theOldDuffer wrote:
Anyone have any insights on playing a pen hold push blocking style with Anti-loop?
I recognize that you might find that this style might have similiar components to the shakehand styles previously mentioned, but even within the Pen Hold community there are variations on single-sided and reverse pen hold backhand styles, so hope springs eternal.
I have had three shoulder surgeries over the last few years added to very serious injuries to my left ankle and foot about ten years ago. Shortly before the teams my right foot started going numb after playing for a while. The doctors ran tests and made suggestions, disagreed with each other, but nothing solved the problem, but changing styles of TT shoes seemed to prolong the time when the numbness would set in. (Not sure if that is like getting a new blade or rubber and feeling an "immediate improvement."
Since the Teams I am finding that blocking with a pen hold style (sort of modified pushblocking) seems to be easier on my aged body.
My playing the pen hold game seems to require less of me than when playing shakehands (I would that I were another Peter Chen of the FLP era, but barring a miracle and the advent of time travel I believe I can safely rule that out).
I enjoyed the successes I experienced while experimenting with Anti-loop from the mid-sevnties and into the eighties. As with the demise of FLPs the two colour rule did nothing to help my Anti playing.
Sidebar: Which, if any of the rule changes since the fifties have aided defensive players?
Also, I Like to play pen hold, but also enjoy winning more than losing, therefore...I will likely continue to see my shakehand's style level decline as the effects of aging and the difficulties mentioned above continue to snowball.
However, further into the Hope-Springs-Eternal catagory, better utilization of the materials I am using or even Pen hold blocking with Anti-loop might be a way to stem the tide.
I realize that no blade or rubber is magic, but I also am sure that the blades made for me by Ross Leidy for the Teams were about the only reason I didn't totally crash and burn. He laboured diligently and zealously to build tools that would provide me with the best means possible to utilize the materials I was and am using (GD Talon and TaiChi).
tOD
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