OOAK Table Tennis Forum

I've been wondering how it is to play a modern defender style with SP (like Hou Yingchao) and I have decided to try it out. I know Yingchao is using Spectol and I thought it could be a good choice. The question is what thickness I should get it in. I will probably put it on a Stiga Clipper Wood with Donic Platin 2.0 on the forehand side and since Clipper is quite a fast blade I'm leaning towards 1.0mm Spectol. However, since the blade is quite fast it may be faster with 1.0mm than 1.5mm, am I wrong?! Which thickness of Spectol do you think would benefit the chopping in such a setup?

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Read about my adventures to perfect my style and the ever-present battle against the evil EJ virus!

I would think 1.0mm would bottom out too easily, 1.0mm is very thin for a short pip style game. Getting some backspin to aid with chopping will be easier with 1.5mm, and will probably help in any attacks too.

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Ok, that's what I thought too. Is there anyone here that have tried spectol for chopping? Is it much harder to control compared to LP's? The main reason I'm thinking of SP is the ability to attack without twiddling but since the majority of my BH-shots will be chops that's still the most important shot and I wouldn't want to loose too much control.

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Read about my adventures to perfect my style and the ever-present battle against the evil EJ virus!

I've never chopped with spectol; i've always seen it as more on the attacking side. When i chopped with short pips i liked grippy rubber on 0.5.

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Equipment: Matsushita PowerDefence, Spin Art 1.9 black, Xiying 979 ox red
Style: American | US Rating: barely 2000

I'm not a chopper, but I think you will need to have almost perfect chopping technique to use short pips and I would start out with a very thin sponge or the ball will be flying away on you. Short pips are very unforgiving of any errors in racket angle and if you have 1.5 or thicker this effect is very much magnified. Also, Spectol is pretty fast and bouncy. So I disagree with the first two posts.

Rather than Spectol, you might find the very slow Donic short pip to be a good choice.

If you can learn to do it, you will have something interesting because of the attacking capabilities from that side that your opponent will have to respect.

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Butterfly Viscaria Black tag
2.2 mm Nexy Karis M on FH and BH

Sure Spectol 21 and Spec Speed might be too fast to chop with, but the regular Spectol should be fine. I played a SP chopping game before I tried experimenting with LPs for about a year and now have decided to return to SPs. I actually prefer chopping with SPs as you can "feel" the chop more. For my game I prefer 1.5 over 1.0 as I dont feel I could produce enough backspin with the thin sponge and also because I didnt particularly like the feel of the ball hitting the blade.

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Blade: NITTAKU Haneyoshi
FH: Tenergy 64 FX
BH: TSP Spectol

Agree with 5jd33.

Original spectol is easier to chop with, more consistent and easier to control.

Spectol 21 has softer sponge, and can produce more spin, but it's harder to control and bit more to the incoming spin, so you have to compensate for it.

Chopping with short pips is very different from long pips. You will be forced to read incoming spin with no mistake.

Hou yingchao used spectol, but i think he switched to 802.

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Blade: Vioncello
FH: DHS skyline tg2 2.15mm
BH: Spectol 1.7-1.9mm

Hey KenT, how does the Haneyoshi play? I'm tempted to say that Nittaku defensive blades work well with short pips. I love Spectol on my Vioncello, and I used to play with the KVU. Didnt like it too much on the BTY Joo; although, I played with the 802 on the BTY Mat Pro model for a bit.

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Blade: NITTAKU Haneyoshi
FH: Tenergy 64 FX
BH: TSP Spectol

I think Haneyoshi is the only defensive blade that is build specifically for short pips chopping. It was made for Junko Haneyoshi who plays for japan team from 95 - 01 if im not mistaken. She use DHS sharping and Moristo DF. It has very nice control and feeling, well balanced for offense and defense, but not as fast as vioncello. Its very stable for cutting and very little vibration. Just if you get flared, the handle is very small and thin. So if you get a big hand, you have to add thickness to it. I did custom job to make the handle bigger.

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Blade: Vioncello
FH: DHS skyline tg2 2.15mm
BH: Spectol 1.7-1.9mm

Thanks KenT: I'm tempted to get the blade now as a gift for myself lol. Does the blade aid in spin manipulation? I noticed that you play with Spectol in 1.8, so was wondering if you feel that you can't manipulate spin sufficiently enough in 1.5 if on the Haneyoshi.

Also, have you tried spinpips (regular) for chopping? i've tried it with the "chop sponge", and thought it was just ok--didnt appreciate the hard feel of the sponge though.

Just noticed that you play with Spectol 21! you must have really good touch!

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Blade: NITTAKU Haneyoshi
FH: Tenergy 64 FX
BH: TSP Spectol

Yes, the blade works very well for spin manipulation, it pairs well with 802 and militall 2 too. Never try it with sharping thou, since i can't get any thickness below 2.1 here in US. Overall, it have a very good control.

You can produce heavy underspin with 1.5, i use 1.8 to help me attacking from my backhand side. 1.8mm works well for chopping far from table, but you only can block with it when you're close to the table.

I never try the chop sponge, but i did try the regular sponge on 2.1 thickness on a penholder blade, it plays like regular inverted to me, so reactive to incoming spin more than spectol and 802.

Well, it just my style of play is not really spin manipulation, i'm more of chinese style, always charge the ball with heavy backspin and attack when the opponent lift it to high. 21 sponge really helps in making your chop spinnier.

You're welcome 5jd33.

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Blade: Vioncello
FH: DHS skyline tg2 2.15mm
BH: Spectol 1.7-1.9mm

Thanks for all this information, KenT! I will certainly try the Haneyoshi then. Yeah, I've tried the Spectol 21 on my Vioncello. You are right that it could produce heavy underspin; however, it does react to spin more than the regular Spectol, and I feel it's harder to "scrub off" spin. It certainly demands good touch--in fact, I noticed that even my chop technique changes a bit: it has to be a shorter, faster chopping motion, and the blade angle has to be precise.

I will be getting the Sharping in 1.3, and perhaps I could write a review lol.

Happy Holidays!

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Blade: NITTAKU Haneyoshi
FH: Tenergy 64 FX
BH: TSP Spectol

Don't know about the spectol. However I do have a sheet of 1.5 802. Hmmm, it's ok but being honest it certainly is more lively to chop with but not impossible. An understanding of spin is important, as it does react more to spin than say anti or long pips. I think being faster the chops from afar would work ok. Of course attacking is easier and more venomous. The sidespin Hou uses is a very useful shot, as the kick can throw off an attackers rythum rather like the slower pace from a lp or anti would. Also up at the table the fast spinny and deep pushes are used bread and butter style to develop the rallies opening up weak returns.