OOAK Table Tennis Forum

So I am pretty consistent at chopping now. I can chop no spin floaters by hitting the back. I can chop medium spin by grazing the back of the ball. But how do people chop those super mega spinny chops on the forehand? It looks as if they are chopping behind and then quickly underneath the ball. The resulting ball has some kind of side spin and just shoots off the opponents racket like a bullet. Take a look at Ayuka Taniokas chops, what kind of timing and how is she contacting the ball? Can anyone explain to me how to chop those heavy backspin balls? Thanks

https://youtu.be/d4ybKLQjauw

Firstly, side spin is a separate issue. Her chops are not heavy backspin because of her side spin.

To chop heavy backspin, you need to be more under the ball, and have high racket speed.

I'm by no means, an expert at chopping, but I'm guessing the answer to your question would depend on the type of rubber you chop with - Inverted, SP, or LP ?

It looks like the "super heavy chops" referred to here have mostly corkscrew spin. Ayuka lets the ball drop considerably, then makes the stroke sideways under the ball. The stroke impact is hidden from the opponent and easily mistaken for underspin. Opening the racket to return underspin will allow the corkscrew spin to "bite", and the ball goes in an unexpected direction. The spin seems to be "too heavy to handle" but most likely there is less spin than a regular underspin chop would have. The effect is so prominent because the receiver expects a different spin and does not compensate for corkscrew spin.

In most references to corkscrew spin for table tennis, you will see that it is more or less "exclusively on high toss serves". Ayuka lets the ball drop to emulate the effect of high toss (vertical speed), which enables her to make those returns. It is not very difficult to do it. The challenge is in keeping it low enough that the opponent won't smash it. A flat hit such as a smash will largely avoid the effect of corkscrew spin.

See this: http://masatenisi.org/english/spin.htm

I've seen people do corkscrew serves using a form of tomahawk. It involves grazing the TOP of the ball, slightly off to the side.

Iskandar

"exclusively on high toss serves"

On this one I think I will have to disagree with Larry. A high toss is not required. Corkscrew spin is actually a very common component of many, if not the majority of serves.

Unfortunately since many don't have corkscrew spin in their vocabulary, they mislabel corkscrew spin as side spin. The ITTF Advanced coaching manual refers to corkscrew as "lateral deviation".

When the ball has a large lateral action on the table that is corkscrew spin. When it has a large lateral action on the receiver's paddle that is side spin. For most players that serve reverse pendulum, the primary spin component is corkscrew spin.

Of course the reality is almost zero of the commonly used service motions produce pure corkscrew, or pure side spin, or pure top or backspin. Almost every serve has some sidespin, corkscrew and topspin or backspin. Just in varying ratios.

Here is an example of a reverse pendulum serve (the kid) with a high degree of corkscrew:



https://www.facebook.com/tischtennis.co ... 392462031/

Samson Dubina explaining corkscrew: