OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Hey I have a suggestion regarding pushblocker blades.

Stiga Allround Classic Carbon

In German forums it is considered an alternative for the NSD if you dislike the big NSD face.
Also you get more speed from it. I use it myself and I find it by far the most controllable blade when playing close to the table.

Hope I can be of help!
Greetings from Germany

Today I have a coaching session, and I'm struggling with whether to stick with a LP/Inverted chop blocking/looping attacking style or a double inverted 2 winged style. The coach is open to both, but I need to make a decision so I don't waste $...

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Blog: "Holy Chtchet!" ⇝

Projects: Player Equipment Grid ⇝ Comprehensive Thin Inverted Chopping Rubbers Grid ⇝ Please send me corrections or new submissions

Thanks! Interestingly, I have that blade. I used it for a while as a chopper but found it too light.

Unfortunately I chopped it up and added weight to the inside of handle, which made it extremely fast and uncontrollable. I have plans to try to save it, but that's a long project as the glue I used is pretty solid.

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Blog: "Holy Chtchet!" ⇝

Projects: Player Equipment Grid ⇝ Comprehensive Thin Inverted Chopping Rubbers Grid ⇝ Please send me corrections or new submissions

The first choice. We are a lot better now than when when first started training together. As long as we're making progress, don't give up on it.

A few years ago, Eric Li contemplated going to double inverted 2 wing but stuck with chopper. Look where he is now. You just need to be patient and keep training. And getting a coaching session in every now and then should help. You really need to video yourself more to see what needs to be fixed.

Speaking of Eric, do you know what blade/rubbers he uses?

Sigh...I guess you're right. However, it's "chopping" that I'm looking to move away from a bit, unless needed...we'll see. Bogeyhunter went through a similar identity crisis last year...maybe 2 years ago, and ultimately went back to modern defense. My back isn't doing so well these days with all that running around...I do think I played damn good at our last meet....if you ignore the 2 faulted serves I made that caused us to lose the doubles. (Still annoyed by that).

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Blog: "Holy Chtchet!" ⇝

Projects: Player Equipment Grid ⇝ Comprehensive Thin Inverted Chopping Rubbers Grid ⇝ Please send me corrections or new submissions

I do, he uses sponged Dtecs/T64 on a JSH blade. But he's a pure modern defender.

Remember, I'm looking remain at the table more, not leave it. More chop-blocker than chopper...with hitting.

_________________
Blog: "Holy Chtchet!" ⇝

Projects: Player Equipment Grid ⇝ Comprehensive Thin Inverted Chopping Rubbers Grid ⇝ Please send me corrections or new submissions

It may not be the running around that's aggravating your back. For me, I think it's the constant bending over to pick up balls. I gotta remember to bend my knees to pick the ball up instead of bending at the waist.

I remember playing him a little more than a year ago.. he was low 2000s back then. And I could have sworn he played with a P1R 1mm which I noted since I was playing the same rubber at the time. Now that you say Dtecs I can no longer be sure. The FH and the blade were T64 and JSH for sure. I was too excited to memorize his equipment since I somehow managed to beat him in 5

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Attackers: "All pips players are cheaters who can't loop, move, or read spin"
Me: I beg your pardon?

He started with DTECs, switched to P-1R, and switched back...all 1mm.

Held his racket a month ago. Of course, he's a chopper and we are all hopeless EJs. But the big change in his game is his forehand attack (far better) and his LP chopping consistency. Secondarily he has added more at the table LP blocks which have added more weapons to his arsenal. At first, he never did that.

_________________
Blog: "Holy Chtchet!" ⇝

Projects: Player Equipment Grid ⇝ Comprehensive Thin Inverted Chopping Rubbers Grid ⇝ Please send me corrections or new submissions

I had a lesson yesterday, first in a long while. With her, I am training double inverted. I figure it will help me long term whether I decide to go back to LPs on the backhand, or stick with attacking. It also teaches me how attackers think, and what tactics they try to employ. Some of those attacking tactic translate to defense, many don't.

The coach I work with on and off Charlene (NextLevel and Der_Echte know her), tells me I'm crazy to play defense because my backhand is my best stroke (many people tell me this). And just think, if I'm playing LP backhand and inverted forehand as a chopper, I essentially take my best weapon out of rotation unless I twiddle (which I do often but this can be detrimental for a returned ball).

She herself is backhand-oriented and went through several tactics for serve and attack for a backhand 3rd ball. We did many combos, serve short to forehand attack to deep backhand, then cross to the FH, stuff like that.
She also helped me with table positioning, keeping me in the middle of the left 3/4s of the table for BH use, and the final 1/4 for forehand, explaining of course that variation will occur and that the wide BH corner is exposed so be ready with footwork, yada yada. As a chopper positioning is far different, being off the table so this was good knowledge.

I liked that she was playing to my strengths.

We did work on FH flips and FH counters, because I struggle there. Her game is control and placement, and she is very consistent playing around 2100. Since I was playing double inverted, i was playing with a setup I don't use often, so there was a bit of adjustment there.

I then got a chance to play against a Korean Jpen player (ironic eh?) to try it out. Of course, going to the deep backhand is exactly what one wants to do against a TBP penholder. Worked well. Because I was specifically shoe-horning a new tactic into the game, I lost the first 2 games, but I finally fine-tuned it by the 3rd game winning 3 straight.
Overall it was a good day.

_________________
Blog: "Holy Chtchet!" ⇝

Projects: Player Equipment Grid ⇝ Comprehensive Thin Inverted Chopping Rubbers Grid ⇝ Please send me corrections or new submissions

He also added a nasty side swipe service return.

So, some significant things have come to fruition. I’ve narrowed down to 2 style choices.

Both as an attacker.
Inverted BH/ Short Pips FH or double inverted.

My backhand is far stronger than my forehand. I can spin people off the table up to a decent standard, and place pretty well. So with either style, I can play a backhand-oriented style. I beat a kid my level with both styles who plays on my team, and was very close with my practice partner who’s between 1750-1850 depending on whether or not he eats his wheaties.

Currently, with inverted I am more versatile, because I can open on the FH better, and rally with my BH. With my inverted/SP setup, I am far more BH-oriented because I’m less confident with the SP Forehand, and therefore don’t open as well, and don’t attack as confidently on the FH.

Still, I seem to have about the same winning percentage with either style and when I DO hit with the SPs (Nittaku Hammond FA) they are deadly! When I land them. I really need to dial in the FH SPs, or just switch to inverted. Or perhaps a grippier SP would be more intuitive…like 802-40 or Rakza PO or something. But of course, with more grip comes less disruption, so..I dunno. (thoughts?) I really like the idea of having a slight difference to my style to avoid being conventional and thus easier to play.

FYI, I picked Hammond FA as a recommendation from TT11’s Sergei Petrov after watching a video from General Specific.

I think I’m leaning towards the SPs, but my coach won’t like that as she’s a x2 inverted kinda gal.

_________________
Blog: "Holy Chtchet!" ⇝

Projects: Player Equipment Grid ⇝ Comprehensive Thin Inverted Chopping Rubbers Grid ⇝ Please send me corrections or new submissions

Next session I plan to try this with DG, Dtecs, or Talon. Just too curious...

_________________
Blog: "Holy Chtchet!" ⇝

Projects: Player Equipment Grid ⇝ Comprehensive Thin Inverted Chopping Rubbers Grid ⇝ Please send me corrections or new submissions

Played again with both of the new setups. Did okay with both, but far less successfully. My partner was playing well. Part of the issue was I was trying to use more forehand with the SPs to try to dial them in, but I just cannot get the right technique yet. I am not attuned to the timing needed to take balls earlier on the FH...it's very foreign to me. But I did get better with the FH as the night progressed and had several winners. If I let the ball drop at all, I struggled to lift them over the net. I understand I shouldn't let them drop, but muscle memory, habits and what not...you know the deal. Alos

When I concentrated on a BH-oriented game I did better, just like I did on Tuesday.

I will continue with attacking...but will give a chop-blocking attacking style one more go...since my teammate seems to think it's bothersome and better. The issue is, I lose my backhand attack when I play that way unless I twiddle which has it's own issues if the return goes to your forehand.

I will continue taking lessons as a two-winged attacker...this has been very helpful and fruitful and helpful to even my chopping game.

I'm not sure about the SPs though....I know I just need more time with it.

_________________
Blog: "Holy Chtchet!" ⇝

Projects: Player Equipment Grid ⇝ Comprehensive Thin Inverted Chopping Rubbers Grid ⇝ Please send me corrections or new submissions

You need a few multiball sessions to get the technique down.