OOAK Table Tennis Forum

I am an inverted retriever, although if the opposition is a lot weaker, I will sometimes take the initiative (read attack). Most of the time I just do impressions of a brick wall, with added (or subtracted) spin and or angle.

Who else here considers themselves, or has been told by other, that they are a retriever, inverted or otherwise?

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Retriever (sometimes golden, but often leaden)
Moderator, Inverted Retriever Technique sub-forum - http://ooakforum.com/viewforum.php?f=74

I think you are alone Retriever *crickets chirp*

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I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

I believe that inverted retrieving is a hard technique which often than not, will put you on the defensive end always. If your opponent is fast and nimble, you can not defend most attacks. But its just me. Maybe in the real world, retriever would defeat me.

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Enjoy the game. It is a never ending learning experience once you play and keep the ball on that 45 sq ft of space or should I say half of that space.

I reckon all my best wins (against the highest rated opponents). Have all been retrieving games, however I don't exclusively retrieve I loop when the rally slows enough or if the other guy drops a ball short etc. I know another guy who retrieves most of the time too. If the opponent hits wide angles or hits very hard I won't even attempt to burry myself playing like that because you will never get to everything a deceptive big hitter sends you, so then I'll play my other common game style which is just push and loop.

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Donic defplay senso
Haifu whale soft (grips-euro)
Nittaku pimplemini 1.0mm

Theres one regular veterans player in Vic ov50 B or presidents team who retrieves also. It was funny because he beat me when I attacked him so the next time I lobbed balls at him and he lobbed them back... I lobbed him some more Lol. It was a very long match but I easily won it. Quite an interesting one.

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Donic defplay senso
Haifu whale soft (grips-euro)
Nittaku pimplemini 1.0mm

While I would not consider that style my primary method, I certainly play points as an inverted retriever and may even finish a game or match that way if I need to to win. Course I may go the 3rd ball route if necessary. Whatever it takes to win baby...whatever it takes to win.

Believe me Red, a good retriever is not a pushover. The only player I have played often and never beaten in my regular grade range over the last 3 years or so has been a pure side-spin retriever. Even if he muddied the waters on one occasion getting a let call when he wasn't due one, to save losing to me for the first time ever...he has still beaten me on numerous other occasions. Or should I say I have beaten myself whilst playing him? Do I have the power to smash through him? Yes. Do I mis-read his spin on the ball often enough to miss a lot of those smashes? Yes! Does he put the ball back on the table in an uncanny manner if you don't get high power and angle on your smashes? Again yes! There have been a few others who play the retriever game (although one is arguably an inverted chopper) and some I can smash and never lose to, and some I can only beat if I play a well focussed game, waiting for the right ball and doing things to try to force the right ball to come. But believe me, its really easy to bury yourself against these type of players.

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I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

Reb said:

Yeah well, it makes a change from all you EJs hanging around with "bats".

I sense from the force that some of you find retrievers somewhat annoying, and others will occasionally retrieve if that is what it takes.

I chop but am not a chopper.
I block but am not a blocker.
I fish but am not a fisher.
I counter loop but am not a counter looper.
...
I retrieve therefore I am.

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Retriever (sometimes golden, but often leaden)
Moderator, Inverted Retriever Technique sub-forum - http://ooakforum.com/viewforum.php?f=74

I just left Korea and our club had a weekend warrior C-PEN retriever style player who loved to retrieve the abll from distance with SIDDSPIN. Hard to hit through him. You had to really move him to one side or blast it right at him. Dude could cover some ground and bring it back. You would be prone to errors getting too slap-happy.

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Custom Blade (Mass Annihillation Unit) - FH Nexy Etika 51 - BH Tibhar K1
President, Korea Foreign TTC
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I'm not sure how anyone would play a retrieval game against you Reb, they must be very good at it. I would find the fact of not being able to move far away from the table playing you to even make it no even remotely possible. Your pips don't carry far enough plus they are awkward. I bet you play TONS of people that would normally retrieve but I think against you 99% of them would be playing their plan B. I don't retrieve unless I'm several meters off the table and how often do your pips even carry the length of the table?:) not too much.

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Donic defplay senso
Haifu whale soft (grips-euro)
Nittaku pimplemini 1.0mm

You'd think so, wouldn't you Foam. But some of them still do, and can. I played one of the guys who plays something of a retriever game last night, but he is one who plays it mixed and only retrieves against people who can't hit through him. I am not one of those, so he avoids my FH like the plague. In fact, all the guys who play retriever against me do avoid my FH like the plague I beat the guy last night (as I usually do ) by playing mainly to his FH which is his weak side. His BH smash is near unreturnable. He misses it just enough when you put the ball off-zone to play over to it now and then. Just have to accept he belts through you now and then.

The pips actually do carry enough for them to play off the table with chops or sideswipes from below the table. When I drop them short they are also not far enough back to bother them getting to it. The only way I beat these guys is to force them to give me balls to my FH, and then belt them away. But they are well aware of what I am after lol. The one I have never beat is the trickiest and sides-spins everything. Not a loop side-spin, but a scoop side-spin. I have been up on him and looking like a win and he starts pulling out edges everywhere. The other one, who is more of a chopping retriever, I have beaten quite a few times (beat him in the A4 final in the first season this year to go to A3). But he is still very awkward and I need full energy and wits to beat him. If I am down on energy (which is usual) then I need my wits and luck running at 150%.

Retriever, of course retrievers are annoying. They get some of your best shots back But they can also be a lot of fun to play against and add to the rich mix of styles in this game. The truly annoying part of your fraternity is you zap away energy that is supposed to be reserved for playing against your teammates

_________________
I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

It's super easy to retrieve all day long and then some against loopers but when the Reb man hits 200mph flat hits on the forehand or dead balls on the backhand.. That just makes it tough/impossible to play that kind of game I reckon. I see what your saying about picking them up off the floor with a scoop, I guess that's the only thing to do if he's not going to attack.

_________________
Donic defplay senso
Haifu whale soft (grips-euro)
Nittaku pimplemini 1.0mm