Rallying

If you're able to do it without compromizing the quality of your third ball too much, you may try to use a more "compact" stroke. Less amplitude will require less recovery time.

Thx alois, I will watch my feet and keep my balance the next time a do this.

As for Jean, how do you mean by a "compact" stroke?I

think I need to slow my third ball attack down to force a slower block from the opponent to gain more recovery time right?

Slower or more balanced.  You can still hit fast as long as you are balanced.

Thx for the advice alois 

Eugene, I mean a stroke with less amplitude. With a forehand topspin for example, if you take a large backswing to hit the ball as fast as you can, this whole kinetic energy will drag your bat far up or/and in front of you before you will be able to stop your movement and start your recovery movement. If you reduce the amplitude of your swing, it will be more difficult to generate as much speed and spin as with a full swing, and you'll be less likely to hit a winner straight away, but you will recover faster and be in a better position to hit a good 5th ball.

I have a partner in one of the clubs I play in who does really impressive large powerful swings as soon as a ball doesn't bounce twice on his table. When he plays a poor blocker, he wins with a good margin. When he plays a just decent blocker, even if his blocks are poor quality (slow, high, not well placed), he can loose badly, because he just can't recover fast enough. From a certain level on, almost every opponent will have a good enough blocking game to defeat this playing style if it's your only strategy.

I'm a bit like that as well. I love to finish a point on the third ball. I like the backspin pushball much more than the block ball for my topspin, so I also often put too much in my third ball attack, hoping to make it terminal. But again, at some level the ball starts to come back too often to make this a winning strategy. Watch some medium level players matches (I'm not talking world ranked players, but more like #1000 national players). Most of the times they are not playing extremely powerful 3rd ball attacks, but rather they play softer but very well placed shots (to the elbow or to the sides) to earn themselves an easier 5th ball that they will attack with more power.

Thx for the information Jean. This is what I mentioned in the last comment. To slow my attack for a slower block. And yes you are right as well, going for the finisher will create more kinetic energy and force me to recover slower.

Maybe I'm a little like your partner against a weaker player who doesn't have a lot of skills (weak blocks) I win the point automatically. Seeing the success of my third ball attack, it made me think that since my third ball is so powerful, why not use it against some better players and hope for the best? But I was wrong, the can block it back and even if it's left high and long, I'm unable to finish the point and usually miss the fifth ball

Come to think of it, I think I never really cared about making the fifth ball. I always try to finish the point as early as possible. In my country, I think every player is doing the same. Our best player is only rank 300 above in the world. He has a very strong bh third ball attack as well as fh third ball. But he is unable to keep the rally going after the third ball comes back. 

I think another reason is that I rely to much on the third ball. Hoping it will win me the point and I never bothered to recover.

I think you are a very informative person Jean. I would like to communicate with you more in the future. If you don't mind, we can communicate through email. My email is: Eugenelu3168@yahoo.com

You're welcome Eugene. I think Alois and Jeff won't mind if we keep discussing here, as long as it's tennis-table related!

Continuing the discussion here is fine! That's what this website if for :-)

I just think that email is more private and if you do not want to then it's ok