[Help] UNIQUE PENHOLD RBH style: chopper / aggressive looper

This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Nov 2010
5
0
5
Hello all,

I'm curious about experimenting with a new style. It may or may not be able to reach professional quality, but I always like doing things just a little different to force my opponents to play against something unfamiliar and on my terms.

I am a penhold player and also use rbh as my primary backhand.

I want to develop a form where I only chop, or loop, (for forehand and backhand) with no blocking.

I think this will work for 4 reasons:
1 - strong chopping (better than shakehand)

I think historically, penhold players have not been choppers, because the normal penhold backhand does not have a chopping action. But with rbh, it is now possible for penhold to shop on the backhand. Additionally, I think rbh penhold chopping will be much more powerful than shakehand chopping because the wrist motion is more conducive to spin, and is more in the plane of the stroke.​

2 - strong looping (better than shakehand)

also as we know, penhold players are stronger loopers than shakehand players. Often, the chinese team will send wang hao against choppers like joo se hyuk, rather than sending ma long or wang liqin.​

3 - solves the problem of rbh penhold players having a very weak block, and a very large blind spot when close to the table.
4 - this can be a powerful style that is also very unique, so forces players to be confused how best to play against it, and make tactical errors.
5 - more simple to play this way. only need to master 3 strokes. the rest is footwork.

I have been looking for videos and things on how to be a chopper as a penhold rbh (penhold rbh players hold the paddle different from normal penhold, so the movements and strokes would be very different). However, I have not been able to find anything.

So I figure I need to figure it out myself.

So far, my chopping stroke for forehand and backhand, below the arm, have been exactly the same as my looping stroke: step forward with my left foot. use ankles, waist, etc. This is very aggressive looking, similar to ma long's low body movement when looping. It does not look like joo se hyuk at all.

Only difference is in my arm movement, which is now downwards instead of upwards. It is better to call it an inverse-loop than a chop, because the motion is much more similar to looping.

would appreciate some insight from some higher level players. Please only rating 1500+, because that is the rating I am at now, and I've been having some success against other 1500 players.

I think in the mid-long run, I will do ok with this form, because there is less to practice (just loops and chopping), and don't need to worry about blocking or pushing too much. So I can improve twice as quickly, because the form is simpler.

I think in the long long run, this form may or may not be rating 2000+ material, but that I don't really care about. =).

Some examples of things to talk about:
- looping and chopping the ball will often times require different distance from the table. looping distance is slightly closer than chopping distance.
- how to add variation into penhold chopping, so for example, how to make it look very spinny without being very spinny, and how to make it look not spinny but be very spiny, and everything inbetween. (i am not a chopper before, so I do not know how to do these tactics.)
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Nov 2010
5
0
5
...before any constructive criticism, a video would be very helpful.

ugh darn, I could re-submit again sometime with a video, though it may take a while with school and what not, and not having a camcorder.

Good idea though :). I never though of that... posting a video that is...
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Dec 2010
115
12
127
One player who had a similar (but not exact) style was Ge Xinai, 1979 women's world champion.
She was a penhold chopper and could also attack. She had a RPB too!
I cannot find any video of her but she is a coach in the U.S.A. now and you can take lessons from her if you are in the U.S.!
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Nov 2010
5
0
5
that shows that this style is possible at even a high level!

I don't have money for coaching, which is why I want to play a unique but sound style. The way I see if, if lack of coaching prevents me from playing well, it should also prevent other people from playing well against me, by me having a unique style.

HA!
 
Top