How to handle very spiny loops?

[coolchap]

Hello everyone,

I've been playing with a few players recently who seem to loop almost every ball they get. Sometimes they go for slow, spinny loops that dip sharply, and other times they unleash fast, powerful loops or outright smashes. Most of them are using outer carbon blades, which add even more speed and punch to their shots.

My own playstyle is more all-round and focused on placement rather than raw power. I used to loop quite a bit in the past, but it’s been a while, and I haven’t redeveloped that part of my game yet. Against these heavy loopers, I often feel lost—like I’m constantly reacting, unsure how to return the ball effectively or stay in control of the rally.

Do you have any tips on how to counter these types of loops—whether it's through better positioning, blocking technique, or timing? I’d especially appreciate advice that suits a more placement-oriented, all-round style of play.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Dr Evil]

 

[greenbeanmachine]

A lot of beginner-intermediate players get kind of frightened by spinny loops and just stick the racket out passively. You can understand this intuition -- you don't want to add more power to an already powerful shot because any more power might make it go out. This intuition is generally correct for medium levels of spin, but with heavy spin the ball will bite your racket and roll upwards. This leads to the ball returning high, or even off the table.

It's not enough to let the ball hit your racket. You have to add a bit of forward (and even downward) motion to move on top of the ball, in order to make sure that the ball cannot roll upwards from the spin. Ideally, you want the motion to come from your core -- but even if it comes from your arm that is better than nothing. The guy in the video above does a very good job of using his core to create this motion, and then following through with the arm.

 

[coolchap]

I will try this trick and see if it works. The biggest challenge is I am most out of the space because of the fast loops of carbon kick ins but for slower one I can surely try this trick.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

It might be worth learning how to counter-loop. It can be a small (compact) stroke with good spin contact spinning over the top of the ball.

 

[blahness]

I have a bit of a different approach in that I use my fingers mainly to control the topspin and then go around the sides of the ball for better control the trajectory. So basically i am using the thumb + index finger lever arm combination to manipulate the incoming spin.

For me straight blocks are downright uncontrollable (maybe because I also use a fast af setup).

 

[NextLevel]

Hello everyone,

I've been playing with a few players recently who seem to loop almost every ball they get. Sometimes they go for slow, spinny loops that dip sharply, and other times they unleash fast, powerful loops or outright smashes. Most of them are using outer carbon blades, which add even more speed and punch to their shots.

My own playstyle is more all-round and focused on placement rather than raw power. I used to loop quite a bit in the past, but it’s been a while, and I haven’t redeveloped that part of my game yet. Against these heavy loopers, I often feel lost—like I’m constantly reacting, unsure how to return the ball effectively or stay in control of the rally.

Do you have any tips on how to counter these types of loops—whether it's through better positioning, blocking technique, or timing? I’d especially appreciate advice that suits a more placement-oriented, all-round style of play.

Thanks in advance!

Take a full step back, maybe more and then just guide the ball back by touching the side and then the top in one fluid motion. If that gives them too much time and you are still losing points after bringing the ball back, try to do the same thing closer to the table, but keep the racket high so that you are not raising the racket into the ball, you need to be able to push over the top of the ball. IF neither of these work, then you need to go to the more aggressive options listed in the Ping Skills video on this ages ago and updated here:

In practice though, unless you have an attacking monster at or above your level, putting the ball back on the table with a decent block often gives you enough to continue the point.

 

[ThePongCommenter]

Take a full step back, maybe more and then just guide the ball back by touching the side and then the top in one fluid motion. If that gives them too much time and you are still losing points after bringing the ball back, try to do the same thing closer to the table, but keep the racket high so that you are not raising the racket into the ball, you need to be able to push over the top of the ball. IF neither of these work, then you need to go to the more aggressive options listed in the Ping Skills video on this ages ago and updated here:

This and also be sure to follow through the contact, a lot of players tend to think they have to be really gentle with heavy spin and then end up basically just touching the ball which leads to decreased control.

 

[NextLevel]

This and also be sure to follow through the contact, a lot of players tend to think they have to be really gentle with heavy spin and then end up basically just touching the ball which leads to decreased control.

Thanks, when I say guide over the side top, I am really thinking follow through but I forget that language doesn't always work the way I think it does.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

i used to be very bad at blocking those balls, and be afraid everytime it came at me.

As someone mentioned above, i think the key point is to have a downward movement with the racket, and thats actually true not just with loops but also on a drive.

so you should start with the racket high, above your chest and a very close angle and apply a downward-and- forward pressure. these balls are difficult to control so always go for the diagonal.

also like all touch shots, don't play the ball far from you, the arm should not be extended.

 

[Yuomay]

i used to be very bad at blocking those balls, and be afraid everytime it came at me.

As someone mentioned above, i think the key point is to have a downward movement with the racket, and thats actually true not just with loops but also on a drive.

so you should start with the racket high, above your chest and a very close angle and apply a downward-and- forward pressure. these balls are difficult to control so always go for the diagonal.

also like all touch shots, don't play the ball far from you, the arm should not be extended.

2 very good tips right there.

I’d add, try to not be tense

 

[Dr Evil]

All of the above are good options, but I'd recommend first learning to block heavy topspin with early timing. Good posture, high to low body weight transfer and racket trajectory, staying compact without extending your arm too much, etc., provide a solid foundation for more active blocking, later timing, counterloops, even chops.

 

[blahness]

But if they can always get to loop first with good percentages, it is a bad sign for your game. Even if you can block 1 or 2, can you block 4 or 5 consecutive loops to various nasty placements?

 

[Der_Echte]

All of the above are good options, but I'd recommend first learning to block heavy topspin with early timing. Good posture, high to low body weight transfer and racket trajectory, staying compact without extending your arm too much, etc., provide a solid foundation for more active blocking, later timing, counterloops, even chops.

Yes, the first evolution i would also recommend like Dr. Evil seems to is to learn how to see where ball will bounce and get right there over the ball, like only a few cm from the bounce and cover it with light grip.

later, more aggressive things can be learned, but starting there is good.

 

[Der_Echte]

So, @coolchap you wanna counter this incoming slow, heavy topspin ball...

First, you will need to get good at TT skill number 1... reading what opponent did to the ball and knowing where, when, what spin, what amount, what vector and what 3D coordinate ball will land and come into a strike zone... and withing the first 30 cm of opponent's impact, know what you want to do about it and get started on getting to position.

having said that, these slow heavy balls dip soon and you do not have much horizontal space to position yourself to set a good strike zone... SO READING THE IMPACT becomes so important to set the effective distance from table to be able to even give yourself a chance... and often, the optimal position is a LOT closer to the table than you perceive. Even so, you have to learn every individual player and learn what distane to stand back... and the better players will vary between very shallow and deep placement to make this a moving target.

IF, and I say if, like on Mission Impossible, you are able to setup at the right depth for the given ball, then there are there ways to counter that ball.

ONE, allow ball to come to strike zone and do a VERY SHORT stroke, like a 30 to 40 cm stroke with LIGHT grip pressure, I mean LIGHT, this will eat spin and get ball onto table with some topspin, not devastating to opponent, but you will be consistent and land it, that counts a lot. Then you can deal with the next ball.

I advocate this first, so you can learn for yourself how to see the ball to the strike zone... once you get good at that, then you can use longer and more powerful strokes to respond.

TWO, use compact medium stroke and FIRM UP GRIP RIGHT AT IMPACT. This will eat the spin and give you a lot of power, and maybe spin if you got bat speed and blade angle right.

THREE, Impact the ball A LITTLE ON THE SIDE, and use light grip, but later more power and firm up... this avoids spin axis and makes it real easy top put your spin on the ball and it can be troublesome.

Number one thing is to get good at TT skill number one or nothing matters.

 

[Peppa Pig]

A good tip is to slightly break the axis of rotation instead of closing the paddle too much, which often leads to unforced errors. This coach also talks about it:

 

[Lazer]

A good tip is to slightly break the axis of rotation instead of closing the paddle too much, which often leads to unforced errors. This coach also talks about it:

I like this tip, by ”moving to the right”, he is actually ”braking the axis”… I will try to remember this…

Cheers
L-zr

 

[Tyce]

Breaking the axis is one of those "revelations" that I already did instinctively
I love to use my BH to block a ball to the opponent's FH side, which means I do a little bit of a sideswipe to redirect the energy - which breaks the spins direction.

For straight up blocking, I would second the advice to take the ball quickly off the bounce. Hitting the ball around net height is high enough to get it over the net, and quick blocks force the opponent to react quickly.
Quick off the bounce also reduces the margin of error you can get with the trajectory changing after the bounce.