OOAK Table Tennis Forum

G'day all

Couple of days ago I spent a training session working on a shot I've never used before - the FH chop. It's all part of my plan to try out playing as a defensive chopper. But that got me thinking, now that I have TWO options when someone loops to my FH when should I chop and when should I counter loop/fish? I was wondering how other more experienced choppers made this decision.
Thanks in advance!
PK

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Blade: TSP Black Balsa 7.0 flared; FH Rubber - Donic Acuda S3 max sponge; BH Rubber - Speed Spectol 1.8mm

I also train on forhand chop.
With the robot its going good but then in a real match it is easier to fish or counterloop the ball.
Against good players i find it diffecult to read the spin on their loops and to chop it with my forhand.

When I play as a chopper I find FH blocking and fishing are the goto shots against incoming fast topspins. It takes way too much time to prepare for a FH chop than it does for a BH chop imo. Generally I would FH chop anything that is slow like a long push with backspin OR a slower topspin. Players with higher skill would loop a long push or attack a long chop but I can't do this consistently. Also FH chopping with inverted requires way more practice...

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A big bag full of blades and long pimples, donuts and coffee!

I find the fh chop tons easier than a bh chop and inverted much easier to chop with than lp. Plus my bh topspin is not high confidence for me. So I tend to block or fish on bh and loop or chop on fh. The further from the table the more likely I'd chop because good loops can't travel anywhere near as far as a good chop but from mid range you can mix them up. I think its more about height. A really powerful counter loop needs to be hit at nearly shoulder height, that limits how far from the table you can hit one even if you can crouch really low. If you need to loop from down low and really long range then its better to play a sideways loop as they fly much further and can also be played from knee height almost. Same thing with chops but back to front, its easier to hit a mid length chop with sidespin and a full length with backspin only.

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Donic defplay senso
Haifu whale soft (grips-euro)
Nittaku pimplemini 1.0mm

You will find that it is easier to chop a fast incoming topspin than a slower spinier one. Just like making a good loop, you let it rip, that is chopping down on the ball. You will find your timing and later your bat angles and impact height.

Having said that, I agree that fishing with some side swipe motion at impact gives the opponent back a very tricky ball. Simply blocking the ball away from the table gives opponent way too much time to keep up the attacking, but at the least, it keeps you in the point for one more shot. Against less consistent players, sometimes this is a viable tactic.

Like you already show us, it is good to keep your options open.

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Goof-off chopping bat
Gambler All Rosewood
Aurus Soft / Gambler GXL .6 sponge

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