OOAK Table Tennis Forum

The top spin drive vs the flat hit...its so misunderstood-I am going to try to answer some of the newbies on the board who are asking about flat hits, topspin driives, loops, smashes and who knows what else withpout cutting edge graphics=sorry

The Flat hit-Elbow in like the handle on a well-wrist stiff-contact-sharp-what happens- the pips compress very little spin is imparted to the ball the only thing keeping the ball on the table is the correct angle, air pressure, and gravity. There has been no abrasion (very little) by the pips, the pips do not deform as with medium pip nor do they bend like long pips.

The smash-like the flat hit but with more mustard/oomph-this is go for broke, if your angle isnt right you miss.

The topspin drive-The is lifted and the pips bite/abrase the ball probably at a 45 degree angle causing top spin-it is still advisable to take this ball above table height.

Fast looping with short pips there are 2 rubbers that can pull this off-Stiga Radical and Joola Tango-it does not have the spin of an inverted fast loop but has about everything else. You can even hook it.

The pips out slow loop-the ball is caught and lifted-not grazed as with inverted-

* why the topspin drive shot does not work with Medium pips-the pips dont bite-they deform trapping the ball and then mildly sending it out with very modest spin, probably could only be used against a classical defender who only hits sure sitters...

hope this helps

Ian

_________________
Blade: Giant Dragon Kris: FH: Friengship 729 Judo (red) 2.0 BH: Feint Long 3 (black) 1.3
Blade: Alfa Pro : FH: Friendship Judo (red) 2.0 BH TSP Curl P-1r (black) 1.4

Thanks Ian for these thoughts. I have started, then quit using SP a few times, but now I am determined to stick with SP! I use 802-40 on my BH, and I play 80% BH due to a shoulder injury.

I thank you for this advice: "The pips out slow loop-the ball is caught and lifted-not grazed as with inverted"

This takes practice, and it does work!

I will take your advice on these shots and continue to get the feel of it!

Thanks!

I wouldn't call it a slow loop, though - it's just a slow topspin drive. This stroke existed even back in the hardbat era, it was a bread-and-butter shot because there were a lot of choppers back then and driving against backspin was one of the two most common shots (the other being the chop). Yes, the drive was performed with the racket face open, and an upward stroke (a proper hardbat topspin drive ended up above the head, watch those old videos). With sponge, you don't have to lift as much, so the stroke is somewhat more forward, but you still have to lift the ball with the racket face rather than use the rubber's friction. So this isn't a loop. It was around before the loop was invented. It doesn't produce near enough spin to be called a loop. These days, though, EVERY top spin drive gets called a "loop".

Iskandar

will agree and not argue symantics, Ian

_________________
Blade: Giant Dragon Kris: FH: Friengship 729 Judo (red) 2.0 BH: Feint Long 3 (black) 1.3
Blade: Alfa Pro : FH: Friendship Judo (red) 2.0 BH TSP Curl P-1r (black) 1.4

Whether it's a loop or not quite.......it sure is a fun shot to hit!!!!