First Time Penholder: Help me out!

[doppelmoral]

When playing penhold I have an easier time with outer ALC / outer hardwood blades. These blades make it easier to change pace (either fast to slow, or slow to fast) and they make it easier to hit through spin and take the ball directly off the bounce. This playing style is very beneficial to penholders, and pretty much every well-known penholder (except Felix) uses outer carbon / outer hardwood. If you really want to immerse yourself in the penhold style, I think outer construction blades are the way to go. But Pro 05 will be more similar to your shakehand blade so it might be an easier transition.

Just so you know, I play both grips (but primarily penhold) and I'm also in the 1500-1700 range. When playing shakehand I like softer inner construction blades, but when playing penhold I like hard outer construction blades. Playing penhold when you have the fingers on the back of the blade, I find it's much easier to play soft touches and drop shots with a hard blade, and it's much easier to hit/flick high balls with lots of power. Playing with a softer blade makes your touch less precise, so you have to resort to more of a two-winged looping game. That's totally fine but it's not really the "classic penhold style". With the increased feeling you get from a penhold grip, I think you should really take advantage of it by playing with a hard blade.

I would recommend Pro 01 over Pro 05, but you can play with either. But I think the best answer here is Ma Lin Extra Offensive (around the same price as Pro 01/05). With Skyline 2 forehand it's a dream -- I can receive fast loops and make them bounce twice on the opponent's table. Hurricane 3 is also a good choice on both sides but not as good as Skyline 2 for feeling. Tensor RPB (if that's what you want) will work better on a hard outer construction blade. I'd recommend Rakza 7 or Rakza X for this. If you feel like you can generate a lot of power on RPB, Hurricane 3 is a great option.

Regarding a gap on the forehand rubber: what the others have said is on point. A bigger gap will favor more forehand-dominant play and a smaller gap will favor more balanced play. Even if you want to optimize for backhand play, I would recommend for you to use a small gap of a few milimeters -- otherwise it will be hard to use the middle knuckle of your index finger to control the blade. Even Wang Hao (very backhand-oriented player) had a small gap for this reason, and all of the backhand-oriented penhold players I've ever met will use at least a small gap. You can see photos of Wang Hao's equipment here. Felix is somewhat odd for not having any gap at all.

MLFM Table Tennis has some good penhold tutorials. Here's one on the different penhold grip variations:

And one on RPB technique:

Thank you for the post. It was very insightful. I will think a bit more about what kind of blade I want to use. My thought process was that in the beginning, I only want to focus on the grip itself, without any major changes to the racket or the feeling.

I want to ask more about the grip. What exactly is the role of the index finger, how should it be placed on the racket? You mentioned something about middle knuckle? I have not yet played with penhold but I just tried out the grip. I have also watched the videos you attached. All fingers feel natural to me except index finger. If I curl it around just as highlighted in the video, the grip is very tight and there is alot of pressure on the index finger. For now, the most comfortable grip for me is when I "press" a bit more with the thumb, which opens up the blade angle on BH and lets the index finger "rest" more on the blade. I dont know if that grip is correct though. I assume that the Penhold grip should be quite loose and relaxed, similar to shakehand?

Lastly, seeing Wang Hao's blade, it seems like he leaves a gap on FH and has no gap on BH. How large should the gap be on FH? Should by thumb only touch the blade without being able to feel any rubber at all?

Cheers

 

[greenbeanmachine]

Thank you for the post. It was very insightful. I will think a bit more about what kind of blade I want to use. My thought process was that in the beginning, I only want to focus on the grip itself, without any major changes to the racket or the feeling.

That's a fair position, though my perspective is that by changing the grip you are already changing the feeling by such a huge amount compared to changing the blade. The feeling is incredibly different just because your fingers are right behind the point of impact, and you are getting feedback with very different parts of your hand.

I want to ask more about the grip. What exactly is the role of the index finger, how should it be placed on the racket? You mentioned something about middle knuckle? I have not yet played with penhold but I just tried out the grip. I have also watched the videos you attached. All fingers feel natural to me except index finger. If I curl it around just as highlighted in the video, the grip is very tight and there is alot of pressure on the index finger. For now, the most comfortable grip for me is when I "press" a bit more with the thumb, which opens up the blade angle on BH and lets the index finger "rest" more on the blade. I dont know if that grip is correct though. I assume that the Penhold grip should be quite loose and relaxed, similar to shakehand?

Did you try the grip with a cpen racket or a handshake racket? Penhold is pretty awkward with shakehand rackets unless you have either a very wide racket or very small hands.

The middle knuckle or middle bone of the index finger is usually pressed on the wood, to control the angle of the racket. Wang Hao and Dang Qiu use the middle bone, whereas Ma Lin and Xu Xin use the middle knuckle. See images. I think Wang Hao and Dang Qiu have a grip which is more effective for playing RPB, whereas Ma Lin and Xu Xin have more effective TPB and forehand.

When you play TPB, you need to rotate and pivot the racket in your hand -- not just rotate your wrist, but change your grip itself. It's a bit weird to get used to, since handshake players usually don't change grip between forehand and backhand -- except for Ovtcharov lol, he changes grip. Fun fact, Ovtcharov also trains penhold, and he can beat German national team players with penhold. Anyways, the video below is about the grip change between forehand and TPB:

So players who play TPB will align their knuckles on the racket so that they can use them as pivot points for changing between forehand/RPB and TPB grips. Here is my gripping style, and how it changes between forehand/RPB and TPB:

My experience has been that having a bigger gap is better for larger hands. I also find it easier to play TBP, because having less material in front of your finger lets you turn the front face of the blade downwards more, allowing you to block and counterhit stronger topspins.

Xu Xin holds the bat quite high compared to many penholders, and you can see that his middle knuckle is right on the edge of the blade. He doesn't curl his index finger around the handle like Dang Qiu or Wang Hao; instead he "rests" it on the edge like I think you are describing. This is the grip I find to be most effective, and I think it's most effective in general for people with large hands. It also allows you to play TPB quite easily, which Xu Xin does often.

Ma Lin also has his knuckle on the edge (instead of the middle bone itself), and furthermore his thumb knuckle is on the edge of the other side. His index finger isn't on the handle either. Having a position like this is more conducive to playing TPB -- it lets you pivot on the middle knuckle of both the thumb and index finger. Ma Lin almost exclusively played TPB.

Wang Hao wraps his finger around the handle and has a very small gap. You can see it's the middle bone (and not the middle knuckle) pressing against the edge of the blade. His thumb knuckle is decisively on the blade, much further than Ma Lin's, and the thumb is pointed diagonally towards the middle of the blade. Wang Hao doesn't really pivot the blade in his hand because he doesn't play TPB, so he doesn't need to rest the blade on his knuckles. His grip is much tighter than Ma Lin's or Xu Xin's -- he trades the ability to pivot the racket in his hand for more flexibility in the wrist. Pivoting is done (to a lesser extent) using the wrist and elbow.

Felix and Dang Qiu both have similar grips to Wang Hao, and neither of them use TPB at all.

Lastly, seeing Wang Hao's blade, it seems like he leaves a gap on FH and has no gap on BH. How large should the gap be on FH? Should by thumb only touch the blade without being able to feel any rubber at all?

There's not really a "correct" answer for this. Every player is different and prefers different things. You can experiment when you change rubbers to see what you like the best, but for your first setup I would recommend something not too small and not too large. Not as big as Xu Xin's and not as small (nonexistent) as Felix's. Maybe 1-1.5cm. Make it a bit bigger if you want a better forehand and TPB, and make it a little smaller if you want a good RPB. Before gluing, I'd recommend getting a ruler and drawing a line on your racket in pencil.

At the end of the day, what matters is what you feel comfortable with. The same is true for your gripping style. Penhold is heavily dependent on the size and shape of your hand, as well as your muscular development and which motions you can effectively put power into. It requires some experimentation and there's no "correct" way to play. You can learn from good players and see if their techniques are adaptable to your circumstances.


Regardless of how you cut your rubber, you should sand the wings of your blade until they're smooth. Otherwise you'll cut your fingers on the sharp edge.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

1) weight side, go lighter. dont use chinese rubbers both side, you might find it too heavy
2) make sure to sand (with sand paper) the areas for your fingers.
3) grip - do any that makes you feel comfortable

 

[olive-nguyen]

1) weight side, go lighter. dont use chinese rubbers both side, you might find it too heavy
2) make sure to sand (with sand paper) the areas for your fingers.
3) grip - do any that makes you feel comfortable

Double down on 1 and 2.

I tried some of the ph blades of the old uncles, and with h3 on both sides, its way to heavy in my opinion to get a proper game. Plus, in my opinion, it is easier to rpb with tensor rubbers, more forgiving and i appreciate the catapult effect. Go softer and thinner sponge too. I went for rakza 7 @1.8mm, it may work for you.

Sanding the wings of penhold blades is a skill in itself. I have sanded the penhold blade wings of my friends bat for him, and every bit of sanding you need to try it out again to get the proper sanding.

When sanding, ALWAYS sand off more of where your index finger rest, if your right handed, sand more on the right wing, and vice versa.

If your are not going to twiddle the bat often, i suggest that you don’t sand the other side, the one for rpb. You can sand just a bit so that it isn’t totallly sharp, but don’t touch it afterwards.

As for grip, as Ryu Seung Min said, “it changes daily, and even mid game depending on the situation.”

Do what is comfortable for you at what shot and angles. It changes between forehand and backhand and rpb too.

 

[PenHoldSandro]

I've been following this thread for quite a while now, and I've been wanting to reply some stuff but @greenbeanmachine and @olive-nguyen keep beating me to it 😂

All I really want to say is master TPB before moving on to RPB (thx for the tip @zhzhzhz ) because TPB utilizes one of the biggest advantages of Penhold, the crossover. The is a really small crossover point when using 1 sided penhold!

For the forehand, it's the same as shakehand, just note that your hand will be in a slightly different position.

RPB time, use it as if it's SH but the angle is much more closed, so it's best you get the feel of it

That's all I really have to say man

 

[doppelmoral]

That's a fair position, though my perspective is that by changing the grip you are already changing the feeling by such a huge amount compared to changing the blade. The feeling is incredibly different just because your fingers are right behind the point of impact, and you are getting feedback with very different parts of your hand.


Did you try the grip with a cpen racket or a handshake racket? Penhold is pretty awkward with shakehand rackets unless you have either a very wide racket or very small hands.

The middle knuckle or middle bone of the index finger is usually pressed on the wood, to control the angle of the racket. Wang Hao and Dang Qiu use the middle bone, whereas Ma Lin and Xu Xin use the middle knuckle. See images. I think Wang Hao and Dang Qiu have a grip which is more effective for playing RPB, whereas Ma Lin and Xu Xin have more effective TPB and forehand.

When you play TPB, you need to rotate and pivot the racket in your hand -- not just rotate your wrist, but change your grip itself. It's a bit weird to get used to, since handshake players usually don't change grip between forehand and backhand -- except for Ovtcharov lol, he changes grip. Fun fact, Ovtcharov also trains penhold, and he can beat German national team players with penhold. Anyways, the video below is about the grip change between forehand and TPB:

So players who play TPB will align their knuckles on the racket so that they can use them as pivot points for changing between forehand/RPB and TPB grips. Here is my gripping style, and how it changes between forehand/RPB and TPB:

View attachment 35265

View attachment 35266

My experience has been that having a bigger gap is better for larger hands. I also find it easier to play TBP, because having less material in front of your finger lets you turn the front face of the blade downwards more, allowing you to block and counterhit stronger topspins.


View attachment 35257

Xu Xin holds the bat quite high compared to many penholders, and you can see that his middle knuckle is right on the edge of the blade. He doesn't curl his index finger around the handle like Dang Qiu or Wang Hao; instead he "rests" it on the edge like I think you are describing. This is the grip I find to be most effective, and I think it's most effective in general for people with large hands. It also allows you to play TPB quite easily, which Xu Xin does often.

View attachment 35260

Ma Lin also has his knuckle on the edge (instead of the middle bone itself), and furthermore his thumb knuckle is on the edge of the other side. His index finger isn't on the handle either. Having a position like this is more conducive to playing TPB -- it lets you pivot on the middle knuckle of both the thumb and index finger. Ma Lin almost exclusively played TPB.

View attachment 35261

Wang Hao wraps his finger around the handle and has a very small gap. You can see it's the middle bone (and not the middle knuckle) pressing against the edge of the blade. His thumb knuckle is decisively on the blade, much further than Ma Lin's, and the thumb is pointed diagonally towards the middle of the blade. Wang Hao doesn't really pivot the blade in his hand because he doesn't play TPB, so he doesn't need to rest the blade on his knuckles. His grip is much tighter than Ma Lin's or Xu Xin's -- he trades the ability to pivot the racket in his hand for more flexibility in the wrist. Pivoting is done (to a lesser extent) using the wrist and elbow.

Felix and Dang Qiu both have similar grips to Wang Hao, and neither of them use TPB at all.


There's not really a "correct" answer for this. Every player is different and prefers different things. You can experiment when you change rubbers to see what you like the best, but for your first setup I would recommend something not too small and not too large. Not as big as Xu Xin's and not as small (nonexistent) as Felix's. Maybe 1-1.5cm. Make it a bit bigger if you want a better forehand and TPB, and make it a little smaller if you want a good RPB. Before gluing, I'd recommend getting a ruler and drawing a line on your racket in pencil.

At the end of the day, what matters is what you feel comfortable with. The same is true for your gripping style. Penhold is heavily dependent on the size and shape of your hand, as well as your muscular development and which motions you can effectively put power into. It requires some experimentation and there's no "correct" way to play. You can learn from good players and see if their techniques are adaptable to your circumstances.


Regardless of how you cut your rubber, you should sand the wings of your blade until they're smooth. Otherwise you'll cut your fingers on the sharp edge.

Again such a quality post. Thank you so much, very insightful. That are good pointers for me on how to start with my penhold journey.

About the blade, I returned the yinhe pro 01 and got a refund. Ordered a new yinhe pro 05 (which was 10€ cheaper this time around because of the spring sale), and I will just try it out. Might get a yasaka extra offensive later if I feel like I want to try out a blade with a harder outerply.

And, I will start with hurricane on FH and regular tensor on BH (probably an old sheet of omega 7 pro)

Cheers

 

[Zezima]

I have large hands. And, I want to play a style in which I can easily play backhand loops (I am not looking for FH-oriented style).

So, would no gap be better in that case?

Cheers

Maybe it was mentioned already but switching to penhold and then wanting to do backhand loops is kinda meh. (not looking for FH oriented style)

Not a penhold player myself but have seen lots of videos talking about how they avoid the backhand loop as much as possible and prefer a different stroke instead. They try to avoid it with really good footwork,tactics,serve/return, and anticipation obviously

 

[doppelmoral]

Maybe it was mentioned already but switching to penhold and then wanting to do backhand loops is kinda meh. (not looking for FH oriented style)

Not a penhold player myself but have seen lots of videos talking about how they avoid the backhand loop as much as possible and prefer a different stroke instead.

just look at the top penholders competing at wtt events (felix, dang). I dont know which videos you are watching but top players dont avoid using their backhand nowadays

when I was watching felix play in champions frankfurt, he was ripping bh‘s like there is no tomorrow

again, I am just trying out penhold for fun and to gain a new perspective/angle on how to play and enjoy TT. I like using both wings for looping

 

[Zezima]

just look at the top penholders competing at wtt events (felix, dang). I dont know which videos you are watching but top players dont avoid using their backhand nowadays

when I was watching felix play in champions frankfurt, he was ripping bh‘s like there is not tomorrow

again, I am just trying out penhold for fun and to gain a new perspective/angle on how to play and enjoy TT. I like using both wings for looping

Sure but Felix trains way more than you and me to make it work. I just got the feel with the amount a casual player trains it won't work but as you said you do it for fun, so keep us updated how you make progress over time!

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Maybe it was mentioned already but switching to penhold and then wanting to do backhand loops is kinda meh. (not looking for FH oriented style)

Not a penhold player myself but have seen lots of videos talking about how they avoid the backhand loop as much as possible and prefer a different stroke instead. They try to avoid it with really good footwork,tactics,serve/return, and anticipation obviously

I love the ball coming onto my backhand and I will just top spin the ball back.
the style of forehand everywhere is long gone in the 40+ era
even in shakehand, backhand technique is nurtured way more than the previous forehand era, or at least that is the case in my circle.

It is known, players like Boll and Chuang and even the likes of Dima, can only "last so long" in the top 20s, is because they are all round players - meaning they backhand is really good.

So, having said that, there isn't really anything that is FH oriented style today. If the play can't have both wings, there is a huge limitation on the peak position.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

just look at the top penholders competing at wtt events (felix, dang). I dont know which videos you are watching but top players dont avoid using their backhand nowadays

when I was watching felix play in champions frankfurt, he was ripping bh‘s like there is no tomorrow

again, I am just trying out penhold for fun and to gain a new perspective/angle on how to play and enjoy TT. I like using both wings for looping

then don't learn the traditional back hand.
just learn reverse backhand.

maybe get a coach if you can, so that can remove bad habits

 

[zhzhzhz]

All I really want to say is master TPB before moving on to RPB (thx for the tip @zhzhzhz ) because TPB utilizes one of the biggest advantages of Penhold, the crossover. The is a really small crossover point when using 1 sided penhold!

Preaching my advice while I was gone. Good job man!!

 

[zhzhzhz]

I would also like to share my opinion on this post

I want to ask more about the grip. What exactly is the role of the index finger, how should it be placed on the racket? You mentioned something about middle knuckle? I have not yet played with penhold but I just tried out the grip. I have also watched the videos you attached. All fingers feel natural to me except index finger. If I curl it around just as highlighted in the video, the grip is very tight and there is alot of pressure on the index finger. For now, the most comfortable grip for me is when I "press" a bit more with the thumb, which opens up the blade angle on BH and lets the index finger "rest" more on the blade. I dont know if that grip is correct though. I assume that the Penhold grip should be quite loose and relaxed, similar to shakehand?

The index finger is a bit of an oddball. @greenbeanmachine has already explained it amazingly but here's some of my input.

This depends on your hand size. You can try to place your hand a bit shallow and just rest your index finger (this is if you keep the back fingers straight like Xu Xin or Dang Qiu who have quite big hands) You can also adjust the grip to have your index finger more curved around the handle but the back side fingers should also be curled up (Like F Lebrun who has smaller hands)

TLDR: The index finger responds to the back fingers
Curled finger in back = Closed index finger
Straight fingers in back = Open index finger

Btw it also depends on the stroke:
in forehand, you want to wrap the index finger tightly around the handle
in backhand, and serves you want to open the index finger and leave it pretty loose and relaxed.
(this is how Wang Hao and Xu Xin play. you can watch their strokes while playing)

Lastly, seeing Wang Hao's blade, it seems like he leaves a gap on FH and has no gap on BH. How large should the gap be on FH? Should by thumb only touch the blade without being able to feel any rubber at all?

Depends on your hand size (again) and your preferences.
The bigger your hands the bigger the gap should be. (if you want to grab onto more wood which makes the grip more comfortable)

Honestly, this is 90% preference. its easier to grip the racket when you have wood in contact instead of rubber.
I have played with no gap in my rubber for a year and I currently have a pretty big gap between the rubber and handle. I recommend having a decently big gap.

 

[PenHoldSandro]

I would also like to share my opinion on this post

The index finger is a bit of an oddball. @greenbeanmachine has already explained it amazingly but here's some of my input.

This depends on your hand size. You can try to place your hand a bit shallow and just rest your index finger (this is if you keep the back fingers straight like Xu Xin or Dang Qiu who have quite big hands) You can also adjust the grip to have your index finger more curved around the handle but the back side fingers should also be curled up (Like F Lebrun who has smaller hands)

TLDR: The index finger responds to the back fingers
Curled finger in back = Closed index finger
Straight fingers in back = Open index finger

Btw it also depends on the stroke:
in forehand, you want to wrap the index finger tightly around the handle
in backhand, and serves you want to open the index finger and leave it pretty loose and relaxed.
(this is how Wang Hao and Xu Xin play. you can watch their strokes while playing)



Depends on your hand size (again) and your preferences.
The bigger your hands the bigger the gap should be. (if you want to grab onto more wood which makes the grip more comfortable)

Honestly, this is 90% preference. its easier to grip the racket when you have wood in contact instead of rubber.
I have played with no gap in my rubber for a year and I currently have a pretty big gap between the rubber and handle. I recommend having a decently big gap.

Yep, I totally agree! Preference is [almost] everything for us penholders, and there is really nothing perfect for everyone. The @greenbeanmachine said that of 100 players, there will be 100 different styles.

Don't be afraid to start something unorthodox.

How are yall making really long posts 😂

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

All I really want to say is master TPB before moving on to RPB (thx for the tip @zhzhzhz ) because TPB utilizes one of the biggest advantages of Penhold, the crossover. The is a really small crossover point when using 1 sided penhold!

what do you mean by TPB and crossover here?

 

[PenHoldSandro]

what do you mean by TPB and crossover here?

Well to oversimplify it, one of one sided penhold's biggest advantages is the smaller, even dissapearing, crossover point. This is due to the way penholders switch to their backside, where instead of switching sides they use the same side, making the transition smooth.

Say this, a ball goes straight to your elbow. Assuming you can react fast enough, you can rotate the wrist until the racket covers the ball and you can hit it back. Unlike shakehand, where trying to hit the elbow ball is really uncomfortable.

I'm pretty sure you know this by now, so I think just a little rephrasing should do the trick

 

[PenHoldSandro]

I will be covering everything after @greenbeanmachine 's monster of a post.

Again such a quality post. Thank you so much, very insightful. That are good pointers for me on how to start with my penhold journey.

About the blade, I returned the yinhe pro 01 and got a refund. Ordered a new yinhe pro 05 (which was 10€ cheaper this time around because of the spring sale), and I will just try it out. Might get a yasaka extra offensive later if I feel like I want to try out a blade with a harder outerply.

And, I will start with hurricane on FH and regular tensor on BH (probably an old sheet of omega 7 pro)

Cheers

This has already been answered afterward, so I don't need much of an imput here.

However, BH might be a little too hard for you being a tensor (and still learning a new style), so I suggest using something with more control.

just look at the top penholders competing at wtt events (felix, dang). I dont know which videos you are watching but top players dont avoid using their backhand nowadays

when I was watching felix play in champions frankfurt, he was ripping bh‘s like there is no tomorrow

again, I am just trying out penhold for fun and to gain a new perspective/angle on how to play and enjoy TT. I like using both wings for looping

I'd say start on TPB and once you got that covered go RPB. The example you used, Felix, is not really strong because Felix is not a normal penholder. If you want to see what the other guy means, go to 2004 Athens Olympics, and take a look at a guy named Ryu Seung Min.

I understand that you want to gain a new perspective on TT, so why not maximize it by trying TPB instead of RPB (which is quite similar to SH backhand)?

Overall, I truly hope you enjoy your time as a Penholder! If you really want help you can go to those Ryu Seung Min training videos, and that one of Wang Hao. You can also watch games of Penholders, better in the early 2000's because you can study TPB better.

 

[der Stift]

I would also like to share my opinion on this post

The index finger is a bit of an oddball. @greenbeanmachine has already explained it amazingly but here's some of my input.

This depends on your hand size. You can try to place your hand a bit shallow and just rest your index finger (this is if you keep the back fingers straight like Xu Xin or Dang Qiu who have quite big hands) You can also adjust the grip to have your index finger more curved around the handle but the back side fingers should also be curled up (Like F Lebrun who has smaller hands)

TLDR: The index finger responds to the back fingers
Curled finger in back = Closed index finger
Straight fingers in back = Open index finger

Btw it also depends on the stroke:
in forehand, you want to wrap the index finger tightly around the handle
in backhand, and serves you want to open the index finger and leave it pretty loose and relaxed.
(this is how Wang Hao and Xu Xin play. you can watch their strokes while playing)



Depends on your hand size (again) and your preferences.
The bigger your hands the bigger the gap should be. (if you want to grab onto more wood which makes the grip more comfortable)

Honestly, this is 90% preference. its easier to grip the racket when you have wood in contact instead of rubber.
I have played with no gap in my rubber for a year and I currently have a pretty big gap between the rubber and handle. I recommend having a decently big gap.

With curled fingers in the back, a subtlety is the difference between
a. resting the finger on the rubber
b. pinching the rubber with the tip of the finger (or finger nail).
Pinching the rubber yields more power and solve the problem of slippage.

Watch the first 1.5 minutes of:

 

[greenbeanmachine]

Maybe it was mentioned already but switching to penhold and then wanting to do backhand loops is kinda meh. (not looking for FH oriented style)

Not a penhold player myself but have seen lots of videos talking about how they avoid the backhand loop as much as possible and prefer a different stroke instead. They try to avoid it with really good footwork,tactics,serve/return, and anticipation obviously

This was true when penholders played with only one side of the racket. Trying to play TPB (traditional penhold backhand) loops is quite hard (but not impossible, Ryu Seung Min did it quite well). But nowadays penhold players use the reverse side of the racket to play RPB (reverse penhold backhand) and these loops can be quite dangerous. You may want to look up the difference between TBP and RPB. RPB naturally comes with a lot of sidespin, and if you have a naturally strong backhand it's easy to make lightning fast strokes. Ovtcharov even said that playing RPB helped him learn backahand technique for his shakehand grip.

 

[Lando]

Learn tpb too. So many players I've encountered aren't used to the no spin punch of tpb.
Finger gap is a matter of preference, I don't use it because I need my index finger free to tpb flick under spin over the table.
I don't rpb, I tried but I'm too used to tpb.