Relevance. Over the past few years, table tennis has undergone significant changes related both to the natural process of its development and to significant changes in the rules of the competition. All this led to the need to make adjustments to the content of competitive and training activities.

The aim of our study is to study the individual psychological characteristics of tennis players that affect their choice of an individual style of activity during the game. To achieve this goal, the following methods were selected.

Methods. Analysis and synthesis of scientific and methodological literature; psychological research methods: “Tapping test” by E. P. Ilyin and proof-reading - Landolt rings; “CRIS” program by V. Sivitsky, E. Zaguzov (for a comprehensive assessment of the athlete’s psychological preparedness); multivariate questionnaire RB Kettella (adolescent-14-factor model); Spearman statistical analysis and graphic representation.

Sample. The study was conducted on a contingent of young table tennis players of both sexes aged 10-16 years of different levels of training (length of service varies from 3 to 7 years) in the amount of 61 people. The subject of the study was the individual psychological characteristics of tennis players (length of service, gender, mental performance), and significant factors affecting success in competitions were identified: leadership, emotional stability, extraversion. The obtained results of the study revealed the following correlations: between psychomotor indicators and mental performance in boys (p <0.05); the relationship between the reaction time to a moving object (RDO) and the coefficient of functional asymmetry of the left and right hands in tennis players of both sexes is functional (p <0.05). As statistically significant factors: for boys - this is group cohesion, for girls - “extraversion” (need for communication).

Results. In tennis boys, length of service is correlated with leadership and emotional stability (p <0.05). Thus, age, length of service and gender can contribute to successful performance in competitions, however, it should be borne in mind that effective athletes are characterized by realism, adequate goal setting, and maintaining a stable self-esteem for the failure factor (O.V. Matytsin, 1990).

The preconditions of Individual Style of Activity (ISA) problem formation as well as it’s history of study in psychology of this country are examined. Essential characteristics of ISA conception (suggested by E.A. Klimov) and the peculiarities of different approaches to the study of the phenomenon in 1950—2000 are emphasized. Promising directions for future research are determined.