OOAK Table Tennis Forum

I just tried using mark V rubbers for looping underspin/pushed balls.
I find it easier to wait for the ball to drop, then loop with alot of upward motion, instead of looping at the highest point. And even though I use a lot of effort looping this ball, it only just clears the net and lands near the end of the table. I would prefer the ball to have more arc.

Even though it is easier, I keep thinking it can't be right to wait for the ball to drop, because I'm giving up a straighter and faster return path.

Comments/suggestions?

Well, big bendy loops are fun to do, but they don't have to be the default. My coach noticed that I have a habit of waiting for the ball to drop to table height or lower before looping. He suggested that I am just making things harder for myself:

1) it's more tricky to clear the net from low down. If you were returning the same pushed/underspin ball with another push, you'd probably not wait for it to go that far and drop that low.

2) which leads to: you give your opponent a lot more time, when you could be putting them under more pressure with a loop executed earlier and nearer the top of the bounce.

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"Once you get past a certain threshold, everyone's problems are the same: fortifying your island and hiding the heat signature from your fusion reactor." –Doctor Impossible

It is somewhat of an 'old school' method of looping that players of my generation were taught back in the 70s and 80s. This was in the 38mm ball era where the levels of spin were higher and especially against chop you would take the ball later to allow the spin to diminish. With the newer balls the tendancy is to take the ball earlier and play a more direct, faster topspin. Both are valid shots.

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Timo Boll ALC ST
FH Tibhar Evolution MX-P Max
BH Butterfly Sriver L 2.1
185g

Without video of what you are doing, it is hard to comment. Good players play all kinds of strokes from all kinds of places, but usually take the ball as early as they can do so with potential of a powerful swing and a reasonable recovery so as to rush the opponent but be ready to rally if necessary.

If you are producing a quality and well placed ball with good spin, then the main thing you are giving up is time and possibly recovery, but that depends on the opponent as well.

I could give you the traditional answer that you should take the ball earlier, but pretending that one size fits all advice is the way to go in amateur table tennis leads to trouble. Based on how well you want to play and whether the quality of ball you produce gives players at that level trouble, more reasonable answers are possible.

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Cobra Kai TT Exponent (Mercy effs up your Game)
One-Loop Man: One Loop... Again????
Lumberjack TT Exponent

Nothing wrong with taking it late, esp if you are having trouble with the amount of spin on it. You can also load the ball a lot more.
Taking it earlier (top/just after top) puts more pressure on your opponent though. Less time, more direct. So depending on whether you take it early or late is a tactical decision - are they having trouble with the amount of topspin or better to play fast?

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Shih Tzu

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