OOAK Table Tennis Forum

in this case - "this guy" is me! Sometimes, when out of position, I seem to hit a pure sidespin loop that is not really planned, that almost seems to generate a chop - or at least very little topspin. It's not pretty, and I doubt it is covered in any textbook - but it seems to really confuse some opponents, and wins me lots of points. The fact that the bat is coming around my body means the opponent doesn't see the bat angle until the last second. When I look at the video - my bat is really closed on the backswing, and never opens up the face. What's the opinion here - it can't be producing chop, it is purely producing a lot less topspin than the perception?

I am talking about the first and last loops in this video clip, at 0.03 and 0.42

After clicking Play/Pause a couple of times, I think at both cases (0.03s is a bit more clear to see) the ball hits the thumb of your opponent, thus explaining the weird trajectory of the ball into the net.

The guy apparently reacts to your forehand loop, but doesn't expect the hook/sidespin curve, causing the ball to end up much closer to his body then expected.

Just my 2 cents

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What do you see as different from the ones at 0.07 and 0.18 PRW? They all look fairly similar. It looks like a hook loop, but I think your bat is actually almost flat hitting at its contact point. Just happens that's aiming to wide FH. The one at 0.31 misses long, which is typical of a flat hit not bought down fast enough. Also, the responses by the opponent on the successful ones are mainly in the net, which means he's expecting to be blocking topspin that will kick up, but doesn't.

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I don't think it hits his thumb - each time he looks at his bat, as though he just doesn't understand it. Sometimes the bat angle is almost like a reverse pendulum serve when I hit it!

With a lot of sidespin, almost under spin, you confuse since arm motion indicates top spin. Hou Yinchao does that loop a lot and sometimes it almost comes with underspin (he has a very extreme bat angle when doing that loop, almost hitting the ball as one would do with a reverse pendalum serve)

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As I see it - the first loop (3 sec of the video) is pure sidespin. But you opponent not only closes the racket too much, but he also tries to move it in the direction of your spin (not opposing the spin). Because of the fact that his racket speed is very slow on this stroke - the rubber reacts very strong to the spin and the ball goes sideways(because of the sidespin) to the net(because of the closed angle and slow racket speed). That's how I see it.
And of course.. his rubbers my have been wet

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Thanks, that makes sense. I will have a look at Hou Yinchao

Ok, I see that now, thanks

From what I can see in the video:
You get the same effect as an extreme hook loop (strong sidespin and almost no topspin) without cocking your wrist, because you start the stroke with a relatively large backswing, and hit the ball when the swing is near the bottom (pun not intended), moving almost horizontally. Most likely there is some topspin, but your opponent expects a lot of it and overcompensates with bat angle. To him it feels like underspin.

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true, didn't think about where in the swing and on the ball I was hitting. thanks!

Ah.. Now I understand the avatar..

Iskandar

- it seemed appropriate!