OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Hello,

It's been a while since my last post... I've been getting along quite well with my LP setup (see profile for details), even beating higher-ranked players, quite regularly...There're are a few issues, with which I require help, but I'll touch upon that later.. .. However, I require immediate help with the following : -

I've taken part in our club's internal ranking & selection tournament, and have made it through to the round of 16. I'll will be facing a 15 year ol' kid (joined the club, recently), who plays with an anti on the BH, and has a huge FH top-spin game... I've never played against an Anti, nor have I even seen this kid play, but I hear the following, through some trusted sources.

- He's a district ranked player (juniors)
- He's super-quick
- Has a massive FH, and uses it quite generously.
- Does nothing other than block or push from the BH.
- Does not twiddle.
- Can hit/top-spin with his FH from anywhere on the table... to anywhere on the table.
- Uses the anti (it's either a butterly or Yasaka one), mainly for returning serves.
- Game comprises of BH Push or block (once or twice), and then boom with the FH

A bit about myself

- Currently Ranking = Sub-zero
- 42 Years old...
- Sluggish Footwork, but pretty decent upper-body movement, and reflexes.
- Fairly good @ passive-blocking close and far from the table.
- Farily good @ chopping/pushing close-to-mid distance from the table.
- Can launch a cracking BH with the inverted side, but, not too consistently
- Can do slow, but very spinny loops from the FH, if I happen to be in position.
- I can chop (from mid-distance), slow-medium paced top-spins from my opponents.
- I rely mainly on my opponents making mistakes, varying speed and spin, twiddling.

Any advise on how I should play against the anti-spin (perhaps use it to my advantage?), and against this player (in general), and end-up winning ?

His game style is very similar to mine, even more so when I was younger, fitter and used anti. Players make the mistake of playing mostly to my BH. It’s a good tactic only if they are strong enough to penetrate it, otherwise I use it to set up FH winners. What I dislike most are players who slow the tempo of the game, playing short & safe my FH and no spin to my BH. Also, try to force him to receive serve on his FH by serving wide, short and spinny. I dislike playing against other anti/LP players. I have no spin to work with. He will likely feel the same so use your LP to advantage.

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2. S&T Black & White / Armstrong SH-I 1.8 / TSP Curl P3 Alpha R OX

Oops. I think you are in trouble. I think you lack the skills to put him under pressure.

You must keep him short preventing him from attacking you. Then you have to attack him in wide angles to his wide FH or BH. These attacks have to be fast balls otherwise he will counter with his FH or he will block with his BH setting up his own attack. Placement is very important. Keep him running.

What can you do:
BH attack or BH side swipe his anti spin balls with pace to his BH putting him under pressure and preventing him to attack. He will try to avoid that by stepping arround. Then his wide FH is open for you to attack. When he steps arround to often play a few balls to his wide FH. Again let him run. Be unpredictable.


Good luck

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brokkie

Hi ,

Brokkie, Dusty ... Thanks for the suggestions...

I played the kid, and lost in straight sets... funnily, the score was 10-12, 10-12, 10-12....

Turns-out, that around 3 months back, he switched from Anti to Donic Akadi L2 LP

In the first game, I was down 0-6... All but 1 point, he won were by way of outright FH topspin winner... Some quality shots, I must say... I didn't know what was going on ... I was trying to play to his LP, on the BH, but he kept turning around, and hitting some devastating FH topspins.. I, then tried pushing/cutting/chopping to his wide FH, to which he made 2-3 unforced (??) errors. This, along with some twiddling ,variations, services, soft-attacks, and some luck, helped me mount a mini-comeback, and tied at 9-9... I miss-timed a fast no-spin serve to his LP, which ended going long. However, the next same type of serve was near perfect, which as expected, he put in the net, making it 10 a piece.. The next point, his serve setup a FH top-spin for him, and I made an un-forced error, next, giving him the game..

The 2nd set, I squandered a 5 point lead ..The 3 was pretty evenly matched, but he managed to wriggled past me...

I did manage to trouble him, with variations, blocking his top-spin (which he did not expect), and chops, but all that was not good enough.

I hindsight, I think I got beat, more by his agility, and footwork, rather than my sheer lack of skill..

That's bad luck, sounds like it was very close. Hope you get another crack at him soon!

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2. S&T Black & White / Armstrong SH-I 1.8 / TSP Curl P3 Alpha R OX

I have BTY Superanti on my bh and twiddle with lp .When I play against LPs,I just use my Superanti and play all the strokes against the opponent´s pips. I win easily and when I sometimes use the Lp, the opponent misses the table due to a long , fast no spin ball .

Alternative set of strategies to try out.
Serves: fast no-spin to his pocket (crossover point), mixed with short, wide to his backhand. If he moves over to the BH side when receiving serve, keep him honest with a fast serve to his FH corner.

Play: Try to attack to his forehand. If defending, vary short/long and keep it in the middle until you get an opportunity to attack.

Got as far as I did, against him, by varying speed, spin, and serves.. Ultimately, he was just too quick, and too good with this FH top-spins... His BH and blocking, on the other hand, sucked big-time..