To be a BH looper, or to be a BH controller, that is the question.

[Nima Abadi]

How old are you? How many years have you played already? Are you still improving (objectively, is your rating growing steadily or has it been stagnant and if yes for how long? How much do you train? Do you have access to someone who can multi-ball you 2-3 times a week?

If you do decide to develop a more aggressive backhand and change your game strategies (open up more with backhand and chiquita especially), be prepared to have a dip in competition for at least a year, because you not only need to learn the shots themselves, you also have to learn how to fit them into your game plan (I take it you are already at an advanced - amateur level, around 2200 USATT).

Do not fall into the trap of thinking that two wing looping is the only way, it is merely the most optimal one, especially at highest professional levels that do not really count anyway. I personally know low level pros (I guess 2600 USATT level?) with glaring technical and tactical weaknesses who make up for it with other parts of the game. Even high level you will find more than a few.

Pushing 40 and been playing on-off since I was 11. Picked up TT again around 8 years ago seriously and ever since I try to do around 10 to 12hrs of drills each week.

I don't have a problem with BH opens ups, at least not with people around my level. It's one of my better weapons but I can't flick our high elite/national level players' serves even if my life depended on it. It's not a total bomba open up but I'm practicing the new explosive BH open ups technique, still nowhere near complete enough to execute it in a match (not stable at all). But my flicks do get the job done and I pretty much flick anything that comes to my BH.

I mean improving my BH is long overdue, but I know well enough that in terms of attacking power, I might never be able to get it to a very top form. To be honest, that's the whole reason why I asked this question cause I know (first hand experience, been beaten by plenty) there are other ways/strategies.

 

[Metaxa]

What’s wrong with a controlling backhand? Can you produce a loop or even a decent, hard and fast topspin shot? Perhaps it’s better to play it parallel rather than diagonally? The above determines whether you can impose your game on your opponent or not, but also means you’ll need to adapt your playing strategy when facing certain players.
Good luck!

 

[Nima Abadi]

What’s wrong with a controlling backhand? Can you produce a loop or even a decent, hard and fast topspin shot? Perhaps it’s better to play it parallel rather than diagonally? The above determines whether you can impose your game on your opponent or not, but also means you’ll need to adapt your playing strategy when facing certain players.
Good luck!

Nothing wrong with a controlling backhand, that's actually what I have right now . Just looking for improvements.

I can loop with my backhand but in match gameplay, I generally play a safe and controlled backhand unless I want to create space for my forehand pivot (which I'm intentionally trying to do less and less to put more pressure on my BH). My strategy is already what you're describing, playing parallel when I can and this works as long as they loop back to my forehand but I'm having trouble with forehand hook loops coming to my backhand. My consistency against those shots are like 20%.

 

[ck1407]

I think you need to look at fh loop and bh loop differently. I am sure you can do fh loops with lots of power and spin. This is possible cause you have kinetic chain and one is usually able to generate more power with fh since u can swing more.

But with bh, the ball is usually stuck in front of you to allow fluid continuity in the bh-bh exchange. So it is tougher to generate the same amount of power as your fh. But with the nature of bh having better access to your wrist (ie. Forearm swing out and your wrist follows through), you can bh loop with a shorter stroke while putting sufficient spin.

The modern bh open ups tend to take the ball early and borrow the speed of long serves. So try to get the spin and speed out in those loops, as the rally extends then try to put in more power progressively

 

[Sherpa]

I am a LH player who has a very good forehand and as a result nearly everyone I play serves, pushes and attacks my backhand. As a result I have developed a really solid reliable backhand that I rarely miss. I can push all day long on my BH if need be and I can block and counter hit, but I pretty much limit my risk tacking to my more dominate forehand. I can loop with the BH but find it a bit risky and I don't get the same result as my FH so I use my backhand to initiate topspin play on return of serve and loose pushes but I try and keep the shot 'low risk'

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

BH looper and controller is so yesterday...

BH initiator is the meta today!

 

[merlin el mago]

There is always something good and something bad about every change. He said he was open to all options so I just tried to remind him of that option. Even developing control backhand is the same issue, in the end, your backhand is ultimately as dangerous as the amount of weapons you train into it.

Yes there always pros & cons, long pips for low-mid level is OK to win, high level is better anti supposing you master both styles. Always no free lunch but you can be a very good player with any kind of blade & rubbers, what really matters are your skills & strategy.

 

[merlin el mago]

I always wonder, what would Sabine do in this case?

Sabine is doing right, high level with frictionless pips banned the only way is using anti and my point of view is that her still have room to improve.

 

[merlin el mago]

Joining the dark side, eh?

I actually tried long pips a few weeks ago, it was a total mindfuck for me. That'd be my last resort, still got some good years left in me.

For me is the bright side!!!

 

[merlin el mago]

More than a BH controller if you are young with good shape it's better to develop a high pressure block like He Zhi Wen do, so you have to dominate parallel & crossed active block & use like a weapon.

 

[jonol]

I think if your forehand is overpowering players at your level and even above, you should aim to be better at the control game on backhand, to keep your best attacks focussed on the forehand.

Even if you improve your backhand attacks, they aren't going to be on the same level as your forehand. Every shot you attack from the backhand is a shot you aren't attacking from the forehand.

It also keeps the structure of your game in tact, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel.

That's my limited POV from what info you gave in this thread.