What is the Most Dominant Style in the poly era

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Hi all,
Just want to know what everyone thinks is the best table tennis style in the ABS ball era.

Two words for ya: Tomokazu Harimoto. :)

Of course, that's a simplification. There's no such thing as the best table tennis style.


  • Not all players are equally skilled in every aspect.
  • Technical development, game experience and the changes that come with age also matter a lot.
  • Tactics are also crucially important. Boll chose for more variation in speed and spin, and overcame close-to-the-table Harimoto.
  • Adaptation counts. Styles encounter other styles; if you're playing close-to-the-table and overpowered by another close-to-the-table hitter, changing styles (second-position powerloops; fishing style; aggressive third-ball; messing with the pace; lobbing; ...) may work out better.

Two-winged loopers are probably the dominant style now, and I think that two-winged looping did creep op to the table a bit with the advent of the polyball. Yet there are strong players still with a distinctive style, including powerful, versatile defenders close to the absolute top - Joo Saehyuk, Giotis Panagiotis, Ruwen Filus, Shiono Masato, Yuto Muramatsu, Ri Myong Sun, Li Jie and of course Kim Song-i. I really like to see her games.

Variety being the spice of life, many have lamented the relative monomany (lack of diversity) in modern table tennis. Although there may be lesser diversity than there used to be a few decades ago even now there is still quite a bit left.

Where are the Zoran Kalinices of yore? The Dragutin Surbeks, the Andresj Grubbas, the Desmond Douglasses, the Mikael Appelgrens, the Guo Yuehuas, the Ma Lins, the Liu Guoliangs? Well, we have Vladimir Samsonov, Stéphane Ouiache, Koki Niwa, Timo Boll, Tristan Flore, Xu Xin as well as the probably more "typical" Fan Zhendong, Ma Long, Dimitri Ovtcharov, Jun Mizutani, Aleksanr Shibaev, Lee Sangsu and so on.

TL;DR There is more than one style even now, and that's a good thing.
 
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I don't think there is any particular style of table tennis that is particularly suited for this poly-ball. As was the case with the previous ball, you need to play good quality table tennis in order to win.
That being said, i do find that all-out attacking with the poly ball requires bit more fitness level as compared to the fitness level required with the celluloid ball.
Hi all,
Just want to know what everyone thinks is the best table tennis style in the ABS ball era.
 
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ABS is actually closer to celluloid than previous cellulose acetate. Hard to imagine a more effective style than Ma Long and FZD. You need a good BH off the bounce now. The trend toward stronger players started with WLQ. It is even more important now. You can see for example FZD is in better shape than ever.

I will bet that when Harimoto gets older and stronger, he will be even better and not always so close in. He will be more like Ma Long. Scary.
 
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How 'bout GANGNAM STYLE.... ???

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Hi all,
Just want to know what everyone thinks is the best table tennis style in the ABS ball era.


well power play is definitely a deciding factor now but ma long is still the best and he is a finesse player , "all around versatile fighter" as li xiaodong has said not an explosive one like FZD or ZJK

like conor mcgregor has said "precision beats power, timing beats speed" ! so true and in table tennis
 
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ABS is actually closer to celluloid than previous cellulose acetate. Hard to imagine a more effective style than Ma Long and FZD. You need a good BH off the bounce now. The trend toward stronger players started with WLQ. It is even more important now. You can see for example FZD is in better shape than ever.

I will bet that when Harimoto gets older and stronger, he will be even better and not always so close in. He will be more like Ma Long. Scary.

what really amazes me with harimoto is his understanding in such a young age, he really knows most of the time when to rip the ball of and when to keep it on the rally to pile the pressure and eventually killshot again or play with accuracy. Many unforced errors which is totally fine at such age, I hope he will not stop evolving and gets jinxed by the chinese study and science :p
 
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