OOAK Table Tennis Forum

I see your point MNNB. We have a guy who plays at the club and he has 2 bats. Both are TSP Defensives. One has 388D and the other has Boomerang (yes the illegal one) as his pips. He uses the Boomerang mostly these days (there was a time he kept it in his bag mostly). He is a mega good LP blocker with either setup, but with the Boomerang he can keep the ball very short and little bounce. He refuses to follow ITTF rules as he doesn't believe the club comes under its auspices (although it does). Given he only fills in these days he gets away with using it. He has awesome touch though and plays well with either pip, but I think he is better with the Boomerang. He's pretty legendary for being about the best LP blocker around our parts. I think he probably illustrates what your are saying very well.

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That clearly illustrates how lp's advantage has been diminished by ITTF.

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The key against players like that is to start out by serving long with heavy underspin to their forehand, daring them to loop that serve. They can't flat hit it because it has too much underspin (if executed correctly) so, unless they push it back, they will have to spin it.. Once they get spin on the ball, you can use the pips reversal to block it back to their forehand, preferably long and fast to give them little time. They now can decide to loop again (and likely loop into the net) OR they can opt topush it back.. As your block (if executed correclty) will be long and with heavy underspin, there is a good chance that their push will be short. You then push aggressively off the bounce cross, wide into their backhand. I don't think that you can beat those who rip by blocking short.. You need to turn the tables by putting pressure on them by forcing them to spin or push instead of ripping the ball.

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I tried long underspin serves to the forehand last night and that's a good strategy. I need to practice though. I'm not sure some of my long serves were spinny enough. Also I tended to instinctively try to block the return loop with my forehand instead of getting over to that side of the table and using the pips. But this idea helps. I think I'm on the right track. Thanks.

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You definitely need to block the loop with your pips so that you force your opponent to push your block and then you can take over the initiative and push aggressive against his resulting underspin. It is difficult to produce a lot of underspin with short pips.. That's why I use a very stick rubber.. Spinny serves are a integral part of my game and strategy.

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2010 Florida State Champion
Dr. Neubauer Firewall Plus with DHS G888 1.8 mm and Giant Dragon Dragon Talon OX National Team

That's a superb tactic and one I'll have to try!

With regards to playing a fast topspin player, if they're really good I just try to limit their opportunities by keeping the ball as short as possible. Then I try and get blocks in if they spin it up and wait for that pop up ball to try and kill. It's easier said than done but I've learnt against the better players, if they're hitting it past you, don't push the ball long with the pips if there is little or no spin on the ball, otherwise I find it gets smashed past me.

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My worst nightmare-A good SP player who is constantly hitting into my back hand and does give me any spin to play with until its a smash or passing shot with a good hard topspin drive...

Ian

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Since I switched to LP I had only one person on our club doing the same. He does pretty fast and long topspin or flat serves to my long pip side. I can't really do much with it and whatever I try to put back on the table he finishes it outside my reach.

The only answer I had so far was twiddeling my bat at the last moment and do a fast counter hit with my inverted side to catch him off guard. But I want to know how you'd best return it with the LP side. Obviously the best answer for me is to get it short onto the table, but that's hard to do with the speed it's carrying from the serve and the lack of spin to reverse...

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