OOAK Table Tennis Forum

No, the loop (according to the table tennis books I've read so far, some dating back to the 1960s) mention the "loop" as a separate shot. Distinct from the topspin drive. They describe how to do it, and what it does. Topspin drives have been around forever, you even see it mentioned in books written in the hardbat era. The books from the 1950s don't mention loops at all because they hadn't been invented yet. It took sponge rubber to appear before loops were possible. And even then it took several years before it was invented, and even longer before it became widespread - in the beginning it was the shot of a specialist. Most of the top players in the 1960s did not loop, and the books from that period made it clear it was a very difficult, advanced shot used by certain specialists, while the topspin drive was the bread-and-butter shot usually covered first. The loop was always been a shot meant to produce overwhelming topspin, though these days you also get a great deal of speed with it as well. Only when you get into the 1970s do they start to focus more on loops, and more interestingly - loop returns. The use of anti starts to get mentioned (one book - can't remember who wrote it, I read it on the shelf in a bookshop - called it "French rubber" - the term "anti-spin" hadn't been invented yet, and presumably Butterfly hadn't started selling Sriver Killer yet) and such techniques as blocking with a very loosely held closed racket face.

Iskandar

The older books described the loop drive as a brush stroke. It was typically employed against backspin, was very difficult to execute, and - back then - difficult to return. Things have changed somewhat, but a loop is still a stroke that employs a light touch and produces a great deal of topspin. It isn't a basic stroke. Apparently, though, these days, to many people, any plain vanilla topspin drive is a "loop". The topspin drive is, in contrast to the loop, one of the first strokes that gets taught to a beginner.

Iskandar

I think what you are calling a topspin drive would be a counterhit from todays definition.

For me, the three strokes are defined like this:

counterhit: basic stroke. hitting the ball mostly frontal with a bit of a brushing motion. The strokes creates light to no topspin.

topspin drive: extension of the counterhit. the contact is still a bit frontal but more brushing motion. the strokes goes through the ball to create max. pace. the stroke creates enough topspin so the ball arcs and hits the table in spite of its pace.

loop: extension of the counterhit. The contact is mostly a brushing motion and nearly not frontal. The strokes "pulls" the ball upwards, so the ball clears the net at a high arc. The stroke creats max. spin and pace is secondary.

Those are "loop" strokes, but produce drives because of incredibly low throw (by modern standards) of the equipment. Likely a thick 1ply blade + less than elastic rubber.

The "fast-loop" if it's the fwd stroke is how modern drives are done as a result of modern equipment.

The evolution of the loop started and ended within a month of the 40mm balls introduction. It's hard the describe the effect that ball had on the game. It was drastic to say the least. There's never been such a rapid change in the game.

They were using Sriver and Mark V by that time, I wouldn't call that "incredibly low throw". You could still fast loop with Sriver. The difference between a fast loop and those topspin drives was the angle of contact with the blade - with the fast loop the blade would be a lot more closed, and you'd use a lot more racket speed. The shot wouldn't be any faster but there'd be a lot more spin.

Iskandar