OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Hello guys. So I started my modern defender journey by chopping with palio ox. Then I switched to tsp p1r 0.5 mm after like 6 months. And then to tsp 1 mm after a similar amount of time. And honestly, even though I'm now putting in way more time and effort, I have mixed feelings about this rubber. While chopping in a rally has terrific control and so does pushes, that strong opening loop is what I struggle with. Chopping feels very bouncy. If I can somehow put it on the table and get into a rally, I can usually win the point. But chances of that are very slim. Should I stick with it and really grind it out until I master it, or should I go back to the basics and use something like a milky way ox? Important thing to note is that with ox I could chop even though I was fairly fat. Now I'm a bit more fit and while I can reach balls I couldn't before, I still struggle with that first chop. I'm 17 btw (18 in October) if age has anything to do with it. Thanks in advance!

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Aspiring modern defender

Hello
If, with your p1, you can play well every shot and you struggle just with the strong openings then i suggest you simply practice a lot on this week point. Maybe you only have to find the right tecnique for this kind of fast and usually unspinny ball. If i read well you also play with a quite slow defensive setup (blade+pimple) so i really believe that training will solve the problem
As you said, it's also very important to be fast to get away from the table to have better chances to return those shots.
Of course 0.5 sponge or OX could help you with those shots, but you loose a lot in many areas.

Also, remember that the strong, fast and well placed opening is exactly what a defender wants to avoid, either by placing the push well, or cutting the ball very heavy (so that only the best players can attack it strongly because it needs anticipation, the other ones have to push or slow looping), or confusing the opponent with spin variation.

Good luck

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My Paddle
Blade: Butterfly Defence II FL
FH: Bluegrip V1 2.0 (red)
BH: Grass D.Tecs 1.5 (black)

True! Will have to practice it. This was with a guy who can compete pretty well with our national team. Even if I chopped the first one the second one was super rapid and at an angle away from the table (he is a lefty). I guess another problem could be the table. I practice multiball on a Giant Dragon table which has average speed, while the one I played the game on was a high end Cornilleau and it was super fast. Also, pushing with lps especially placing them DEEP in the table is something I really struggle with. Even if I have all the time in the world and I time and push it well with a lot of power, it still ends up mid distance which is easy powerlooping for guys like him.

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Aspiring modern defender

Why do ABS plastic ball disagree with the defensive play?

The plain truth is that Choppers all dislike and swear the new plastic balls, and right so. Those non-spinny plastic balls would make your defence less effective, and the ABS plastic will wreck your play absolutely.



REASONINGS: the plastic is less spinny and the ball will go straigh forward long-long way upon bounce on the table, without much descent.
You only can chop the ball after it comes down below the table, far away off the table. No ball descent -- no chopping shots.

Sorry about all the choppers.

Don't mind Igor: he has his periods again.

I think the problem is a technical and tactical one. What's your level, inferno? If you're way below the level of the guy you're describing, then taking him as a reference point is pointless.

If they can loop strongly against you with their opening loop, then this means your push hasn't got the quality it needs to stop those strong loops. Make it low, deep and well placed: outside of reach on their FH, outside of reach on their BH or to their cross-over point. And especially: always be unpredictable - always use variation.

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There's always stuff to improve!

My blog on being a LP defender beyond 2000 USATT and the pips discrimination that comes along with that

His level is higher than mine but not someone out of reach. Especially not someone who'd 11-0 me. I lose more respectably against national team players xD. I'd estimate my level to be around 1600-1800 (we don't have a rating system in Bangladesh) but will upload some footage 'soon' hopefully. I think assuming my level is 1700 his level would be 2000+. Pushing with long pips is tough tho. Like it's difficult to put the ball very deep on the table. Will have to practice it I guess. On another note, tables could be a reason for it. I train at home using a Giant Dragon table which is fairly fast. After going to the federation I played against high tier junior players and warmed up before with my coach on a stag table which has similar speed to the Giant Dragon. But I played the French guy on a high end Cornilleau table which was way more fast. Could this be another reason? Because his loops were so fast my coach who is the best player in my country doesn't have such power (I play him on the Giant Dragon). Regarding buying tables, I'll probably post a topic as it has been bugging me a lot after recent events xD

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Aspiring modern defender

Tables could have something to do with it, but then again: you should be able to adapt.

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There's always stuff to improve!

My blog on being a LP defender beyond 2000 USATT and the pips discrimination that comes along with that