Training and competing in college means that you won’t always have perfect playing conditions. Things like slippery floors, bad lighting, and poor tables are common, and thus must be taken into consideration when playing. I’ve learned to marginally adjust my playing style based on these factors. For example, when playing on a slippery floor it’s harder to win a long rally, especially against a good blocker. In a situation like this I try to win the point on the third ball, preventing the rally from getting too drawn out. Another example is when sunlight shines down on the court-I make sure that I am able to see the ball clearly if I want to use my high-toss serve. This is something I learned from Kong Linghui and Li Ping-in major matches, they test their toss before actually serving to confirm visibility of the ball. Recently I switched from Brave to X-plode on my forehand. X-plode is a bit firmer and a European-style rubber, so it feels better for counterlooping and my style. Although Brave is a Chinese-style rubber, it works equally well on the backhand, something kind of counterintuitive. Players who like to play with more control on the backhand should give it a try, because it has a softer sponge and is great for backhand loop-drives. If you are searching for something better on your backhand, try Brave.