Handling the chop block

[KM1976]

Hi Friends,

I would like to request your help in understand how to play a topspin on a chop blocked ball. I would like to describe my scenario as under:

During practice sessions, while I am hitting topspins, a few players in my club tend to chop block the ball. Due to this, my shot goes to the net. I need help in understand how to identify a chop blocked ball from a normal block and how to play a topspin stroke against it.

thank you for your help.

 

[Old School]

Well it should not be hard to spot the chop, a block is just a static block with the paddle whereas the chop is a fast downward movement during the block that produce backspin.
To get it back over the net you need to lift the ball more then you would with just a top spin so more vertical brushing is needed in extreme cases you may have to add heavy upward body movement to get sufficient lift. You may have seen pro's make a small jump sometimes, this is when they have to create great lift.

 

[KM1976]

Hi Old School,

thanks for your reply. However, I want to mention here that the backspin in the chop block which I get as a return is not very huge. It is just enough the disturb the timing and to make me commit a mistake. So the chop block stroke done by my opponent is also very subtle and difficult to pick.

thanks.

 

[Der_Echte]

KM, you have correctly described what happens.

When someone chop blocks the ball with light underspin, the way the ball bounces off the table and the amount of time it takes to get to you are altered. This throws off your timing. Since there is underspin, you also need to adjust bat angle and/or swing plane. Since the player is already off time, and since the ball comes later, likely the player is also out of perfect position to make an effective shot, so it is double trouble for the player.

There is no one thing I can say to you except that as you get better overall in your ability to read the ball, you will through training and instinct be better at seeing it, knowing it, being in position with patience, and better able to finish those balls or at least continue the pressure.

If you are trying to finish, consider letting the ball bounce to full height, swing more forward with more open blade, follow through higher vs heavier underspin.

 

[Der_Echte]

The old school Koreans with a good control of hand pressure do a variation of chop block (it is more killing the spin than anything) and you do not see them change anything, since the change in hand pressure is what is different.

Often, you do not see the difference and think ball has some topspin and a little pace. Both pace and spin are different and it leads to the same bad result if you do not read it in time.

This is a kind of art for the older player who uses this to confuse younger hotshot players. The young player tries for more and more power or spin and makes more errors while continuing to read the no spin block wrong.

Try learning yourself how to do either the chop block or spin kill dead block. It will give you a little more insight if you can do it yourself. In Korea, I used OX bat sometimes to learn how to play vs that surface and the tactics used by Achumas.

 

[mahomedy13]

Tip for playing the chop(i wont describe how to notice since its been said a few time already)

Open up the bat angle eg if its 45deg to the playing surface then open to 60 deg etc

 

[agold]

Playing vs pips is very useful for learning about different types of spin

 

[mahomedy13]

Playing vs pips is very useful for learning about different types of spin

correct

also by you using a different type of rubber you will learn about it.That was my case with pips.(i think i mastered understanding it)