Beginner defender (LP chopper): equipment + tactics vs strong loopers?

[Volk]

Hi everyone, I’m new on TTD, joined recently because it seems like a solid place to learn.


I’m a TT beginner (about 3 months, I'm 30) but I train in a pretty serious club in France (they’ve got a Pro B team and lots of strong players). I’ve played basketball, squash and tennis competitively (junior/regional + inter-university), so I’ve got decent footwork/reflexes, but table tennis has been a different beast. I started out getting destroyed, but I learn fast in general and I’ve improved quickly — my coach (a Pro B player, modern defender) told me my chops are currently my strongest weapon, even if I’m sometimes off-balance. This move was the most intuitive for me and it didn't take long to get it to a solid level.


Style-wise I’ve found my “identity”: classic defender leaning modern. Long pips on BH (lots of chopping/pushing), and on FH I mostly drive/block/counter, with some slow loops/loop-drives. Also my pushes are pretty decent and very consistent and low to the net...most of the time 😅


Current setup:

• Blade: Donic Appelgren World Champion 89 ALL+
• FH: Xiom Jekyll & Hyde V52.5 (max)
• BH: Victas Curl P1V (1.5mm)

Against begginer - intermediate players it works quite well, I win a good amount matches now and am still learning, but against stronger attackers, intermediates - advanced who can lift backspin consistently with attacks and read spin well, I struggle hard (I’m basically scoring mostly from chop quality/placement, or with a hail mary drive/smash, sometimes am in the lead, but I mostly lose). But against advanced players, I can barely score 2-4 points MAXIMUM, and I want to change that, badly.

1) Equipment question​

Is my setup a good fit for a classic defender trying to become a modern defender?
I’m wondering if I’d benefit from a softer / more flexible defensive blade with more dwell (I’ve been looking at the Koji Matsushita Special). Also, on FH the V52.5 feels amazing for drives/counters and blocks but I don’t feel like I’m generating heavy topspin easily and it is so bouncy.
Any rubber suggestions for a defender who wants a more spinny, safer forehand? (Oddly, I had good results early on with Hurricane 3 Neo Prov 37 because I could swing hard without fear of it flying long, and then I went for a faster blade and went for a faster rubber thinking it would give me a shortcut, and my hurricane stayed on my beginner setup). I might be overthinking this, and I still have so much work to do on my technique which is the most important thing, but am wondering if a more optimal setup might play better to my strengths.

2) Gameplay / tactics question​

Any practical tips for an ambitious beginner defender to compete better vs strong loopers?
When they can attack reliably and change direction last-second (down the line/cross court feints), I end up defending 3–4 balls and then losing to placement. What patterns/tactics should I focus on to avoid getting played around? Any general tips would be more more than welcome.

I train ~4x/week, plus extra free play (often 15–20h/week total). Any advice is appreciated — I’m genuinely obsessed with the sport right now and want to keep getting better.

Apologies if the post is long, I had so much to ask and ended up shortening it a lot, and it still feels long.
Thanks!

 

[pong99]

Get a def blade. Koji is fine, cheaper options are Nittaku Endless, Donic Defplay, Yinhe has good def blades. These are all good for learning chopping.

Choppers typically use thinner sponge than 1.5. Go for 0.6 or 1.

Try H3 on fh

WRM table tennis channel on YouTube has many chopper training videos

 

[belllfador]

+1 for the H3, can be H3N 39 without boost. For the blade something without kick, linear. Yinhe 980XX can be that.

Only choping will not win games. Learn to contraloop fast, to change amount of spin and twidle.

 

[Volk]

Get a def blade. Koji is fine, cheaper options are Nittaku Endless, Donic Defplay, Yinhe has good def blades. These are all good for learning chopping.

Choppers typically use thinner sponge than 1.5. Go for 0.6 or 1.

Try H3 on fh

WRM table tennis channel on YouTube has many chopper training videos

+1 for the H3, can be H3N 39 without boost. For the blade something without kick, linear. Yinhe 980XX can be that.

Only choping will not win games. Learn to contraloop fast, to change amount of spin and twidle.

Thanks a lot for the suggestions, really appreciate it 🙏
I’m definitely looking at a more defensive blade (Koji Special looks tempting, and I’ll check out the Defplay / Nittaku Endless / Yinhe options too).

On FH, I’m pretty convinced to go back to a Chinese rubber H3N 38/39 (orange) is high on the list, and I’m also considering 729 Battle II because I liked the safer, more committed swing feeling I had early on with H3N 37, kind of like how you throw your body at the ball and it FORCES you to do it instead of the timid drives I am throwing currently.

For BH I’m seriously thinking about switching P1V from 1.5 to 1.0mm since I chop approx 80% of the time. I like 1.5 for the extra attacking options + being able to generate your own spin on the ball, but it’s definitely bouncier when I’m late or caught by a fast attack and have to run and contort the body, and the good players just smash the shit out of it or do a a loop smash if they noticed it still gets backspin and then I'm just dead most of the time.

If you’ve got any extra thoughts (especially on H3N vs Battle 2 and P1V 1.0 vs 1.5 for mid/long-distance chopping), I’m all ears. Your advice and time is much appreciated already, fellow pongers 🙂

 

[the-don]

I would keep the blade for now.
also the fh rubber.
you also need to attack.

just change the lp to any ox lp you like.
most decent lp players use ox and it's supposed to be the easiest for chopping and also highest reversal effect.

 

[pong99]

If you want to get better spin manipulation and attacking, then you might want to try MP or SP. The strokes are different from LP, you need more active strokes than LP.

MP - Nittaku DO like Honoka Hashimoto
SP - Spectol like Han Ying

WRM just did a review of a new SP rubber, Spinfire Extreme. It looks promising for an active modern defender.

 

[belllfador]

Don't overthink. It will take some time and EJ-ing before you find your optimum. Enjoy the game and make notes to save your hard-learned knowledge. TT is not an easy sport, especially for defenders.

My pips journey was around 9 months and (let's say) ended in conclusion that my BH prefer thicker sponge. SDK 1.4mm, Pimple Slide 0.5+0.7 and ilius B 1.3 are finalists after various SP, MP and LP including OX. But that was my case, with my all-around style against my usual opponents.

I have B3 purple and is good, very good. Has properties close to boosted H3 OS. H3 is still better at choping, but B3 purple is easier for looping and maintenance.

 

[Volk]

I would keep the blade for now.
also the fh rubber.
you also need to attack.

just change the lp to any ox lp you like.
most decent lp players use ox and it's supposed to be the easiest for chopping and also highest reversal effect.

Thanks for the input 🙏 I get the logic with OX being nasty close to table with strong reversal on pushes, blocks and chop blocks, but on a fundamental and principle level it just doesn't match what I enjoy. I play mostly mid–far distance with full-stroke chops, lots of movement, and I like being able to work the ball & not only rely on reversal close-to-table (there are quite a few OX players in my club and I just don't like the immobile close to table gimmicky and deceptive aspect of OX, at least in the way it is mostly used...but there is one player that actually plays mid distance with OX who chops a lot more and has a similar, but smoother and better style to me, but he's kind of an exception and VERY skilled...he wins at competitions frequently or at least top 3-5 in higher level comp).

You’re 100% right about needing to attack though. My main issue is that my current tensor setup feels so “kicky” that I end up holding back and my FH stroke becomes too compact. I’m working on building a more confident attacking game, but with equipment that lets me swing fully.

If you want to get better spin manipulation and attacking, then you might want to try MP or SP. The strokes are different from LP, you need more active strokes than LP.

MP - Nittaku DO like Honoka Hashimoto
SP - Spectol like Han Ying

WRM just did a review of a new SP rubber, Spinfire Extreme. It looks promising for an active modern defender.

Thanks! I tried SP very early on but it didn’t click on my BH — it pushed me into taking the ball early/punching a lot, and chopping felt riskier (most likely I just didn’t have the technique yet and it didn't feel natural) so I quickly went back to inverted.

With LP it feels much more natural from the moment I put it on, it just clicked and it's only been 10 days: I’m mainly a mid–far classic chopper, with the occasional punch or a sort of drive/downard smash hybrid move when the ball sits up. Close to the table I’ll often chop push and do a topspin vs backspin if it’s not too low or a strawberry push/drive/chop (I'm sorry it's really hard to explain and I admit they are weird strokes, but they genuinely work for me and I just do them without thinking, after reading the spin).

I am mostly curious about spin with LP: from what I’ve read and even felt irl (I might be wrong, don't have enough experience yet), thicker sponge lets you work and affect the ball more, while thinner is safer/more predictable, but I cannot confirm because I've only played with 1.5mm. Regarding spin manipulation I was wondering if you can reliably generate consistent backspin vs a truly flat/no-spin ball with LP, or is it mostly dependent on the opponent’s incoming spin? It bothers me a bit that I'm completely dependant on the opponent's spin but if that's the case I guess you can't have everything.

For now I'll stick with LP and focus on technique and consistency since it's what has given me the best results so far and feels most natural to my personality and style of play.

Just checked out the WRM vid on Spinfire Extreme...it seems like a dream for inverted players and attackers and active blockers/modern defenders 😲. Seems to be able to do everything from topspin to backspin to flat punches at a high speed. It's actually exactly what I would want on a LP, albeit slower, but after discovering my identity more I'm a lot more centered on control and rythm variation, kind of a ice and fire style of play whereas this rubber is more of a fire style of play while being insensitive to spin and being capable of doing all the strokes. I don't think I would be capable enough to make full use of this kind of rubber, but a more experienced allrounder and active player most certainly would.

Thank you for the suggestions and vid recommendation, you've given me food for thought 🙏

Don't overthink. It will take some time and EJ-ing before you find your optimum. Enjoy the game and make notes to save your hard-learned knowledge. TT is not an easy sport, especially for defenders.

My pips journey was around 9 months and (let's say) ended in conclusion that my BH prefer thicker sponge. SDK 1.4mm, Pimple Slide 0.5+0.7 and ilius B 1.3 are finalists after various SP, MP and LP including OX. But that was my case, with my all-around style against my usual opponents.

I have B3 purple and is good, very good. Has properties close to boosted H3 OS. H3 is still better at choping, but B3 purple is easier for looping and maintenance.

Really appreciate this perspective 🙏 You’re completely right, TT since I've put on LP and play a LOT of defense is GRUELING, I sweat more than anyone at the club and run after every ball, but I love it and it feels natural. I'm really enjoying the game and making so many notes (mental and physical) and analysing what I did wrong, where I can improve, oftentimes I can't even sleep because my mind is thinking of ways to improve, what I did wrong, be less passive, exploit weaknesses and openings etc...
You work so hard and keep putting balls on the table and the effort pays off often and it even makes me emotional sometimes when I win a match vs a tougher opponent when I'm drenched in sweat and putting back every ball, where when I started I could barely score a couple of points vs these tougher opponents.

Your thicker-sponge BH experience is interesting. For me, since I chop ~70 - 80% of the time, I’m leaning toward a setup that prioritizes control/low bounce, then I’ll stick with it long enough to actually build skill instead of jumping around a bunch of steps like I did with the much thicker blade and forehand rubber compared to the Donic Waldner Allplay and H3N I started with.

Thanks again for sharing your journey and time, it helps a lot.

 

[the-don]

Thanks for the input 🙏 I get the logic with OX being nasty close to table with strong reversal on pushes, blocks and chop blocks, but on a fundamental and principle level it just doesn't match what I enjoy. I play mostly mid–far distance with full-stroke chops, lots of movement, and I like being able to work the ball & not only rely on reversal close-to-table (there are quite a few OX players in my club and I just don't like the immobile close to table gimmicky and deceptive aspect of OX, at least in the way it is mostly used...but there is one player that actually plays mid distance with OX who chops a lot more and has a similar, but smoother and better style to me, but he's kind of an exception and VERY skilled...he wins at competitions frequently or at least top 3-5 in higher level comp).

You’re 100% right about needing to attack though. My main issue is that my current tensor setup feels so “kicky” that I end up holding back and my FH stroke becomes too compact. I’m working on building a more confident attacking game, but with equipment that lets me swing fully.

I think ox offers more control, like any rubber without sponge.
that's why most competitive players use it.
check out this guy, one of the best ox lp choppers

if you want to change everything just choose a player you like and copy his equipment.
you like gustaf ericson, just search for his equipment and copy it.
you like panagiotis, search for his equipment and copy it.
don't overcomplicate it.

 

[Volk]

I think ox offers more control, like any rubber without sponge.
that's why most competitive players use it.
check out this guy, one of the best ox lp choppers

if you want to change everything just choose a player you like and copy his equipment.
you like gustaf ericson, just search for his equipment and copy it.
you like panagiotis, search for his equipment and copy it.
don't overcomplicate it.

Dude, I'm flabbergasted by this video...this guy is insane. I've never seen ox used like this before 😲 Combination of immense touch/ talent, skill, and physicality that comes from years of training and hard work.
The only thing we have in common is our height and ability and willingness to run, run, run and fight for each ball, but there is just an entire universe of separation in terms of confidence, touch and skill...his backhand attacks and constant twidling and even forehand attacks are just on another level. This video has legit motivated me to practice even harder because there is an entire dimension of separation between our levels, even though we have a few things in common. He's very explosive and tricky with his variations and his defense is delicious.

My favorite player in terms of disposition, playstyle and even personality is by far Joo Sae Hyuk (I really like Ma Long, Mattias Falck and Truls as well)...and I know this type of style is not as threatening to today's modern TT but I really have the most success with, and affinity to this style, and was playing this way before a club member mentioned that I remind her of JSH a lot (albeit a beginner/far inferior version...but I've genuinely developped since then), after which I checked him out and low-key just loved and related to every aspect of his style of play, calmness, cautiousness and his reflexes. At this point I've watched hundreds of his matches and have incorporated his movements into my own imperfect movements for months and have started regularly beating/ putting a lot more pressure on opponents that I used to get annihialated by when I started.
Off I go into a rabbit hole of Gustaf Ericson videos hahaha, what you shared totally shocked me and changed my perception of what can be done with OX...no one in my club plays even remotely with such creativity, touch and explosiveness 🤯 (except for that one guy but his forehand is the explosive part)

Thank you !

 

[just_one_more_chop]

I switched to chopping just recently (played already kinda defensive before) so I am still new to the style myself. I did not have a lot of real match experience yet as the season is just starting and my experiences are mostly training experiences. I also wanna add that I am intermediate at best.

To the equipment:
My current setup is the one I believe Hashimoto and Sato use or did use in the past.
Blade: Goriki Super Cut
FH: Hurricane Ⅲ National Blue Sponge (2,15) [Edit: Not boosted]
BH: DO Knuckle (medium) (1,4)
I am quite confident about this setup choice, but I have seen the Matsushita blade being used by professionals or in recommendations often.
The FH Hurricane feels really good, chops and attacks both have controlled and flat trajectories. National is probably not even needed, but my curiosity made me want to try it.
The BH DO Knuckle gives a good amount of control for me and is good to use for a surprise attack.
In the end it comes down to what you are comfortable with, especially pips are mainly about your personal preference. If you have the chance to try different ones from teammates or friends it can help a lot to find the ones that have the best feeling for your personal game.

To the gameplay:
When I am getting chased around most of the time my chops are to short behind the net or to far to the corners. When the chops getting on the table close to the end and in the middle my table is not very open for the next attack and I have more time to reposition myself before the next shot comes. In overall gameplay I dont think it is a viable strategy to win by pure chopping/ defense. It works against weaker opponents, but up from a certain level it will not be enough. Attacking is a must, they do not have to win the point all the time, but they need to make the opponent guessing. If you are not twiddling the racket (which is recommend to leran over time by a lot of defenders) it means that mostly FH balls need to be counterlooped from time to time.

This is only my experience and I will definitely watch this post for recommendations as I have a lot to learn myself

 

[the-don]

Dude, I'm flabbergasted by this video...this guy is insane. I've never seen ox used like this before 😲 Combination of immense touch/ talent, skill, and physicality that comes from years of training and hard work.
The only thing we have in common is our height and ability and willingness to run, run, run and fight for each ball, but there is just an entire universe of separation in terms of confidence, touch and skill...his backhand attacks and constant twidling and even forehand attacks are just on another level. This video has legit motivated me to practice even harder because there is an entire dimension of separation between our levels, even though we have a few things in common. He's very explosive and tricky with his variations and his defense is delicious.

My favorite player in terms of disposition, playstyle and even personality is by far Joo Sae Hyuk (I really like Ma Long, Mattias Falck and Truls as well)...and I know this type of style is not as threatening to today's modern TT but I really have the most success with, and affinity to this style, and was playing this way before a club member mentioned that I remind her of JSH a lot (albeit a beginner/far inferior version...but I've genuinely developped since then), after which I checked him out and low-key just loved and related to every aspect of his style of play, calmness, cautiousness and his reflexes. At this point I've watched hundreds of his matches and have incorporated his movements into my own imperfect movements for months and have started regularly beating/ putting a lot more pressure on opponents that I used to get annihialated by when I started.
Off I go into a rabbit hole of Gustaf Ericson videos hahaha, what you shared totally shocked me and changed my perception of what can be done with OX...no one in my club plays even remotely with such creativity, touch and explosiveness 🤯 (except for that one guy but his forehand is the explosive part)

Thank you !

this guy is also very good.
uses very similar rubber to yours.

 

[belllfador]

I switched to chopping just recently (played already kinda defensive before) so I am still new to the style myself. I did not have a lot of real match experience yet as the season is just starting and my experiences are mostly training experiences. I also wanna add that I am intermediate at best.

To the equipment:
My current setup is the one I believe Hashimoto and Sato use or did use in the past.
Blade: Goriki Super Cut
FH: Hurricane Ⅲ National Blue Sponge (2,15) [Edit: Not boosted]
BH: DO Knuckle (medium) (1,4)
I am quite confident about this setup choice, but I have seen the Matsushita blade being used by professionals or in recommendations often.
The FH Hurricane feels really good, chops and attacks both have controlled and flat trajectories. National is probably not even needed, but my curiosity made me want to try it.
The BH DO Knuckle gives a good amount of control for me and is good to use for a surprise attack.
In the end it comes down to what you are comfortable with, especially pips are mainly about your personal preference. If you have the chance to try different ones from teammates or friends it can help a lot to find the ones that have the best feeling for your personal game.

To the gameplay:
When I am getting chased around most of the time my chops are to short behind the net or to far to the corners. When the chops getting on the table close to the end and in the middle my table is not very open for the next attack and I have more time to reposition myself before the next shot comes. In overall gameplay I dont think it is a viable strategy to win by pure chopping/ defense. It works against weaker opponents, but up from a certain level it will not be enough. Attacking is a must, they do not have to win the point all the time, but they need to make the opponent guessing. If you are not twiddling the racket (which is recommend to leran over time by a lot of defenders) it means that mostly FH balls need to be counterlooped from time to time.

This is only my experience and I will definitely watch this post for recommendations as I have a lot to learn myself

What is the weight of your setup? I have goriki danshi, an excellent blade, but will not recommend it for beginners due to the extreme price and weight. Initialy I pair it with H3 BS and SDK 1.4, but was too heavy for longer competive play. So, I switched to G1 1.7mm for some time and now to Dominance Spin Hard 1.5mm. Just 190g 😄

 

[just_one_more_chop]

What is the weight of your setup?

It is around 200g. A little above I think. But for me it feels good while playing and at least for now I prefer a heavier set up as it enhances both my cuts and attacks. My technique improved with the combination of the blade and the H3 (although you could argue my technique was really bad before ).

 

[banbekas]

Since you are going to change your baldebto a slower one, why would you use Hurricane unboosted? Might as well get D05 or Vega China/+.

Can't say anything about gameplay oe strategy as I have never played as a chopper/ defender. If I must give an advice, it will be about the need to be more active in attacking to get point against intermediate-advanced players. Waiting for them to make a mistake ia going to take too long and modern TT ruleplay isn't on your side.

 

[belllfador]

 

[BetterTT]

Volk......what is your FFTT rating or if you don't have an official rating, what would be the estimated FFTT rating of your playing level? Are you a 7? a 10? a 14? etc. And what FFTT rating level do you ultimately want to achieve (12? 15?) ? A numbered player (numerote ) ? etc.

 

[Volk]

this guy is also very good.
uses very similar rubber to yours.

Sheeesh, those inside out shots are so badass tbh and his chops are nice and a lot more compact than mine, different technique but similar results. Recurring theme seems to be that the advanced and elite players don't just rely on defense, they don't hesitate to send confident and accurate rips 💪

Since you are going to change your baldebto a slower one, why would you use Hurricane unboosted? Might as well get D05 or Vega China/+.

Can't say anything about gameplay oe strategy as I have never played as a chopper/ defender. If I must give an advice, it will be about the need to be more active in attacking to get point against intermediate-advanced players. Waiting for them to make a mistake ia going to take too long and modern TT ruleplay isn't on your side.

I’m going to hold off on changing blades for now tbh. My coach said he’ll let me try one of his setups tomorrow, so I’ll follow his advice instead of rushing and thinking equipment will magically raise my level. I’ve only just started beating people consistently and I’m finally finding my identity in TT... I need to stay patient and calm.

Honestly, I was trying to recreate that confident forehand I had early on with H3N 37 cuz I could really feel the ball, use my body, and it wasn’t flying long. Then as I improved I thought, “ok, let’s go faster ; max sponge, more threat vs the tougher opponents.” I do love the speed, but it’s so bouncy that I’m mainly confident in drives/blocks/counters, and I can’t even forehand chop anymore. Paradoxically, I’ve improved the most with this setup, probably because I’m training nonstop and staying for hours after to just play until I'm about to pass out😅

Thanks for the advice, it matches what I’m experiencing (and what the above videos show too): defence + legs + waiting for mistakes works vs amateurs and some intermediates, but I’m not a threat to higher-level players who just fire rockets that my reach/reflexes can’t always save (then again, I am rushing for results because those players are really good objectively and wtf am I expecting would happen, but I can't help it).

Volk......what is your FFTT rating or if you don't have an official rating, what would be the estimated FFTT rating of your playing level? Are you a 7? a 10? a 14? etc. And what FFTT rating level do you ultimately want to achieve (12? 15?) ? A numbered player (numerote ) ? etc.

Hiya. I don’t have an FFTT rating yet, I only just joined the club and I’m training constantly (group sessions + free play literally any time the hall is open, I am on a friendly basis with the veterans who open up so I'm blessed in that regard tbh). Right now I’m heavily focused on building a solid level before entering into official competition.

I’m honestly not sure where I’d rank myself in FFTT terms because I’m not familiar with the scale yet (I genuinely only know some tiny basics) and I'm simply not satisfied with my level as I know my potential realistically and am not even close to it yet. For reference, I can hold my own with a wide range of players at the club, be they numéroté and including some "higher-level" ones even up to D2, but that's mostly because I play "weirdly", apparently, but some of them adapt to my game and then it's mostly over because I don't have enough tools yet. I played/play with some C level players (the higher level ones don't train at the same schedules so I can't play vs them frequently and they wouldn't even look my way lol, understandably) and some veterans playing in serious competitions and it was just a slaughter most of the time (sometimes I have good days and my voodoo works). Best I can get is 4 points on a good day and they have a bad day.

In terms of goal, I honestly just want to beat everybody and have the highest possible rating I can get (I don't think I would ever be satisfied, knowing myself). At the start I was getting bullied and it frustrated me so much that I couldn't immediately "get" TT that I just kept playing and going to every possible session to improve, watching tons of videos, asking advanced players to play with me and give me tips, challenging anyone that was free 🤷‍♂️ Since then I never stopped and the results just kind of started showing recently, so I just want to keep climbing and once I start competing I just want to go as high as my potential and grit will take me, I have no fixed level in my mind.

 

[MORTtheORT]

Life gets difficult for LP players as you go up the ratings. Players who understand LPs and have strong, consistent attacks are always going to be a problem for you. Strong players basically see LPs as a free hit, as you can control the spin coming back at you. Strong attackers are all about smashing the LP player out of the game early.

I would definitely be focusing on control, as placement is your key to success. Good LP players make the game uncomfortable with placement, challenging the opponent's footwork, fitness and focus. It is a game of breaking down your opponent's game.

A strategic example of this is when your opponent serves light to no backspin to your pimples (this is going to be a 101 game plan you will come up against) so you send a topspin ball back for them to kill...You need to have the control to put it away from their FH and either angle hard to the BH or jam them up on the BH side of the table....making them uncomfortable and challenging the footwork. They might smash this at first, but can they keep it up as they tire is the objective. Do this until they start to compensate for it...then place wide on the FH to challenge their footwork again...Even better if they get nervous about your placements...lowering the quality of their serve...good time to step around the ball and FH attack right at them or down the line. Another good trick LP players use is bringing your opponent to the table...then attack with your normal rubber to catch them out at the table.

LPs play is about the long game...place well, keep them moving and attack any soft returns when you can.


A difficult combination I came against playing in Europe was an Anti-Spin -Anti Power BH with the T05FX on the FH. (This experience is why I am experimenting with the T05FX at the moment). The constant change from fast and slow spin, good placement and tempo change made this a difficult game for me. My footwork was being pushed beyond what I could maintain in a match.

 

[andymagata]

This thread makes me want to go back to long p on bh! I will post a link. My theory is, that any type of rubber can overcome any type of challenge. It is just about how well you use it. But lp limits you to a lower number of strokes, and I found it more fun to use inverted in the end.