Should I move away from LP's?

[StuartMarquis]

I play a modern defensive sort of game at local league level. I currently use andro rasant beat (1.9mm) on my FH and Curl P4 (1.0mm) LP's on the backhand. My BH is usually used for chopping and the occasional attacking shot, but I'm now starting to think that I might actually be able to perform better chops with a standard inverted rubber. My thinking is that the LP has less grip than a normal inverted rubber, so when I chop I'm only really reversing the spin of my opponent and maybe adding a little bit as well. If I was to chop downwards more vigorously with an inverted rubber, surely this would be a more effective way of chopping as the better grip on the ball would speed it up more, making it an even bigger spin reversal. Have I got this all wrong or could I actually produce better chops by MOVING AWAY from an LP that is specifically designed for chopping? The added bonus of the inverted would also be that I could do better backhand loops than I could with a LP.

thanks for your input!

 

[Archosaurus]

I believe as your level gets higher, the spin you have to deal with tremendously increases.


You can theoretically chop better with inverted, but I don't think that's actually viable at a higher level, where chopping correctly into someone's topspin is incredibly hard. Thus you need the assist from the LP.

 

[Ilia Minkin]

I think that LPs give more control, while inverted has larger range of varations. So if you're OK with sacrifcing control for some spin, why not?

 

[StuartMarquis]

Thanks

 

[Archosaurus]

You'd best ask a high level chopper, though. To find out why they use pimples or not.

I'm posting from my impressions.


Also, as a sidenote, you should be able to twiddle, so you can play backhand loops from your backhand if you just twiddle to your forehand rubber. I think if you change from LP's to inverted to be able to chop and loop with no twiddling, you're turning your game into an all-round game, not a chopping game.

 

[StuartMarquis]

I just want to bet better want to get better at table tennis, so I'm happy to change my game if it gives me more variety and options. Twiddling is something I could work on, but would I ever need a LP for a FH shot? So twiddling just seems a bit like I'm just trying to compensate for the LP that doesn't really have an offensive shot.

 

[Archosaurus]

You twiddle as a chopper to be able to chop from a wing, or to attack from a wing as you choose. Compensation is the point, you can't ever have everything.

 

[Ilia Minkin]

Twiddling is something I could work on, but would I ever need a LP for a FH shot?

It is all about the variation, which is the main weapon of a great defender. If your opponent is used for the inverted chop, then you twiddle and chop with LPs, your opponent may misread and make an error. Here is a whole lecture on twiddling:

 

[Der_Echte]

One can play a great game with sponged LPs as a modern defender or classic defender. You give back heavy spin buy returning some of the topspin and adding a little of your own. When there isn't much spin, you will not make a heavy chop, you don't need to. Placement and not giving away where you go are important. There are players at every level from NEWB to Pro doing this, so you can find a way to make it work, many others have.

You could experiment with how you chop on BH wing, a lot of players in the old days did so with a soft sponged thinner sponged rubber.

OOAK forum is a good place to ask, but there are some defenders here too, even if they do not post often. Bogeyhunter would be a fringe rank 150-200 player in England and DTopSpirit would be close to 100 rank England... so you can trust those two are high level enough to believe their perspectives.

 

[ttmonster]

Here are a few other things to consider, I have seen a lot of choppers move away from LP and start using Short Pips, may be because of the plastic ball, but I am not sure. I personally find playing against short pips more difficult because there is more variation possible and lot more control on the offense. Have you thought about giving short pips a shot ? Again , you have to also keep in mind that you will definitely loose the wobbly effect that typically TSP Curl has on the ball . Then again , from moderately higher level , the wobbling loses significance since most players get used to it very quickly.

 

[StuartMarquis]

Yes, short pimples might be an option worth a try. Thanks!

 

[Milan Nemec]

Do you want a powerful forehand topspin???

If yes, long pips are ideal - they are great for defense even on an OFF blade, e.g. Korbel Off which gives you enough power for FH topspinning. But you are limited to pushing and chopping on the backhand, unless you twiddle...

Short pips are harmless in defence - you need to be technically reeeally good.
Inverted are weak at chopping against slow spinny loops and the defensive inverted are too slow for serious topspinning anyway.

You can not have it all, if you can master the long pip push at the table, I would stay with long pips and learn to twiddle...

 

[D_Nizzle]

If you want to continue chopping you'd best stick with long pips.as you're level rises you'll meet players who loop with a lot of spin that is very difficult to control with inverted.inverted rubbers grip the ball,so when chopping your racket must have an equal or higher tangential speed than the backspin on the ball.this requirement of rapid racket speed means it's harder to control your chops.as many others have said,since long pips don't grip on the ball so much, there's less of a requirement for that rapid racket speed.youll notice that a lot of professional defenders don't forehand chop these days.they consider chopping with inverted as a high risk shot.so unless you want to abandon chopping completely and play a more attacking game,I'd stay with long pips.and personally I don't like those middle of the road options,like short and medium pips,but that's just me


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