I think Park Mi Young was said to use d.tecs as well at times. Come to think of it, can't really name anyone current using them for a chopping game. And didn't Joo stop using those back around 2010 or 2011?

I've been chopping with .9 d.tecs -- for what that is worth...

You can leverage better FH to dispose of worse players (well, most of them). And as you play higher events, there will be fewer of 'worse' players in there: diversity of play styles shrinks as you go up, I think.

I don't know of any other Pro players that use it, Curl p1-r seems to be the most common. I've used it for chopping in both OX abd 0.5mm, and it chop very well even in OX. Only for the real hard loops OX is hard to control, where a sponge can really help.

Ah, and there’s the rub. I’ve been working on trying to leverage my forehand ever since I left jpen. I’m more of a classic defender as you know, opting to chop on the FH.

I do what pgpg said. At first I was reluctant to attack because I was a "defender"! But the games were kind of boring and pointless. Against the lower level people, if I chop they will push it back around 80%+ of the time. So I just push a few times until I get one to the sweet spot and BAM! Loop it home. Against players who can and do loop, the pips work nicely for chopping. But the d.tecs is not a great help when facing 'limited skill' players, you might say.

Unless you have the mindset to be a push/chop robot... if that is the case, I think a grippier pip is better also. I've never seen a classic defender with slick or frictionless pips. Your weapon is the changing of back spin/no spin, and with a dead rubber you lose that option -- aside from twiddling.

Ojio Haruna is a young female chopper who is about as classic as one can get... she seems to literally only attack once the expedite rule has been put into play. So if you're an aspiring classic defender, what benefit do you get from the slick pips other than more immunity to spin?

I personally use the d.tecs as a safe return chopping/push rubber, just until I can force an error or do an attack of my own. Although I'm leaning toward going back to p4, fl3, or something with more grip for chopping.

I do what pgpg said. At first I was reluctant to attack because I was a "defender"! But the games were kind of boring and pointless. Against the lower level people, if I chop they will push it back around 80%+ of the time. So I just push a few times until I get one to the sweet spot and BAM! Loop it home. Against players who can and do loop, the pips work nicely for chopping. But the d.tecs is not a great help when facing 'limited skill' players, you might say.

Unless you have the mindset to be a push/chop robot... if that is the case, I think a grippier pip is better also. I've never seen a classic defender with slick or frictionless pips. Your weapon is the changing of back spin/no spin, and with a dead rubber you lose that option -- aside from twiddling.

Ojio Haruna is a young female chopper who is about as classic as one can get... she seems to literally only attack once the expedite rule has been put into play. So if you're an aspiring classic defender, what benefit do you get from the slick pips other than more immunity to spin?

I personally use the d.tecs as a safe return chopping/push rubber, just until I can force an error or do an attack of my own. Although I'm leaning toward going back to p4, fl3, or something with more grip for chopping.

Though I think the 755 is still decently grippy. Wasn't that the guy you emailed and he said he thought he could add enough with them? But actually come to think of it, thomas Ben born used the curl p1r in ox as a classic defender. So it's certainly possible with a lower spin pip. He is a high level guy though, and has a lot of spin coming at him. Not sure how he would play a 1600 to 1900 level guy.

There is some variety with the sponged d tecs, but it still relies on the other person. You can take some spin off or make it heavier depending on the stroke. If they send you a no spin, you cannot make it very heavy in the return.

Have you tries the feint long 2?

Wow, you have a real good memory. Yes, that's him. GMan and Der Echte know him, his name is Daniel...very tricky. Although he plays more classical, he does have a decent FH, just doesn't use it as much as a modern defender. He probably could play that way if he chose to.

RE: FL2
Funny you bring that up. I just bought it. So the 2 setups I'm going to test out is Ganna Gapanova's exact setup, FL2 1.3/TackChop 1.5mm on a JSH. And then Dtecs 0.9/Xiom Vega DEF on a VKM.

It's like you have been spying on me SS.

So why did you ask about the FL2? I have practiced with it, but no game situations yet. Might rectify that today.

Japsican,
I remember either you or someone else tell me that Eric - 2100-2200 chopper from VA - plays with a Dtecs. Maybe I am confusing something but 2200 is good enough of a level to prove that it would work well with the new poly ball.