OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Over the weekend I played my first tournament in about 7 months. I was hoping for good results with all the training I've done with the Storkraft and I did see some very good results. I didn't lose to any players rated below me, and I beat three players rated higher than me. Lost a couple more very close matches to players rated above me. Against loopers it was outstanding, as you'd expect. But I did run into some issues when it came to players that used short or long pips and just punched dead balls to my backhand.

These guys were all USATT 1800 and above. They would use the short or long pips to aggressively punch shots deep to my backhand. Trying to hit them was very difficult, so I tried moving them around and the control of the ball was difficult. I tried dropping the ball short, but often the ball was too high over the net and the short balls got punished. The best strategy I came up with was to return to their forehand and try to get into a topspin rally.

Does anybody else have any suggestions as to how to handle these type of shots best with a rubber like Storkraft? I played one match using one of the Dr N anti spin rubbers because I find them easier to attack with, and while that did help me out a little, I still had a very hard time changing up the exchanges so that I wasn't getting punch blocked off the table.

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"The greatest teacher, failure is"
USATT Rating: 1725
Blade: Stiga Cybershape Carbon
FH Rubber: Butterfly Tenergy 19 2.1
BH Rubber: Dr Neubauer ABS3 1.5

I think the best solution is push deep to their elbow, so they have to move and make some mistake. Deep dead push are hard for them too.

Another one is twiddle but shot selection is not easy to handle.

I won a tournament on sunday winning in semi finals against a short pimple 1000 points rated higher than me playing in the first way mentioned.

I think there are not other solutions.

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Antispin player !

Follow me on YouTube

https://youtube.com/user/giacomuz10

I regularly play this 1900+-level guy who uses inverted on forehand and medium pips on his backhand. He plays with hardly any spin and tries to hit through anything he can hit through. His medium pips hits are particularly difficult to handle. I beat him about 90% of the time, though, and I do it with a combination of placement and spin variation. I use long pips, not anti, on my backhand, so creating variation is a bit easier for me than for you with frictionless anti, probably, but I think you can still apply most of these strategies.

- Unless the ball is loaded with underspin, keep the ball very deep, not short. Pips-type hitters feast on short balls. Against deep balls, especially ones coming at the them quickly, they have to scramble. This creates errors.

- As gepi1993 said, shots to the playing elbow, especially fast, deep ones, are very effective against many such players. Another shot that often works, depending on your opponent's mobility, is deep and WIDE to the backhand.

- Unless your opponent has an amazing forehand that you can't block, I'd play any soft or defensive stroke to his forehand side (or playing elbow). Let him loop if he wants to loop. That's what you've got your frictionless anti for, right? If he loops, then block the next ball with your anti (don't know about you, but I play my pips chicken-wing style from virtually anywhere on the table so it doesn't matter where he loops), and aim the block at his forehand, playing elbow or wide backhand. Definitely don't give it to him in his center backhand area, since he'll just hit right through it with his pips. If he keeps looping, you keep blocking. If he gives you anything soft, however, like a push, this is where you can attack. If you're attacking with a loop with your inverted, it's probably better to go at his forehand or playing elbow (since the loop is easier for him to block with his backhand), but if you're attacking with your anti, you probably have more flexibility to put the ball anywhere.

- Don't let him get into a rhythm. Sometimes, twiddling to your inverted and pushing to his wide backhand will throw him off.

But, having said all of this, these kinds of players are definitely tough to deal with, so you'll also need some luck on your side.

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I. Re-Impact Tachi Plus 2019; FH: Nittaku FastArc G-1 1.4mm; BH: Saviga 77 Monster OX
II. Re-Impact Turbo; FH: Spinlord Sandwind 1.5mm; BH: DMS Kamikaze OX
III. Re-Impact Smart; FH: TSP Spinpips RED 2.1mm; BH: Dr. Neubauer Gangster OX
IV. Sauer & Troger Firestarter; FH: Spinlord Waran 1.8mm; BH: Giant Dragon Snowflake OX

Thanks guys, these are great suggestions. I will give them a try next time I run into this situation!

_________________
"The greatest teacher, failure is"
USATT Rating: 1725
Blade: Stiga Cybershape Carbon
FH Rubber: Butterfly Tenergy 19 2.1
BH Rubber: Dr Neubauer ABS3 1.5

I like your in-tournament adjustment of going to their FH. Most pip players are not going to do "runaround dead punches" with the BH from the FH side. I try to say to myself (when I am thinking and not in the heat of the battle), What shot did I hit before my opponent hit a difficult shot for me to handle?" rather than "how do i handle a difficult shot?". I find most players ask the last question and do not think of the first!

What's bothering you also bothers the opponent if they are playing medium or long pips with minimal friction (gdt, troublemaker...) The easiest thing to do is to return it long, very long. Don't try do drop it short, very often it will be a bit too long and high and "BOOM" they punish you right after that. TraditionalTradesman said pretty much everything.

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Setup 1
Blade - Gerry Viscaria Super ZLC
FH - Tuttle G20 President
BH - Slick antispin

One viable way is to get the bat to the ball near the bounce, keep a loose hand, and guide the ball low and deep med slow to where you want... you have a few choices with different possible things going on.

1 - send it back low and medium slow deep to their BH. Easy shot to do, safe, consistent. The ball will likely come back to the BH, so you can be ready. This keeps you in the point, you are not pissing away the point, maybe opponent will, maybe not.

2 - send it back low and medium slow safe deep to his hitting side armpit. Opponent will need great balance and movement to attack on balance and may piss away the point. You are still safe and opponent is likely going cross court - you are ready. He might still overpower, but if off balance, it is lower percentage for him/her.

3 - send it back low and slow down his/her FH line deep. Good chance opponent will miss attack or bump it back if they are not feeling lucky. You are still in point and can now attack as an option. They attack you can block to their BH or counter. Many options on this.

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Goof-off chopping bat
Gambler All Rosewood
Aurus Soft / Gambler GXL .6 sponge

Status - Out of Business Janitor/Babysitter

What is good near the bounce here is you are quick. You are making opponent decide and move quick, even if your return is medium slow. You are transferring risk to opponent and keeping options for you open.

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Goof-off chopping bat
Gambler All Rosewood
Aurus Soft / Gambler GXL .6 sponge

Status - Out of Business Janitor/Babysitter

Really appreciate all the help. That's what I love about this forum, players with "different" rubbers can get great advice!

I guess I'm doing something right - the updated ratings just came out and I have my highest rating in over 4 years!

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"The greatest teacher, failure is"
USATT Rating: 1725
Blade: Stiga Cybershape Carbon
FH Rubber: Butterfly Tenergy 19 2.1
BH Rubber: Dr Neubauer ABS3 1.5

Good stuff Druck... your level will show at some point after your hard work and it has.

I have my current rating as the lowest it has been in years... so there are gunna be a lot of haters in the next couple tourneys. Gunna be a riot.

I know my level, and am confident and happy with my level, and know my official rating isn't my level, and do not care greatly. I had bad breaks and assignments last couple tourneys to get to where it is, I have improved over where I was before, it will show later and I am not worried about it. Maybe my best tourney performance ever last year, I lost 60-70 points. I won vs upper 2000s/low2100 level player and led 3 solid 2100+ players... was very satisfying to see strong game vs that crowd.

I get a lot of good laughs watching people and their antics protecting their ratings or selectively entering events being so concerned about the actual rating. I am not worried about it a lot, I know it will match the level at some point and not at some.

YEARS ago, I mean maybe a DECADE ago, I visited coach Yoo south of Seoul, Korea's top amateur LP coach and convinced him to open up his vid vault to the public... I see now that he have moved 1/4 or more of his collection to youtube... which is hundreds and hundreds of vids.

Here is his youtube channel. Evey few vid or so he shows ways to block people of balance.

https://www.youtube.com/user/proacdang1

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Goof-off chopping bat
Gambler All Rosewood
Aurus Soft / Gambler GXL .6 sponge

Status - Out of Business Janitor/Babysitter