Topspin against backspin.

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   This, taken from Volume III of Tim Boggan's History of U.S. Table Tennis might be worth a try, if you're a well-coordinated intermediate looper who has trouble against backspin.  This single stroke brought American hardbat to its knees, not to rise again in a somewhat different guise 35 years later at the 1998 U,S, Open.  Here is a brief description of the fh loops employed back in 1963 by the English loopers Stan Jacobson and Derek? Baddeley.
[Loopers wait for the ball to fall until it gets maybe two feet from the floor, then, as the player drops his body-weight onto his back foot while keeping the shoulder of his playing arm well down, up in a flash comes his racket in a knockout uppercut…only, to use an analogy, as if some cosmic force were to swing at the ball-shaped planet Saturn, the intent would be to send it hurtling into space by brushing its rings; meanwhile, the body-lunge transfers the weight to the front foot, and the free arm is used as a counter-weight: whereas earlier it had been raised as the playing arm went down, now it’s quickly brought down while the playing arm is swinging to finish the stroke overhead]” (TTT, May, 1963, 19).

I do not know what inverted rubber Jacobson and Baddeley used; probably D-13, but this prehistoric loop drive was devastating to a chopper's game and those of us who heard about this new development thought to ourselves there goes the neighbood; a terrible beauty? is born.  

This type of loop, in which you barely graze the ball with a vertical racket face, sending it high over the net (maybe a foot or so) so that it lands within about 6 inches to a foot on your opponent's side of the table, can probably be counterlooped down your throat by an advanced player with sound counterlooping technique.  But for an intermediate player willing to practice it, judiciously used it might seriously break up a chopper's game, as its extreme spin makes it both difficult to chop or counterloop.  Who knows?  D-13 compared to today's rubbers is very housebroken, but throw one of these skyscraper loops with Tenergy or Omega or Bluefire or whatever against your friendly neighboorhood chopper and it's Katie bar the door.

Edited by berndt_mann - 04/14/2015 at 4:28pm

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berndt_mann Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Gold Member Joined: 02/02/2015 Location: Tucson, Arizona Status: Offline Points: 1719	Post Options Post Reply Quote berndt_mann Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04/14/2015 at 4:24pm
	This, taken from Volume III of Tim Boggan's History of U.S. Table Tennis might be worth a try, if you're a well-coordinated intermediate looper who has trouble against backspin. This single stroke brought American hardbat to its knees, not to rise again in a somewhat different guise 35 years later at the 1998 U,S, Open. Here is a brief description of the fh loops employed back in 1963 by the English loopers Stan Jacobson and Derek? Baddeley. [Loopers wait for the ball to fall until it gets maybe two feet from the floor, then, as the player drops his body-weight onto his back foot while keeping the shoulder of his playing arm well down, up in a flash comes his racket in a knockout uppercut…only, to use an analogy, as if some cosmic force were to swing at the ball-shaped planet Saturn, the intent would be to send it hurtling into space by brushing its rings; meanwhile, the body-lunge transfers the weight to the front foot, and the free arm is used as a counter-weight: whereas earlier it had been raised as the playing arm went down, now it’s quickly brought down while the playing arm is swinging to finish the stroke overhead]” (TTT, May, 1963, 19). I do not know what inverted rubber Jacobson and Baddeley used; probably D-13, but this prehistoric loop drive was devastating to a chopper's game and those of us who heard about this new development thought to ourselves there goes the neighbood; a terrible beauty? is born. This type of loop, in which you barely graze the ball with a vertical racket face, sending it high over the net (maybe a foot or so) so that it lands within about 6 inches to a foot on your opponent's side of the table, can probably be counterlooped down your throat by an advanced player with sound counterlooping technique. But for an intermediate player willing to practice it, judiciously used it might seriously break up a chopper's game, as its extreme spin makes it both difficult to chop or counterloop. Who knows? D-13 compared to today's rubbers is very housebroken, but throw one of these skyscraper loops with Tenergy or Omega or Bluefire or whatever against your friendly neighboorhood chopper and it's Katie bar the door. Edited by berndt_mann - 04/14/2015 at 4:28pm
	bmann1942 Setup: Mark Bellamy Master Craftsman blade, British Leyland hard rubber

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baribari Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Super Member Joined: 12/06/2014 Location: Japan Status: Offline Points: 112	Post Options Post Reply Quote baribari Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04/14/2015 at 11:58pm
	What does the last part mean? Would it be trouble for the looper or the chopper? Also, Zhang Jike's stroke is starting about a foot off the floor and finishing above his head. The angle he seems to be using is a little bit more open (but still less than 90 degrees) than that of a typical topspin forehand..

berndt_mann Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Gold Member Joined: 02/02/2015 Location: Tucson, Arizona Status: Offline Points: 1719	Post Options Post Reply Quote berndt_mann Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04/15/2015 at 12:45am
	(baribari) What does the last part mean? Would it be trouble for the looper or the chopper? It's actually trouble for both. Trouble for the looper in that the grazing upward motion must be exceedingly fine to produce this type of high throw high bouncing topspin loop, and trouble for the chopper should the looper become consistent in selectively using this type of stroke.
	bmann1942 Setup: Mark Bellamy Master Craftsman blade, British Leyland hard rubber

baribari Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Super Member Joined: 12/06/2014 Location: Japan Status: Offline Points: 112	Post Options Post Reply Quote baribari Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04/15/2015 at 1:25am
	I'm up for anything that gives choppers a hard time... hehehe

beenaamsa Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Beginner Joined: 11/20/2020 Location: us Status: Offline Points: 6	Post Options Post Reply Quote beenaamsa Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 01/06/2021 at 11:48pm
	This can be a difficult stroke to learn. Increasing speed is a matter of trusting the movement of the stroke and getting your arm to move faster through the stroke. At first you will have to forget about trying to get the ball on the table and just think about getting the arm to move faster. Also make sure you are getting a good brushing contact on the ball to get the lift. Also make sure your rubber has some grip to be able to lift the ball.