General dislike of LP's?

I feel nervous about saying anything on this subject because it seems almost like religion.

Here goes anyway...this reflects my quite limited experience of the sport of course...

One of the things that appeals to me about sports is that it requires some physical effort as well as correct technique. So it is not always just a case of the fittest or strongest wins, (e.g. Running) neither is it just a case of perfect technique wins without some physical effort and capability (e.g. Chess).

One of the things I enjoy about table tennis, probably because it generates an exercise high, is expending physical effort as part of playing the game. Accepting that my physical effort is rather pathetic given my age, my stone over weight, and my appalling fitness level. I feel that smooth rubbers requires more physical effort and physical capability to use and therefore that is what I want to use. I just don't want to 'give up' on physical effort. I quite possibly look ridiculous trying to exchange top spin rallies from back off the table like a 25 year old but it makes me feel good and I enjoy it.

It does seem (at least in UK local league) that most pips players are of a certain age and are potentially taking a route that says I am too old to physically keep up with smooth rubber topspin exchanges so I will strap some pimples on my backhand and go to 'the other side'. Maybe I will end up there one day but for now I like to think I'll still be trying (and completely failing) to be Timo Boll when I'm 70.

I am also far from convinced that it is good for the wider popularity of the sport for people to be watching Dr Neubauer style matches where people are jerking their wrists at each other across the table in some obscure ritual. Audiences and aspiring youngsters want speed, exertion, sweat and athleticism and they don't really want to see a 50 year old world champion.

Hard hat now on and crouching behind the riot shield . Be gentle baby.

I think you are making some good points. The most valid ones are about why you like to play with smooth rubbers. Stick to them. That is fine.

I like playing with smooth rubbers too. But I really do enjoy playing against pips players and anti-spin. One of the reasons, you have to focus more and differently than against a smooth player. Another reason, you have to work very hard in a different way than against an offensive topspin player who loops from both sides. You have to use your legs to loop with more spin. You have to be better over the table against a good LP player because they can give you a lot of short balls even after you loop. You also need to use completely different strategy against a good pips player so it makes you think more three dimensionally while playing.

One of the best ways to improve your over the table game is to find a good LP training partner. It is also one of the best ways to improve your mental game because a good LP player can get inside your head.

So you don't need to want to be an LP player to learn to love to play against them whether you win or lose.

BTW: I am 50 and can still move around and loop like I am in my 30s (probably not 20s but almost). And one thing I have learned is working out, doing crosstraining stuff like ladder footwork drills and other cardio endurance exercises including TT shadow footwork drills really help my level of play.

And when you look at the players who use different kinds of pips in the top 40, they are not just pushing the ball back, it is not boring at the high levels and it is pretty darn athletic what guys like Tang Peng (short pips) or Joo Se Hyuk (long pips) are doing.

Here: this match could not have happened without Long Pips and it is one of the best matches ever:





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NextLevel said:

Did you see the revenge matches I posted on my ooak blog thread? I couldn't play Song as he didn't enter the league, but he had a replacement who used SP FH, LP BH and I beat Liu in straights for the first time.

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It is Zero Two Hundred AM and YES, affirmative Ghost Rider, I saw Ur post on OOAK (even if I didn't reply)

You will have to sometime mix it up with Jay Lee from Boston who has the most uncanny ability to use OX LP to take the ball off the bounce and also hit with it. Dude has control of touch and wrist angle and seems to be able to bend the law of physics and warp time itself.

I really LIKE NL's choice of words -Revenge Match and if NL could pronounce revenge in German (Rache) (RRRRRRaaaaaccchhh HEY.) with a lot of throughty growling and couching, then it would sound really intimidating.

I have seen Carl in action and let's call him 28 for his ability to move in a rally. He has seen me in action (and I pass for 50) (Heck I got 30 years ARMY on my body so maybe more than 50) and he might credit me for moving like a 215 LB short 75 yr old dude during a rally... NOT. I hope he says I move like a low 30s dude, kinda remarkable for all the weight I pack.

Der_Echte said:

I have seen Carl in action and let's call him 28 for his ability to move in a rally. He has seen me in action (and I pass for 50) (Heck I got 30 years ARMY on my body so maybe more than 50) and he might credit me for moving like a 215 LB short 75 yr old dude during a rally... NOT. I hope he says I move like a low 30s dude, kinda remarkable for all the weight I pack.

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When Robert Chen was giving you all those short balls to the wide FH side you were moving pretty smoothly, even gliding in for the kill.

The LP doesnt bring anything positive to our sport. It should be banned immediately. Failing to see this is one of the reasons our sport is going down in popularity.

phillypong said:

The LP doesnt bring anything positive to our sport. It should be banned immediately. Failing to see this is one of the reasons our sport is going down in popularity.

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LP brings a variety of spin to the game.
Maybe they should just ban spin as that is (one of) the reason why China is dominating, which is the reason why our sport is going down in popularity?

But to think of it, in the world top 100, there is less than 5 LP players....
What is the fuss?

phillypong said:

The LP doesnt bring anything positive to our sport. It should be banned immediately. Failing to see this is one of the reasons our sport is going down in popularity.

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I can't do proper backhand topspin, because I have some problem (don't know how to name it in english, synostosis?) with my hand, so I use LP to chop with it. I can't win with inverted, maybe I should quit the sport?

I Wonder how removing colours from the sport making it more colourless would make it any better.
"I don't like the green colour in the rainbow therefore it should have been removed so more people will like it better" I think the majority would disagree. The problem is not a matter of allowing different types of sponges or bats. It's more if certain types of styles make separate tournaments with big price money, like the hardbat case in America, that's preventing development of the sport way more than short-long pimples, that actually help some people play better. Only reason for holding grudges against pimples out is Sore loosers that can't handle or don't understand the spin it makes. which has a good ammount of logic behind it.

The effect is very predictable indeed... if the player just sticks hiz bat out there with firm grip and takes the ball net high or higher... UNTIL a very skilled player with control of hand pressure, ability to take it off the bounce, and mastery of short stroke to produce any spin he wants totally changes that predictability hehe.