OOAK Table Tennis Forum

That's a great video clip demonstrating how bizarre this anti is. It sure looks like a almost pure sidespin serve, with a touch return that probably keeps most of the spin on it, and then the sideswipe return that preserves whatever spin is on it (maybe adds a bit), and then the next shot gets buried in the net. Never would have predicted so much underspin to be on that ball at that point from what had transpired previously in the point.

Gotta work on my sideswipe shot.

He is using the Dr. Neubauer ABS 2 Pro. With a DMS flanti, the effect would be much more strange and weird.

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"Spin is my only way, haven't got else to say. Have you checked your anti? Let it all for you untie!"

Blade: Dr. Neubauer Matador (flared handle, 7-ply, allwood, OFF-)
Forehand Rubber: Butterfly Dignics09C (2.1 mm, black, hybrid)
Backhand Rubber: Der Materialspezialist Scandal (1.2 mm, red, frictionless)
Playing Style: Modern Defender

It is also very important to have a good short serve with a lot of sidespin ! Sometimes you will do the sideswipe very good, but because your serve wasn't very spinny your opponent will just loopkill your sideswipe because he will receive a more or less flat ball.

Not sure why, but this time Luka does it less and less compared to 1 or 2 years ago (now he tries to take a lot more ball with his forehand). It was his bread and butter strategy giving a looooot of free points and ultimately matches because nobody understand how does it work (at his pro level) despite his weak forehand (for his level).

If it works at pro level, it will 100% work at our amateur level. Opponent will try to loop it then will be too scared and only pushes giving you an easy 5th ball.

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

I have been thinking about his forehand and tempt to belive his setup is rather problematic. He uses a BlueGrip C2 on a Texa Carbon. A very heavy, very hard and stiff setup which is not really suitable for forehand, at least it very hard to create spin, especially arc or topspins. He needs very delicate technique to have any spin from that setup, but in exchange for that, he gets good reversal.

As for the sideswipe, I'm not pretty sure. The problem is, these antis and pimples are much more rare in the upper levels, thus they don't really practice against that. But if they meet one in a match, they usually adapt quickly to win (the better players). In the lower levels, so amateurs, these antis and pimples are much more frequent, thus they are exposed frequently so they could get used to the weird effects. At least this is my experience. Also that pimples is much more common than anti. These rubbers are not miracles, they have their limitations too, as well as advantages. But with a little knowledge and tactic they can be "easily" outplayed.

_________________
"Spin is my only way, haven't got else to say. Have you checked your anti? Let it all for you untie!"

Blade: Dr. Neubauer Matador (flared handle, 7-ply, allwood, OFF-)
Forehand Rubber: Butterfly Dignics09C (2.1 mm, black, hybrid)
Backhand Rubber: Der Materialspezialist Scandal (1.2 mm, red, frictionless)
Playing Style: Modern Defender

at a lower level, I never saw anyone with this sideswipe technique either with a long pips or a glanti. Because it is very hard to do. No one practice against this shot.

It is like a game of chess. Yes perhaps they will adapt, and you know how they will adapt. So you adapt your game against their adaptation. After doing sucessfully a sideswipe after a good sidespin serve, you know they can loopkill or flatkill you. What's their choices ? Push hard to put more backspin (but very hard to do since there is already a lot of backspin and more importantly your sideswipe is fast and long).

They have pretty much 2 choices: topspin but not a very dangerous one -> you can block again with the glanti or counterloop them
push somewhere on the table to survive -> easy 5th ball to loop kill

Conclusion: after sucessfully doing the combo sidespin serve + sideswipe, there is a high chance you will have the advantage on the 5th ball.

Luka setup is not the easiest one to loop the ball, maybe that explains why he doesn't have the best technique out there

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

A lot of choppers these days with long pips, especially the women (Ojo for example), have a very similar sideswipe. Sometimes it looks like it has topspin, and sometimes underspin, depending on the specifics of the stroke and the incoming spin. It really confuses people who have never seen it.

One reason Luka may have gone away from so many sideswipes is once someone figures it out, it is a handicap, and a more traditional attack is a better option. That's what I have figured out when hitting incoming underspin with the anti - it can be done, but may not be the most effective use of the rubber, and wastes the good attacking rubber on the other side.

The anti attacks are hard to do properly. That's why I believe the player playing with antis or pimples are more techniqueful, these rubbers require different and better technics. I also pretty much like this style. After one year of all-out attacking, I switched to modern defender.

_________________
"Spin is my only way, haven't got else to say. Have you checked your anti? Let it all for you untie!"

Blade: Dr. Neubauer Matador (flared handle, 7-ply, allwood, OFF-)
Forehand Rubber: Butterfly Dignics09C (2.1 mm, black, hybrid)
Backhand Rubber: Der Materialspezialist Scandal (1.2 mm, red, frictionless)
Playing Style: Modern Defender

I agree the antis (and long pips) are tough to master. The anti strokes are quite similar to the old hard rubber strokes, but even more sensitive to racket angle, so the precision and consistency are tough to master. I have often wondered why top modern defenders rarely attack with their anti/pips, as at an amateur level that seems to be an effective stroke, but I guess at a higher level it just isn't fast enough or consistent enough to be effective.

True, I've never ever seen Luka or Carl hitting with the anti. For example, Andrea doesn't hit with that too, but Gepi does. Attacking with anti is crucial if you want it to be effective, passive playing is not enough today.

_________________
"Spin is my only way, haven't got else to say. Have you checked your anti? Let it all for you untie!"

Blade: Dr. Neubauer Matador (flared handle, 7-ply, allwood, OFF-)
Forehand Rubber: Butterfly Dignics09C (2.1 mm, black, hybrid)
Backhand Rubber: Der Materialspezialist Scandal (1.2 mm, red, frictionless)
Playing Style: Modern Defender

Update on adapting to the frictionless anti after a few months. I have figured out a couple of things, at least for me:

1. Decisions on incoming balls with topspin are easy - either block or chop, depending on my depth from the table. Racket angle is key, as instinctually I still tend to close my racket on heavy incoming topspin, and this invariably fails and the ball falls right on to the table. A blocked loop can be very confusing to the opponent, but placement is still crucial.

2. Decisions on incoming pushes are more dicey.
2a. The fun thing to do is attack these, as with the right stroke a pretty good drive can be accomplished. However, this is pretty much a standard topspin drive, maybe a bit off-speed, and can be readily countered by a good opponent. It also does not seem to take advantage of the weird nature of the rubber. Attacking underpin is especially effective for attacking serves, and even better in doubles.
2b. If the push or serve is short, dropshot is a good idea, but keeping it low is sometimes tough.
2c. Counterpushing is also an option, as the resulting topspin shot back to the opponent can be novel, but a good opponent will know this and be able to attack. Racket angle and stroke direction take a lot of practice, as I have found sometimes with a too open racket the ball seems to slip on the frictionless anti and drop right into the net. It seems a slightly less open racket with a more forward stroke works better and reduces pop-ups, but this again is taking bit of adaptation. A fast push seems the most effective shot of this type.

Much more experimenting to do.

I have been playing with anti and flanti for quite a few months now, but I still have a lot to get used for, as it still feels a little bit awkward sometimes, but keeping getting some progress. I tend to chop most, sometimes block and push, but chopping is the best solution for me. Getting familiar with the anti is a hard task, even harder than with inverted. Be patient and diligent!

_________________
"Spin is my only way, haven't got else to say. Have you checked your anti? Let it all for you untie!"

Blade: Dr. Neubauer Matador (flared handle, 7-ply, allwood, OFF-)
Forehand Rubber: Butterfly Dignics09C (2.1 mm, black, hybrid)
Backhand Rubber: Der Materialspezialist Scandal (1.2 mm, red, frictionless)
Playing Style: Modern Defender

Have you noticed the slipping on the surface of the anti when chopping? Similar to what I experience when counter pushing, the ball occasionally seems to slide across the surface and doesn't do what I think it will do. When chopping, I think engaging the sponge is key to having any control. Chopping sure is fun with it, though.

I also have to fight my instinct to adjust for the amount of spin by changing the racket angle. Spin is almost irrelevant, and that is hard to remember in the heat of the moment after years of figuring out how to that with inverted.