Reading the ball - problems.

I would like to ask you, how to read spin well from unortodox players.

When I am warming up I can do everything so smooth then suddenly after first serve I am not playing the same game. 

Things with cause me most problems:

Spinny shots which are not spinny at all. - misreading spin

When people with old normal inverted rubbers pretend to do good strokes but their shots are spinless or knuckle. "It behave like it is it but it ain't". 

I've heard a lot of times from other players: When they saw me during practice they were afraid of playing against me... After first match, no more. 

Tell me please, what should be my target? On what thing should I focus the most during tournament play to bring my good game from practice into it. 

Any ideas?

 

I agree with NL that deep heavy shots slow are a good friend, but you have to read the ball first or get the ball you want. Often, if you are able to make a somewhat fast push heavy and deep, you will get back what you want... a long underspin ball to open heavy deep and safe.

 

At some point, you have to change your shots up to get back something predictable and long. Often, it is hitting medium pace little spin and deep at their crossover. many of these players do not move well and you will get weak long returns, but some of them are great at bending off balance or chicken wing the  block, so you have to experiment and see where their true middle is. Often, if they do not give it to you deep, you can hit softly at wide angles and move them around to get a better chance at an exposed wing.