I need some help in executing slow spinny loops

[Jaspreet]

Dear Members,
I am new to this forum but nevertheless very excited to be a part of so many table tennis players. I would like to know how to execute the slow spinny loop and how to return one. I would also like to know how to practice serve at home. I donot have a table at home ,,What do you suggest,,I play table tennis at a local club here in Kolkata, India.

 

[YosuaYosan]

First thing first, welcome!
Warmest welcome presented to you by our welcome committee here in Table Tennis Daily

About spinny loop, this is from me as a defender because at times my spinny backhand chop is returned as a spinny backspin push to my forehand which sometimes hard to be pushed but is juicy and must be looped, a spinny loop at that.. If you know what I mean
So here goes:
1. Take the ball around table level or slightly higher
2. Take the ball when it is falling
3. BRUUUUSSSSSSSSHHH!! (upwards)

Returning such ball? This vid from PingSkills will certainly help:

Practicing serve without a table is hard.. One thing which you can do is to learn how to brush the ball since I believe it is one of the key to a good serve..
Try imparting backspin to a ball and see how well can you brush the ball..

 

[danel09a]

It is a little diffcult without a table,but first,you can read some books about serve and watch some videos about serve,then go to a club for practice.

 

[Matt Hetherington]

Key thing to remember with slow spinny loops is not to execute the shot SLOWLY. Yes you are hitting the ball slow, but the weight transfer and body movement must still be fast to convert power into topspin. The angle of your swing and your bat must be the same, more open and vertical in this case. Make sure you get your body low and finish your stroke, a lot of players seem to stop on contact or slow down as they come to contacting the ball in order to get the 'soft' loop. This isn't the case, make sure you finish your shot and play clean through the ball.

As for service practice without a table, I'm really not sure how you can do that, I guess just dropping a ball on your bat and practicing the motion to get a better feel for it could help but really at the end of the day without a table there you could be practicing wrong so it's always better to find somewhere with a table.

 

[Der_Echte]

Your slow, spinny loop will usually be done vs an incoming chop, so of course you swing upwards and graze mostly.

To block the slow, spinny loop, you must move to the ball and block it right off the bounce with a half closed bat or more. if you wait for the ball to come even as high as the net, you will have a hard time blocking it and your bat angle needed will be more closed and difficult to time and control. To counter loop it, you have to time it and hit it early, you wait for it to come more then a little past height of bounce, you will have dificulty timing your hit. You have to close your bat and hit near teh top of the ball with a forward swing.

Welcome to da forum dude.

 

[WiWa]

Your slow, spinny loop will usually be done vs an incoming chop, so of course you swing upwards and graze mostly.

To block the slow, spinny loop, you must move to the ball and block it right off the bounce with a half closed bat or more. if you wait for the ball to come even as high as the net, you will have a hard time blocking it and your bat angle needed will be more closed and difficult to time and control. To counter loop it, you have to time it and hit it early, you wait for it to come more then a little past height of bounce, you will have dificulty timing your hit. You have to close your bat and hit near teh top of the ball with a forward swing.

Welcome to da forum dude.

Doesn't make blocking right off the bounce only make it more difficult? I think blocking it with a slightly forward motion on the highest point is easier. Depends on the placement as well of course, but I think blocking right off the bounce makes it more difficult to get the bat angle, because the margin you have is smaller.

If you get a bit of feeling in blocking those shots, you can also start to block them actively. Slow, spinny loops are perfect for 'slapping'

 

[Der_Echte]

WiWa, it is easier to block off the bounce these high spin balls for several reasons.

1) The high spin makes a severe "kick" that is difficult to time the further away from ball.

2) Blocking off the bounce leaves no doubts where the ball is and it is easy to make the solid contact consistantly.
You only need to see where it is going and get there. The ball is slow, so it is likely you get there.

3) Blocking off the bounce gives you more possible angles and better control

4) You put opponent under more time presure blocking early

5) The spin is actually easier to control off the bounce.

6) Blocking off the bounce forces you to move to position. When you do this, you will likely be on balance looking over the ball.
The result is you see the ball better and unconciously better correct your bat angle.

The slow loops that kick high, yes, these are perfect for crushing. Some of these loops will not bounce high and you will lose the point trying to crush them unless your timing and stroke are perfect. Sometimes a good block is just as good as a smash.

 

[Der_Echte]

Picture this and try it out. When you are practicing or hitting around with someone, take a step or two away from table and block the ball. Even if you active block from 1 meter or more back, opponent can continue the attack, even if he looks at his smartphone to make a post here and still has time to hit. Try blocking a few of these from 1 meter, then move in and block off the bounce. You will see a huge difference in opponent's comfort level and consistancy, namely it will be greatly reduced.

 

[azlan]

It's true, taking the ball off the bounce is a whole lot more controllable. Which means, it's easier to keep the ball low. Soft hands with light grip on the paddle is the way to do it. If anyone wants to take the ball at the highest point, it's best to topspin the ball back.

 

[Matt Hetherington]

Slow, spinny loops are perfect for 'slapping'

too right. The best way to avoid that is to make sure you really use your legs and core to drive the ball deep. The closer to the back line you can drive the ball with heavy topspin the better, if it bounces short it's going to get eaten up real quick by someone like me

 

[Der_Echte]

Yes, good points PPP. Placement on a slow loop should be very deep like on or very close to endline, or just clearing net and landing very shallow next to net. Timing those placement to counter-smash such a ball can be tricky and low percentage. (for the elite players, at least it is LOWER percentage)

 

[azlan]

This is what I normally do. I bend my knees, really low, especially my right knee (I'm a righty). Most players would wait for the ball to drop a little below the table, open up their racket and brush the ball.
What I do on the other hand is that I hit the ball at table height, never below the table, with a closed racket. Instead of focussing on speed, I focus on purely spinning the ball as hard as I can. This is what happen. The ball drops just after the net. Because of my close racket action and no speed, the ball bounces very low. The 2nd bounce is at the edge of the table or a little over the edge, making my opponents little choice but to control the return back to me.

Serve to a friend with low, slow heavy backspin, and ask him to just push it back to you. Then you loop back to his FH or BH, and finish the point as if it's a proper match. And start again over and over again.

 

[Der_Echte]

Yes Azlan, that placement alone, even if a bit high is tough to attack, but your low bounce on that shot gives me only three practical options.

1) Attack the shot from out of position and miss.

2) Lean or one step forward and block it back.

3) Find a way to stop giving you these kind of balls that allow you to open like that.

 

[azlan]

The best distance for the execution of a slow forehand topspin is about 50-100 cm behind the table. The knees are slightly bend with the left leg forward and the right leg towards the right side line of the table. The body weight is on the toes for quicker movement. The right hand is slightly bend and the bat is on the right side and in front of the body almost on the waist height. The left hand is also bend for balancing reasons (pic. a).


pic a


pic b


pic c


pic d


pic e

As the ball comes from the opponent, the right hand starts to move backwards. At the end of the backwards movement the right hand is straight and the bat is 15-20 cm from the right side of the body, down from the knee with its upper point targeting downwards. At the same moment the trunk turns which is a result of the legs' turning and bending. The body weight transferred to the right leg which is in 90o angle at the end of the movement. The left leg is bend in 120o-130o angles targeting slightly on the right. The legs are opened little more than the shoulders width (pic. b,c).

From this position starts the upward and forward hand and legs motion. The bat hits the ball in 70o-80o angle after the ball falling from the highest point of its bounce. During the contact, a little wrist movement is done. At the end of the movement, the bat is in front and up from the head. At the same time, the right leg and the trunk help in order to give more speed on the ball while the body weight transferred to front and left (pic. d,e).


taken from the book "Table Tennis: From A to Z by Dimosthenis E. Messinis Ph.D

Hey D_E, I like your 3rd answer. LOL

 

[Jaspreet]

Thanks Yosua..the video is very helpful..

 

[Jaspreet]

I am really thankful for the reply PingPongPom. Yes, when I try to do a slow loop I am sometimes concentrate so much on my posture that the ball passes by and I am cramming the shot. Although the slow loop is not a stroke often seen in big matches, but this is the major stroke which people in my club play as a third ball attack.

Actually I am going 4 days for practice in my club but there is a lot of rush so I don't get a table free for practicing serve, I don't know how I will manage without decent serves.

 

[Jaspreet]

Thank you Der_Echte for yuor reply and explaination of the loop.. I really appreciate your suggesions..

 

[Jaspreet]

Thank you Azlan for the wonderful demonstration of the slow loop. Thanks for taking pains to upload these images.
I have also read your earlier posts and found them helpful in improving my game,,

 

[Jaspreet]

yes Danel09a I have been seeing table tennis matches and I find that the Pros don't usually do slow topspins,,

 

[Jaspreet]

Great Idea Azlan ..Thanks for the practice tip