How to deal with short very heavy topsin

[Der_Echte]

I just said how easy it is to use any or all of those three ways... and it is true... but it is assuming you did all the pre prep work right and actually saw the ball, actually got into position over the ball with leverage...

If you mess up any of that, the shot will be a mission impossible and you are pissing away points to your opponent.

 

[pong99]

 

[Lowday20298]

Chop block is cool and all, but extremely inconsistent, unless you're Koki or practice it 5 hours a day.

Catch the ball early with a closed racket and block it very lightly with a soft hand in order for the rubber to not bite. Use a very small arm movement and don't move the racket much into the block.

Alternatively, for countering heavy and slow top, you close the racket a lot and brush lightly from the top of the ball to counter it so only the topsheet bites and gives you control. The move should start from above table height and from the side of the body, not behind. Similar to how Timo plays his forehand.

In little words, play with the opponent's spin.

 

[blahness]

One example of a highly effective sidespin block to use sidespin to your advantage. If you can do it in both sidespin directions your opponents will hate you. Imo this is also very stable - you can see how much dwell and control you can have over the ball this way. This is the BH hook sidespin counter - you can do it the fade version too but the important thing is robbing the ball of incoming momentum to the sides. Against short topspin this is even deadlier because you can get more extreme angles with short balls.

 

[kingkimchi]

Not sure what you are saying here. Change my rubber to short pimples and just hit the ball down onto the table? I might pass on this advice.

I'll rephrase, mr bh slapper: Bh slap the ball onto the table.

 

[Gozo Aruna]

View attachment IMG_7845.mov
You guys are giving the world the secret to counter my main weapon. Sheesh!

 

[dingyibvs]

View attachment 28138
You guys are giving the world the secret to counter my main weapon. Sheesh!

I wouldn't exactly call that short

 

[M51]

Not sure if this is a joke, or you are being serious 😅

Which part of "alternatively" sounded like a joke?

And chop block IS hard, but so is regular blocking. There are no shortcuts.

 

[Lazer]

View attachment 28138
You guys are giving the world the secret to counter my main weapon. Sheesh!

And it was actually an underspin...

Gozo, your hitting the ball too late, try to hit it earlier...

Cheers
L-zr

 

[NDH]

Which part of "alternatively" sounded like a joke?

And chop block IS hard, but so is regular blocking. There are no shortcuts.

Sure, but there are "levels" of difficulty.

Blocking a ball like this is not *that* difficult if you adopt the "smother" technique (as described multiple times above).

It's consistent, very high percentage and keeps you in the point.

If they can't already do that, suggesting to someone that they should start chop blocking is pretty extreme as it's a very low percentage/high risk shot.

Don't get me wrong, it's a GREAT shot if you can do it, and I'm not suggesting advanced players don't learn how to do it.

But for someone who can't even block normally yet..... It's not a shot they should be learning.

 

[BHSlap]

Thank you! This is slow and spinny, but they are neither short nor low. Thankfully I've no issue with the examples in this video.

I noticed Harimoto has a few issues with this shot as well so it's just a low percentage shot....

 

[BHSlap]

One example of a highly effective sidespin block to use sidespin to your advantage. If you can do it in both sidespin directions your opponents will hate you. Imo this is also very stable - you can see how much dwell and control you can have over the ball this way. This is the BH hook sidespin counter - you can do it the fade version too but the important thing is robbing the ball of incoming momentum to the sides. Against short topspin this is even deadlier because you can get more extreme angles with short balls.

This looks great! Thank you so much. I really like the idea of taking away some of that energy by switching it to a horizontal movement, looks like it really increases the safety/percentage. Also the added difficulty for the opponent means I'm not such a sitting duck from a block.

 

[BHSlap]

Sure, but there are "levels" of difficulty.

Blocking a ball like this is not *that* difficult if you adopt the "smother" technique (as described multiple times above).

It's consistent, very high percentage and keeps you in the point.

If they can't already do that, suggesting to someone that they should start chop blocking is pretty extreme as it's a very low percentage/high risk shot.

Don't get me wrong, it's a GREAT shot if you can do it, and I'm not suggesting advanced players don't learn how to do it.

But for someone who can't even block normally yet..... It's not a shot they should be learning.

Cheers chief, I can block normally just fine. A block on the type of shot I'm talking about is low percentage.

 

[NDH]

Cheers chief, I can block normally just fine. A block on the type of shot I'm talking about is low percentage.

Other than the Timo/Harimoto example, have you got any others?

In that example, Harimoto went to counter the ball, because simply soft blocking against a player like Timo is pretty pointless.

Countering like that is low percentage.

Blocking as described above is still very high percentage play.

The only issue I can see in the Timo example is that it’s played so quickly, that you are unlikely going to be able to get to the bounce of the ball to smother it.

If that’s the case, and you end up playing off the table, you can still play a “block” of sorts, but it’s half block half guided shot - You’ll have more time and control to put the ball long and give your opponent a harder shot back.

But other examples would be really helpful to know exactly what you are talking about.

 

[NDH]

This looks great! Thank you so much. I really like the idea of taking away some of that energy by switching it to a horizontal movement, looks like it really increases the safety/percentage. Also the added difficulty for the opponent means I'm not such a sitting duck from a block.

Did I miss something?

If you try and do that against a short topspin, you’ll send the ball to the moon.

That initial return shot is against backspin. Not topspin.

 

[BHSlap]

Did I miss something?

If you try and do that against a short topspin, you’ll send the ball to the moon.

That initial return shot is against backspin. Not topspin.

I'm not interested in the push, it's the horizontal movement on the topspin block I find interesting.

 

[Zeen]

I would say use a technique where you take the ball early. Block, short stroke topspin with wrist, chop block, or hit all work. None of them is easy though. Practice all to find out what suits you.

Or you try to avoid those situations. Maybe not give your opponent heavy backspin push if they can open up like that. Give empty ball or half long push. Maybe push wide. Or try to attack first.

 

[brokenball]

The ping skills video is good, No matter what stroke you use you need to close the paddle a little more than usual because top spin balls tens to rebound high due to the rotational kinetic energy being converted to translational kinetic energy.