Chopping with short pips?

[greenbeanmachine]

So since I've taken interest in the chopper playing style, I've noticed that there are a few Chinese choppers (specifically Hou Yingchao and Wang Xi) who chop with short pips instead of long pips. Why do they choose short pips?

From my experience playing with short pips it seems that they are MUCH less stable for chopping compared to long pips. I can definitely see advantages of playing with short pips on the backhand -- being able to punch and give float balls -- but these SP choppers don't seem to use these advantages very much, they mostly just chop. And their chop looks much more awkward than the chop of a long pips player. So then why not play with long pips? Seems like they lose stability without gaining much advantage.

 

[merlin el mago]

They aren't using the typical short pips to attack, using the most elastic & flexible kind of short pips but the most important they have a very very good & strong technique to use it. I still remember the match when Hou Yinghao won Wan Chuquin the China Nationals 2019.

 

[tzifos]

I don't thing that they are using short pips, but rather medium pips. Most companies do not use the term "medium pips" so there isn't such a category. They describe them as pips-out/short on contrary to the long pips. For example Nittaku's DoKnuckle & Super DoKnuckle.

 

[belllfador]

Spectol S1 with sponge 1.6mm is the BH rubber for 3 top defenders. So, SP is relevant for high level players. I think they chose SP because of speed, versatility and consistency over LP.

IMO Super Do Knuckle is MP that play like SP.

 

[suds79]

It's pretty simple why they choose SPs.

They want more control over the spin you return back in a chop. LPs by in large works with what's given to you in reversing the spin. With short pips, the ball doesn't reverse and they can depending on their chop decide to chop heavy backspin, chop no-spin (or less backspin to be more accurate). Also the occasional punch or attack on a ball is easier. But you can do more with the spin basically.

Having said all that though, the majority of choppers are still LPs so there must be something to that and/or easier to be more consistent with their chops. Not sure.

Then you have an attacker/defender I like to watch sometimes in Satoshi Aida who plays inverted on both sides and openly attacks & chops with both. He's a fun watch. I guarantee you his chops, if he's able to keep it low (that's the challenge right when you have a gripper rubber) Low grip - LP, More grip - SP, most grip - inverted) are absolutely loaded with backspin.

 

[merlin el mago]

Spectol S1 with sponge 1.6mm is the BH rubber for 3 top defenders. So, SP is relevant for high level players. I think they chose SP because of speed, versatility and consistency over LP.

IMO Super Do Knuckle is MP that play like SP.

I guess used TSP / Victas Spinpips D1.

 

[Lando]

Yuto Muramatsu uses SP, yes?

 

[belllfador]

Yuto Muramatsu uses SP, yes?

Spectol S1 1.6mm

 

[PenHoldSandro]

These guys are pretty much right; these pros want to have more control on the spin of their shots and can play with more versitility

 

[Der_Echte]

JSK, when I translated what a friend was asking why JSH did NOT chop with Sp said that he could manipulate the spin much better and easier with LP rubbers, namely Grass D-Technos and TSP Curly Cactus.

 

[piligrim]

Spectol S1 1.6mm

Not anymore. He use new rubber Tibhar made for him

 

[PenHoldSandro]

JSK, when I translated what a friend was asking why JSH did NOT chop with Sp said that he could manipulate the spin much better and easier with LP rubbers, namely Grass D-Technos and TSP Curly Cactus.

Fair enough. But I think he was talking about chopping rather than playing in general. Maybe the SP choppers use SP because they can do more than just chopping one way; something LP fails to do.

LP can vary the 1 type of chop well, hence JSH's statement, but for other types of chops/shots, SP is better. Also, since SP plays a lil more like inverted, it's a bit easier to get the ball on the table if you hit it a bit.

 

[mamedium]

JSH uses LP with thick sponge. He can override the spin with that setup, and uses LP to even loop

 

[merlin el mago]

Guys the reason is clear with the long pips ban of high aspect ratio the ITTF approved long pips no have self backspin generation but some short pips with flex & grip still have self backspin generation that's it's a big advantage to manipulate the spin for defenders when they wants with short pips don't need to receive topspin to make backspin.

 

[Der_Echte]

It is simply that JSH can control and change the spin with sponged LP.

The ones who like SP on BH love the ability to make more spin and attack with hit or spin on BH when they want.

It is a matter of the acceptable trade-offs to the individual player.

 

[igorponger]

Advanced disign of blade, suits to chop game best. Not available from general market, an individual request for the product by a local blade maker.
Perhaps TabletennisOnly keeps some as yet.

 

[IB66]

It's pretty simple why they choose SPs.

They want more control over the spin you return back in a chop. LPs by in large works with what's given to you in reversing the spin. With short pips, the ball doesn't reverse and they can depending on their chop decide to chop heavy backspin, chop no-spin (or less backspin to be more accurate). Also the occasional punch or attack on a ball is easier. But you can do more with the spin basically.

Having said all that though, the majority of choppers are still LPs so there must be something to that and/or easier to be more consistent with their chops. Not sure.

Then you have an attacker/defender I like to watch sometimes in Satoshi Aida who plays inverted on both sides and openly attacks & chops with both. He's a fun watch. I guarantee you his chops, if he's able to keep it low (that's the challenge right when you have a gripper rubber) Low grip - LP, More grip - SP, most grip - inverted) are absolutely loaded with backspin.

A chop with inverted can be evil !! Especially when defence turns to attack!!
I played some topspins v chopper using C55 and Z03 on FH last week, C55 was evil, Z03 was worse!! Much faster, same thing when he attacked!! We were just mucking about, he tried Z03 for the first time, it was just nasty to play against. Whether the extra speed of Z03 would suit him during match play on his faster blade is another thing.
He also chopped later with LP on backhand, I didn’t play against this set up, and asked him if the LP produced (sent back) as much backspin as the C55/Z03, he said it was probably less and much slower!!
He commented that he knows a few defence/attackers that use T05H as their FH rubber and that Z03 could possibly be an ‘upgrade’ He thought his FH chop with Z03 was more like a chop smash!! and loaded with spin!! I can confirm this was so!!

 

[Azku]

I'm not a chopper, but from what I understand, the advantage of chopping with SP is it's easier to vary the spin. You can use similar chopping motion, but you can produce either underspin or no spin ball. Something like that.

If the opponent misread the ball, the ball will pop up, and you can smash it for the win.

As for LP, you use the opponent's spin, so typically you can only chop topspin ball.

 

[merlin el mago]

Not true, some long pips have a lot of grip and can chop more gears than only topspin balls. Will be truth if the long pips are frictionless but these aren't allowed or banned by ITTF.