How Many Styles Can You Play?

Matt Hetherington · Feb 22, 2015

Hey guys. As some of you may know I'm a table tennis coach and so I feel it is important to learn to play all different styles in order to better teach my students. As a result I am fairly competent in a range of styles. I'm around 2000 level USATT playing penhold (with inverted and short pips) and also chopping. I can play penhold twiddling with long pips, I can play with most different rubber types pretty well. Someone challenged me to a penhold match today and we decided to video it. This is my 'second' style behind shakehand.

So how many styles can you play? (My worst is playing with the other hand)

mcaibyz2 · Feb 22, 2015

Love your penhold short pimple attacking style. I used to play in this style but then changed to Rev rubbers on both side trying to imitate Wang Hao(In vain lol). So I would say that I can play Penhold single side short pimple close to the table attacking style, or Wang Hao's style using rev rubber on both side. I play slightly better with short pimple but I am having great fun trying to use RPB like Wang Hao.

JackFH · Feb 22, 2015

Does it count as a style if u can also play left handed? Cos that's the only thing I've got.

TareqPhoto · Feb 22, 2015

I thought the style you are talking about is offensive and defensive, i didn't know that style could be type of handle too, well, i can only play shakehand style, i tried penhold once in the past and it didn't work for me good, i also tried to hold one full side of the racket in my hand so in this case i killed one side of the racket, i played with one opponent in the past who use this way or style and he was really very good using it, but at the end i came back to my best style shakehand and never look back.

I am a right hand player, i once tested my left hand, all what i was doing is to return the ball and nothing else, no smash, no spin no chop, so even my left hand is useless for my playing style, now becoming a coach as you said, does this mean you must play in all styles? i saw the coaches in the club i am member in and i don't see them playing in many different styles, only one Chinese member who someone told me that he also do coaching if he wants and he is using penhold style, so learning different style is for coaching purpose or what you are looking for?

Matt Hetherington · Feb 22, 2015

No of course not, it is not necessary for becoming a coach, but it is very useful. Sometimes students can be weak in particular areas especially against different styles if they don't have any exposure to them. I like to chop to the kids at the club and sometimes play matches against them penhold or with long pips. It gives them a chance to figure out how to win against those styles so it's quite beneficial

TareqPhoto · Feb 22, 2015

Matt Hetherington said:
No of course not, it is not necessary for becoming a coach, but it is very useful. Sometimes students can be weak in particular areas especially against different styles if they don't have any exposure to them. I like to chop to the kids at the club and sometimes play matches against them penhold or with long pips. It gives them a chance to figure out how to win against those styles so it's quite beneficial

Yes, i agree, this will improve their tactics or movements better, and that is why i play against different players, so far i played against left handed and penhold and defensive players, so i keep trying to find a best way to face them, and i find myself within 3 weeks i have to match their style when i can.

BeGo · Feb 22, 2015

In short,

Only 2 style,
2 winged chopper, or
Backhand dominant blocker

Cmiiw,

I prefer to categorize play style based on dominant basic strokes used,

Whatever racquet grip, distance, and wing dominance a player may choose.

That means, out of 4 basic style and their combi, (that makes 15 combi)

1. I am a 2 winged chopper, and can play as

2. Backhand dominant blocker (my old style). Still go back an forth depending on opponent.

I am currently a very poor looper, and
I have very poor reflexes, so prefer distance and slower exchanges.

I can play penholder forehand dominant hitter, but only if I have got a very light hitter combi.

And so far, most of my win came from my 1st style.

mahomedy13 · Feb 22, 2015

I am a primary shakehand offensive looper on fh,and a blocker/less offensive looper on bh.

I can play traditional penhold(my rpb is terrible) quite decently,and can chop with penhold fh well.

ttmaniac · Feb 22, 2015

I am a traditional two winged looper... But I can also play in defensive mode with my friend 's racket

M51 · Feb 23, 2015

My RBP is better than Xu Xin's. Just saying.

harveyaquino · Feb 23, 2015

I am playing competitively since 2008, with double inverted. But just last year I discovered I could do well with pips on my BH without much of a problem, although my hand reflexes in BH still wants to play inverted. haha. Interestingly, my coach even said that I play better with pimples on BH and that it suits me best. (proof is I almost beat him 11-0). However, I'm still torn between using the pimples or going back to BH inverted.

Matt Hetherington · Feb 23, 2015

harveyaquino said:
I am playing competitively since 2008, with double inverted. But just last year I discovered I could do well with pips on my BH without much of a problem, although my hand reflexes in BH still wants to play inverted. haha. Interestingly, my coach even said that I play better with pimples on BH and that it suits me best. (proof is I almost beat him 11-0). However, I'm still torn between using the pimples or going back to BH inverted.

That's a pretty tough decision to make!

atomant · Feb 23, 2015

I prefer to breakdown styles of play into 3 broad categories.
1. Offensive or defensive
2. Type of rubber used mainly inverted, short pimple, medium pimple, long pimple and anti-spin.
3. Type of blade .... SH, CPH and JPH

Matt Hetherington · Feb 23, 2015

atomant said:
I prefer to breakdown styles of play into 3 broad categories.
1. Offensive or defensive
2. Type of rubber used mainly inverted, short pimple, medium pimple, long pimple and anti-spin.
3. Type of blade .... SH, CPH and JPH

That pretty muchly covers everything I think!

atomant · Feb 23, 2015

Matt Hetherington said:
That pretty muchly covers everything I think!

Thank you coach

TareqPhoto · Feb 23, 2015

atomant said:
I prefer to breakdown styles of play into 3 broad categories.
1. Offensive or defensive
2. Type of rubber used mainly inverted, short pimple, medium pimple, long pimple and anti-spin.
3. Type of blade .... SH, CPH and JPH

So in this case i can define my style as:

1. Both
2. 5 inverted rubbers when one rubber will arrive and one long pimple if it will arrive too with the other rubber so i will have 6 rubbers with 3 blades, one only is long pimple out rubber.
3. SH [FL and AN].

atomant · Feb 24, 2015

TareqPhoto said:
So in this case i can define my style as:

1. Both
2. 5 inverted rubbers when one rubber will arrive and one long pimple if it will arrive too with the other rubber so i will have 6 rubbers with 3 blades, one only is long pimple out rubber.
3. SH [FL and AN].

I would classify you as a slightly offensive player. To be able to handle long pimples competently, you have to train to use them correctly in order to understand the unique behaviour. The hitting styles are different from the usual inverted rubber and so are the tactics used.

TareqPhoto · Feb 24, 2015

atomant said:
I would classify you as a slightly offensive player. To be able to handle long pimples competently, you have to train to use them correctly in order to understand the unique behaviour. The hitting styles are different from the usual inverted rubber and so are the tactics used.

Oh really?!!! i thought it is designed mostly or specifically for defensive players, but in all cases, once it will arrive i will give it a try, i tested for few minutes one of members blades, he has 2 blades or 3 i can't remember, but 2 of them one has short pimple out and the other long pimples, and he is a defensive player, i mean i was so offensive on him and he only block and return and i got exhausted, and he said he is using a defensive blade and went with pimple out for this reason.

Anyway, i ordered by the coach one of great pimples out rubbers, once it will arrive and put it on my defensive blade i will use it, i am offensive with defensive players, and i am defensive with offensive players, but my defensive got me more winning points due to that i am still not that great offensive against other top offensive players.

atomant · Feb 24, 2015

TareqPhoto said:
Oh really?!!! i thought it is designed mostly or specifically for defensive players, but in all cases, once it will arrive i will give it a try, i tested for few minutes one of members blades, he has 2 blades or 3 i can't remember, but 2 of them one has short pimple out and the other long pimples, and he is a defensive player, i mean i was so offensive on him and he only block and return and i got exhausted, and he said he is using a defensive blade and went with pimple out for this reason.

Anyway, i ordered by the coach one of great pimples out rubbers, once it will arrive and put it on my defensive blade i will use it, i am offensive with defensive players, and i am defensive with offensive players, but my defensive got me more winning points due to that i am still not that great offensive against other top offensive players.

When you actually start using the long pimples, you will know what I meant. If you decided to use it, I can only say ...Welcome to the Dark Side".

TareqPhoto · Feb 24, 2015

atomant said:
When you actually start using the long pimples, you will know what I meant. If you decided to use it, I can only say ...Welcome to the Dark Side".

Hehehe, ok, in all cases it is good to test different rubbers or blades, who knows how this long pimples will serve/help me in my playing, no rush.

Honestly speaking, i think i rush myself, but there is no shortcut, players going there almost everyday, and practice a lot, and many got coaching, so i will never match unless i start to go there a lot and have coaching, otherwise the gap between me and them will remain big, and me without knowing fundamentals i will not have a chance to win over skilled players even they stopped for a while, but again, i said, i like to try different styles or rackets, offensive or defensive style with different tools is just a way of having fun and experimenting to have some kind of experience.

How Many Styles Can You Play?

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