Should I use long pimples?

You can also try to use slow inverted on both sides like Nikolay Telnoy does.

David Chung Chai Tsang said:

[..]
Analysing my own game I do see that I fit in the defender description. However, It also seems that long pimples don't suit me.
Can a defender play properly without long pimples? What advice would you give me. Are long pimples suitable for what I am trying to achieve?

Thanks

Click to expand...

There are many different options: From what you describe maybe short pips could better suit your backhand (just look at the attacks Mima Ito is pulling of with that)? Or even an Anti could give you strangely floating blocks and some possibilities to attack, but as with the long pips this will need adjustment of your technique and getting used to it. - And then there's of course twiddling, which also some players with the pips do fairly well: chopping with the pips the spin of the ball will get lesser and lesser until your opponent pops one up - bang!

If you think you're forced into the wrong direction, you should definitely talk with your coach. -.. but of course bear in mind that such a drastic change in equipment will not work from day one, but it'll need a lot of time and practice until it might pay off.

Unless you practice the proper strokes for lp, changing to it will not be productive

Heyy,

Before I can comment on this, Can you share a footage of your gameplay?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Which long pimples are you using? Do they have sponge?

I have never been an lp player, but I have played plenty of people who used lp they can attack with, and let me tell you it's nasty. There is also medium pimples, my least favorite surface to play against.

Maybe your coach gave you a very basic long pip to learn with, and you are ready to change to something with more options?

Sounds like you haven't developed the long pips skills necessary and associated strategy yet. It would take most new users longer than one year to learn proficiently.

Learning to flip to your other rubber would give a surprise attack and even different serves.

I you don't like LP then don't use them but......

David Chung Chai Tsang said:

The problem I have with long pimples is that it slows the game and reduces the 'surprise effect'. The attacker has time to position themselves and it just becomes a tense game of catch. The long pimples I have make it impossible to make surprise counter attacks.

Click to expand...

You can attack with LPs with practice but it does get risky. A better alternative is to learn how to twiddle so you can hit higher balls and occasional slow balls with the inverted side. Now the ball comes back fast with top spin instead of slow with back spin. This will surprise opponents. There is also the option of stepping to the side and attacking with the FH but you said you weren't that mobile.

I am not a chopper but I can chop with LP. I can surprise opponents. I do it when they make weak, predictable returns.

Try a simple SP like 802 2mm. block off the bounce so the ball goes back quickly so the opponent has no time to get into position. This requires good placement to aim for the opponents pocket and also go for extreme angles.

Being defensive or offensive is mostly a state of mind. You can still play defensively with double inverted with Reflectoid or anti on the BH.

Playing only defensively can be so boring. The lady plays with anti on her BH. Another guy beat her by hitting the ball high, the lady wouldn't attack or didn't effectively. When she returned the ball it also bounce high and the attacker smash these balls so she lost. The guy in the video didn't figure this out.
Warning, this is really boring.

I play LPs on the backhand. Honestly most, if not all good players are rarely surprised by LPs. Those surprise effects usually only get new to intermediate players. I suppose once in a blue moon, you'll find a good player who simply isn't use to LPs and you can get a few cheap points that way. But people quickly adjust.


What I like about LPs i the change of spin or change of pace play. It slows the ball tremedously as well as reverses spin. In a short game push to push battle? Fine. But one LP bump there gives them a slow topspin ball that can be weird to handle. etc. Stuff like that. It's for transitions in play. not that they made a mistake in thinking it was backspin when it was actually topspin.


Anyways, what you won't like about LPs is that there are generally rules you have to follow. ie - chop block mostly vs topspin and bump/attack backspin. You don't really counter hit much or even attack much.

That's why I think short pips you should try when reading your style of play in what you like to do. You can still largely play the same way your use to while getting a different pace, spin & feel change to the opponent. Plus on chops you can control the amount of spin more. Just know there won't be those weird ball type of point winners from time to time you can occasionally get with LPs

Equipment:
If you want to simply dip your toe in the water without big investment, you could try 802 1.5mm sponge short pips. 802 is about as classic of a topsheet as you can get and is by & large good.

If you go LPs, if you're looking for a ever so slightly more grippy or attacking LPs, I convinced that there is nothing greater than Dawei 388D-1. I once had it in 1.5 and I swear it almost felt like I was hitting with a light grip short pips. But now all i can find it in is 1.0 sponge. Anyways, I like ck531a in 1.0. Better reversal.

Only reason I use LP because as I get older my speed and reaction is much slower than before. Then I find out it is even harder to play LP effectively! A 2100 USTTA player will have no problem hitting through my LP defense, regardless chop block or chopping far away from the table. I agree with some people here, if you are still relative healthy, fast enough, SP may be a better choice. Or just give LP a try. I don't think it is a waste of time as it will teach you how to deal with LP as well.

Maybe you should try out 1-2 pips-in-rubbers like Victas VS>401 (fantastic for choppers, lots of spin, but low catapult and high control) or Tenergy 25/25 FX (very good for blocking, good spin, but easy to control), T25 if you play close to the table or T25 FX if you also want to play from mid-distance.

tropical said:

Only reason I use LP because as I get older my speed and reaction is much slower than before. Then I find out it is even harder to play LP effectively! A 2100 USTTA player will have no problem hitting through my LP defense, regardless chop block or chopping far away from the table. I agree with some people here, if you are still relative healthy, fast enough, SP may be a better choice. Or just give LP a try. I don't think it is a waste of time as it will teach you how to deal with LP as well.

Click to expand...

Watch an OX long pips guy nicknamed the pushblocker, he plays a passive blocking aggressive pushing game with not much offense. He gives players up to 2500+ problems. Any age or size player can play his style.

Loopadoop said:

Watch an OX long pips guy nicknamed the pushblocker, he plays a passive blocking aggressive pushing game with not much offense. He gives players up to 2500+ problems. Any age or size player can play his style.

Click to expand...

Yes there is exception but majority of LP players are not at such level.

Even a lower level is quite good, add a little offense to make it more effective. Anybody can do it.

brokenball said:

Playing only defensively can be so boring. The lady plays with anti on her BH. Another guy beat her by hitting the ball high, the lady wouldn't attack or didn't effectively. When she returned the ball it also bounce high and the attacker smash these balls so she lost. The guy in the video didn't figure this out.
Warning, this is really boring.

Click to expand...

I have seen this match several times and I don't think it's boring. I think it's very tactical and fun to watch. Loops aren't the only thing in TT.

That being said, the reason this match ended up this way is because she's (as you said) an anti chopper and Don (~2300 at the time) is a retriever who defends mostly himself, and he mixes chops and lobs for the most part (and very good at it), but he does attack. It's hard to lob effectively against a consistent (VERY consistent) classic defender, and the anti makes it even harder. Not all choppers can get lobs back that consistently, and fewer would be as patient. Don of course was the more offensive person so eventually played into her strategy.

Loopadoop said:

Watch an OX long pips guy nicknamed the pushblocker, he plays a passive blocking aggressive pushing game with not much offense. He gives players up to 2500+ problems. Any age or size player can play his style.

Click to expand...

True. And he is amazing. I guess it depends on the person and the pantience I'd take but when I watch pushblocker play, I can't help but wonder how that's fun to play. I mean at all. I'd be bored to tears. Even if I was winning.

suds79 said:

True. And he is amazing. I guess it depends on the person and the pantience I'd take but when I watch pushblocker play, I can't help but wonder how that's fun to play. I mean at all. I'd be bored to tears. Even if I was winning.

Click to expand...

We are all different, so I guess he's playing the way he does because he enjoys it. Perhaps he cares more about the fact of winning and less how it was actually done, style wise. Or may be he likes to frustrate his opponents. We could ask him on MyTT forum ...

Add some offense to his style, you have an all around game, you should be at a decent skill level.

It is easier said than done. A LP player with 2300 rating is rare. Not impossible but rare and unstable.

At the hobby level, the double sided inverted player has to play strategy and work for a win.

At the women's professional level, an OX long pips player has beaten a top 30 player.