Transition from beginner to intermediate

Bro, are you talking to yourself in this thread? lol

IMO, you are asking a question that has no correct answer.

You can look at this, in no specific order:

- Make your basic strokes with proper footwork and has reasonable knowledge of technique, spin, pimples become more advance strokes. Start adding more power, speed, spin and placement into your game
- Focus more on serve and service received - min 1 hour a day.
- strength and conditioning training
- Running program
- improve on skills and create new skills

No fix time allocation, each person is different, so you can decide what is good for you and the times that is available for you too, etc
Good luck

There are players at even 2100 USATT level considered expert players (top 5-8% of our registered players) who do not have complete TT games and have multiple major flaws in technique or tactics.

The easiest thing to say is when you increase in level, you will generally be better at most things, better than you were before. I know that is over-generalizing it, but it is true. There are many things one can do to raise a level if something is a major contributor to keeping one at his or her level. Improving serve receive is one easy way to increase a level. Improving the serve/attack is one, given all other things half-solid and constant.

When you DO manage to increase in level, you will CERTAINLY discover more and MORE flaws in your game.

Personally, I increased three levels in my 4 years in Korea and the more I improved, the more I felt I was terrible in more areas. It is natural to improve and more easily discover your personal weaknesses and needs to improve. You become much more aware of it as you become more equal to and face better players who exploit these weaknesses better. This kind of discovery under pressure is golden for your development. You can be more prepared for it through training and coaching, but one has to really do it himself or herself.... repeatedly.

One can train at the table, but there is nothing replacing experience in real matches to go along with the training. Sadly, it involves a lot of failing. Personally, I really HATE failing at ANYTHING. Yet, it is the way of the beast and if we do not accept it and work accordingly, we fail to develop or reach plateau earlier.