strong foundation for long-term improvement or match success versus advanced opponents.


TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS ON THE ROAD TO 2000

First things first, they got to work on improving Alex’s forehand. He developed a simple forehand topspin drive and they drilled the forehand topspin loop against an underspin ball relentlessly. Only once this shot was sufficiently consistent did they begin working on his backhand. It is pointed out that a strong backhand is very uncommon at the lower levels, and if it is present, then the player most likely has a weaker forehand. Otherwise, they would be more highly rated (exceptions exist, of course). So the work on the backhand started, but it was not a primary weapon at this stage.

Then they moved on to everyone’s favorite shot to train... pushes. All right, maybe pushes aren’t the most exciting thing to focus on but they are an essential part of the game, and improving in this area can directly lead to winning more points, games, and matches. The push can be used offensively but it is mainly used to set up a player’s real weapons, such as the forehand loop.

Was it a coincidence that Alex’s coach Gerald had him focus so much on this particular shot? No, this was a result of a proper training plan with his long-term development in mind. Table tennis relies on using common sequences to gain advantages and score points. You do not need a million different shots and tactics ready to employ in each match. Rather, you need a reliable set of sequences and skills that score points, over and over (and over and over...).

The next skill and sequence to focus on was his third ball attack. This refers to the shot you make after you have served and your opponent returns the ball to you. A common serve and third ball attack is to serve short underspin, receive a long push return, and then loop (topspin shot) that ball for a winner or to get an advantage in the rally that later leads to winning the point. Alex notes that at the beginner and early-intermediate stages, very few opponents can handle a strong and spinny opening loop. This is one way to gain a large advantage on this level of opponent and move further up the rating ladder.

As he moved up in rating, Alex’s forehand was an obvious strength but his backhand was lacking. While this weakness was not punished at the lower levels, the stronger opposition wasted no time in targeting his backhand and forcing him into uncomfortable exchanges where he was at a considerable disadvantage. This led to an increased focus on his backhand skills.

The first steps to build his backhand involved blocking spinny loops from Gerald. Strong blocks are a fundamental skill and absolutely necessary to deal with stronger opponents and their offense. They also worked on counter-looping versus incoming topspin shots and adjusted his backhand technique to have a more solid contact and forward swing path.

Adding onto this backhand work, it was time to relentlessly drill the backhand and forehand transition so that Alex could withstand pressure in a rally. The transition practice started near the table and then as the training progressed, he began to drill these shots from a few steps back from the table. His consistency on the backhand skyrocketed and he attributed a lot of his success to this type of practice. 

Alex supplemented his training with regular use of a table tennis training robot. Training robots can be a very effective tool to increase table time and get much-needed repetition to ingrain the proper movements.

The introduction of the backhand topspin loop vs. underspin balls was an important step forward. It minimizes your opponent’s ability to jam you up consistently with deep pushes to the backhand side. An issue that he quickly noticed and had to work on was the transition between the opening loop vs. backspin and the follow-up shot vs. topspin (when your opponent blocks or counters your opening topspin loop). The starting point for the swing is higher when facing the topspin ball and the stroke must be more forward. Alex had already encountered this issue on the forehand side so he had an idea of how to work through it. This transition is incredibly important and must be drilled throughout a player’s development.

Alex's newfound ability to attack underspin balls on the backhand side proved to be very valuable along his journey. Unfortunately, due to all the focus on the backhand, his once-strong forehand began to suffer and he felt it was a cause for concern. His coach reassured him that this was a normal part of the development process. When you focus a lot on one technique or on changing your overall game, other parts will suffer, but once you refresh those skills and integrate your new skills into your game, any lost shots should return with even more strength and consistency than before.

The next skills involved more focus on counter-looping (topspin shots versus incoming topspin shots) and perfecting the backhand block, with the addition of a new weapon, the backhand punch. Throughout the technical development process, there was a balance between adding new skills and strengthening current ones. Table tennis is a very technical game with a wide variety of techniques, but at the end of the day, the mastery of the fundamentals is what sets advanced players apart from the rest.


TOURNAMENTS EXPOSE YOUR STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES

Very quickly, Alex saw that his ability to play against defensive players was far ahead of other players with ratings similar to his. This was attributed to the focus that his coach Gerald placed on learning to attack underspin balls from the early stages of his training (and continued throughout). Most other players around his level struggled while he was able to demonstrate his technical prowess.

Alex quickly learned something else though too... His game relied on having a good warmup. In order to play his best and get in the right mental state, he was used to long warmups in practice which allowed him to get in the zone. Unfortunately, this is not always possible at a tournament because there are a lot of players and it can be quite busy in the tournament area. Outside of any warmup time you manage to get, there is only a short designated two-minute warmup period before each match. His coach made a recommendation that he stop warming up when playing in his club, outside of the bare minimum needed. Over time, this proved to be very helpful as he no longer relied so much on a proper warmup to play well.

When you play tournaments, something else also becomes apparent. Alex learned that you always have to be ready for the ball to come back, regardless of the strength of your attack. He also started to focus on keeping his opponents from using their strongest shots. Similarly, he saw that stronger players targeted his relatively weaker backhand and effectively removed his strong forehand from play.

Another weakness of his that he quickly saw exposed was his ability to return serves from stronger opponents, particularly sidespin serves (a common issue for many players). He was failing to attack long underspin balls when given the opportunity, making many unforced errors, and tensing up at crucial moments. All of these weaknesses led to him losing points and matches that he desperately needed to win in order to continue his ascension up the ranks.

To move up to the next level, he needed to improve his serves and serve return. 


SERVE & SERVE RETURN: ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR SUCCESS

Every point begins with a serve, and if you aren’t the one serving, then you are the one returning. This seems obvious but it is something that you have to accept in order to become a strong competitive table tennis player. Many players make it to a decent level just by having these two skills relatively mastered, even if they struggle to rally or spin the ball consistently.

The biggest difference between beginners (even intermediates) and advanced players is their ability to read whether a serve is short or long. Advanced players will attack serves that go long or are too high without hesitation due to their training and experience. Many players quickly find out that their serves are not up to par when facing higher-level competition. This concept goes both ways then, you need to be able to control the length of your serves and you need to be able to accurately gauge whether your opponent’s serve is going long or staying short. These reads will become more accurate over time and they play an absolutely essential role in your success.

On the flip side, is the short game. This consists of short serves and keeping the ball short on your receives with a good touch, as well as your ability to read the spin and trajectory of the serve. Advanced players can even make strong attacks over the table but they won’t be as ferocious and may leave them open to being countered.

Serving and returning serves effectively apply pressure on your opponents because it takes away their advantages and lets you put your strengths into play sooner. Serving is the only time you have full control of the ball and an advantage over your opponent, so your goal is to maintain and even increase that advantage throughout the rally with the intention of eventually winning the point.

You have to be able to control the amount of spin and the direction, the length and placement of your serve, as well as the speed. All of this, while maintaining a satisfactory level of deception to keep your opponents guessing.

Alex’s coach made it clear that the main goal with a serve at the higher levels is not to win the point outright, but to set yourself up for success in the point. You want to get your strengths into play as quickly as possible and win the point with the 3rd or even 5th ball (this would be your third shot in a rally - 1. Serve, 2. Opponent returns, 3. Your 3rd ball attack, 4. Opponent’s second return, and then 5. Your 5th ball).

At the beginner and intermediate levels, long serves are not attacked as well and can lead to strong advantages if your opponents can not handle the spin, speed, or placement of the serves. You have to figure out what will work in a given match against certain opponents and take advantage of it. You do not need a hundred different serves, only a few that you can interchange effectively.


INSIGHTS FOR YOUR OWN TABLE TENNIS JOURNEY

"Breaking 2000" is filled with personal experiences and insights that are invaluable to a developing table tennis player (and even for someone who just plays for fun, to be honest). 

The book is divided into two main parts with the first part focusing on Alex’s specific tournament experiences, and the second part is more of a reflection on the journey and what the author learned. There is a framework for technical development as well as important lessons to keep you on the right track mentally in the pursuit of your goals.

The insights that Alex provides in “Breaking 2000" are extremely valuable and I’m confident anyone who reads this book will not only benefit from them but will also be able to latch on to several key concepts to elevate their table tennis game to the next level. The author goes into detail on how to overcome your table tennis "Demons", how to practice with and overcome players who use unconventional playing styles and rubber surfaces, how to deal with opponents rushing you or trying to get in your head, and much more in this incredible book.


Would you like to break USATT 2000?

"Breaking 2000" is available from Amazon in paperback or on Kindle. 

Take your game to the next level today!

Polyakov, A. (2012). Breaking 2000. Table Tennis Achievements Publishing.