Why do some defenders chop on the forehand and some don't.

Would like to know too. I think it's good to have a solid FH chop in your arsenal even if you don't chop with your BH. But in other part players could be using thicker rubber on FH that makes chopping difficult in match play, so they avoid it. I remember Joo used 1.9 to chop on FH. Would like to know how thick is Ma Te BH, but with chinese rubber feels easier to chop, idk. It's just a theory, would be nice some defender explain why that happens in modern defenders.

I do not know the answer. But i can imagine that it come down to their playing style, how they want to play and what they are naturally good at. Like all other players, offensive players do not play exactly the same.
Like, some are more offensive so i think they tend to loop back more on the forehand, and practice this more and some maybe do not have a killer forehand so they focus on chopping with forehand aswell and practice this. So i think much come down to playing style and how they want to win the ball. Feel like defenders like gionis and weixing is very offensive and like to kill the ball with the forehand as much as possible while other defenders focus on just try to make the other guy miss.

I also think it comes down to their equipment like you guys mention. which they proably choose depending on their playing style.

I can also think that it is somewhat tactical to try do chop nospin with forehand to make the opponent miss.

I can also imagine that what they do depends on what kind of balls they are getting. I play a chopper alot and i use short pimples on the forehand. When i smash hard, the ball have not much spin so he can almost just do a nospin chop with the forehand. While if i loop with the backhand, where i get much more spin with the inverted he have more to work with and can chop much more backpin. I think this is true for people with inverted to, that it depends on how hard they loop.

Years ago when I played a chopping style for awhile, it was easier and effective for me to play a spinny topspin defense with the 4h. I had pips on the backhand. I use to flip the paddle to counterloop and hit with the backhand which caused a lot problems close and away from the table for my opponent. Sometimes would chop on the 4h side with my bh.

Over here it is understood as basically the difference between classic defense where players chop back everything thrown at them and modern defense where players counterattack with their fh.
Classic defenders hardly attack.
Modern defense got more popular after introduction of the 40mm balls.

Silver smasher said:

I have been watching a lot of matches on you tube and enjoy seeing a good defender getting fast shots back on the table using vicious back spin.

All defenders use a backhand chop and some have an equally good chop on their forehand. However some defenders try to use backhand for every return when away from the table but if they have to use forehand they just use a sort of push or no spin return or possibly try top spin.

Why not use a forehand chop or is it too difficult for some top defenders?

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Because they can't. The success of Ding Song has led to a wave of modern defenders that don't know how to chop on the FH.

Not sure in the professional level, but I think that some players just feel more comfortable chopping with their BH and some are more comfortable chopping with their FH.
One friend of mine can only chop with his FH, and another one can only chop with his BH.
Preferences I guess.

Chopping on the forehand (with thick inverted rubber) is much harder. Joo Se Hyuk is the notable exception of a defender who had this ability. Usually most defenders who chop on the forehand use something slower and thinner to play on the forehand.

Those who play offensive loops off the table with the forehand rarely chop with the forehand as it is hard to be reliable and the preparation needs more training. It's easier to be ready to play mostly one kind of shot on either side in most situations.

I think its more about physiology.
Its easyer to keep the stance when you chop with the BH, you have more control on the arm movement and its more naturally easyer, and the eventual transition from a BH chop to a FH loop is easyer and doesn't need other parasite movements and change of stance. Its the same, but reversed, with looping.

you get many different styles of choppers.
modern, classic etc

your classic choppers will be chopping on both sides.
some also twiddle the bats and chop on both sides (another style)
BH short pimple, long pimple is another style

I see no real issue of rubber or skills, but it has more got to do with the players style.
Same can be said of penholders, shakehand players on what they prefer to do and what they do less.

I would add that in the mens game, underspin ball is a lesser threat, due to men having more power than women.
So FH inverted chop is a lesser threat than BH pimple chop.
So on mens side it is normal to see more FH attacking and BH chop than women's - mostly classic 2 wing choppers

I would agree on what was said that chopping in the forehand is more comfortable and natural if anatomy is being considered.

A lot of players chop forehand. Mostly girls though, and especially Korean ones.

For most defenders being able to attack is very important nowadays. Hence, they they often opt for an offensive rubber like Tenergy on their FH side. Chopping fast and heavy loops with inverted is very hard, but with a rubber like Tenergy it is insanely hard. Alternative is to use a slow defensive rubber as the inverted one, but it is not as good for attack.

I think that modern defenders like Ruwen Filus. Gionis Panagiotis can chop with their FH, that isn't the problem. The problem is the ball after the FH chop, cause ther FH chop isn't as strong as their BH chop some FH chops will be short on the table, then the attacker can easily play a short push, that short push is one of the most annoying balls an atacker can play because you need to move from far behind the table to very close to the table. That is the reason why most modern defenders don't play a FH chop.. Elena Timina said this.

I feel it's preference, i am a modern defender and i chop and attack on my forehand. My backhand i mainly chop. 2 players in my team also have this style of play. I feel i am comfortable chopping both sides. I use defensive blade with tenergy 05fx forehand and long pimples cloud and fog 3 for both sides chopping..great combination i find.

Was thinking about this issue, hope it’s okay to revive the thread. I suspect Langel is right: that the advantage of backhand chop over fh chop has to do with physiology.

Especially: in the backhand chopping stance (with the body turned sideways) the shoulder of the playing arm is closest to the table. AFAIK, the other part of the story has to do with the trajectory of the racket on chops: much more rectilinear than on loops. The backhand chop achieves that trajectory without the torso getting in the way.

I find this JSH video illuminating: https://youtu.be/_j0hglyyvqw

Chopping in the forehand adds a variety of shots in a player's arsenal.

The fh chop also has an advantage over the bh chop because you do not need to cross your playing aem against on your body.

what would the game be like if 2 choppers went against each other?

CoolPug7 said:

what would the game be like if 2 choppers went against each other?

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No one knows. Two guys back in the 80s attempted this. They’re still playing.


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OhWell said:

Was thinking about this issue, hope it’s okay to revive the thread. I suspect Langel is right: that the advantage of backhand chop over fh chop has to do with physiology.

Especially: in the backhand chopping stance (with the body turned sideways) the shoulder of the playing arm is closest to the table. AFAIK, the other part of the story has to do with the trajectory of the racket on chops: much more rectilinear than on loops. The backhand chop achieves that trajectory without the torso getting in the way.

I find this JSH video illuminating: https://youtu.be/_j0hglyyvqw

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The forehand chop actually gets more racket head speed than the backchop. There is little point in comparing a chop performed consistently with inverted rubber with a chop performed with long pips.