Alex Table Tennis - MyTableTennis.NET Homepage
  Help Desk Help Desk  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Practicing One Way... But Playing Another!
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Practicing One Way... But Playing Another!
 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
obesechopper View Drop Down
Silver Member
Silver Member


Joined: 04/20/2011
Status: Offline
Points: 835 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote obesechopper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Practicing One Way... But Playing Another!
    Posted: 06/17/2022 at 3:11pm
Does this happen to anyone else? Surely, it must!!

I spend the majority of my practice trying to chop incoming loops, drives and smashes. They look good and I can get a nice rhythm going, building up my confidence. 

Yet... come game time, there I go flopping around like a beached whale! Barely chopping any ball at all, and either counter-looping or simply fishing the ball back from the FH side. After reviewing my recent game footage, I was thinking of either ditching the chop rubber altogether and committing to fish/countering, or doubling down to really work on the chopping mindset/footwork during games. 
Back to Top
Sponsored Links


Back to Top
notfound123 View Drop Down
Silver Member
Silver Member
Avatar

Joined: 01/18/2008
Location: MD, USA
Status: Offline
Points: 962 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote notfound123 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/17/2022 at 3:24pm
Originally posted by obesechopper obesechopper wrote:

Does this happen to anyone else? Surely, it must!!

I spend the majority of my practice trying to chop incoming loops, drives and smashes. They look good and I can get a nice rhythm going, building up my confidence. 

Yet... come game time, there I go flopping around like a beached whale! Barely chopping any ball at all, and either counter-looping or simply fishing the ball back from the FH side. After reviewing my recent game footage, I was thinking of either ditching the chop rubber altogether and committing to fish/countering, or doubling down to really work on the chopping mindset/footwork during games. 

This is a common issue for choppers. I posted something a while back on the same very topic asking how to get into chopping rallies. Well, couple of things. Number one,  people under 2000 do not know how to loop chop properly. They instead take unnecessary risks, go for smashes, etc etc. Number two, you need a heavy chopping serve (underspin) to set things up. Watch Ma Te start his points. The serve is very heavy and the opponent can either loop it and you start chopping (hence the rally begins) or they push and you either keep on pushing or kill it with a strong loop.  On the receiving end, you need to receive long and low and the rally will also begin.
BTY Diode ST | V>15 Extra | Curl P4 1.0
Back to Top
Tinykin View Drop Down
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
Avatar

Joined: 10/30/2003
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 2317 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tinykin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/19/2022 at 4:49am
Originally posted by notfound123 notfound123 wrote:

Originally posted by obesechopper obesechopper wrote:

Does this happen to anyone else? Surely, it must!!

I spend the majority of my practice trying to chop incoming loops, drives and smashes. They look good and I can get a nice rhythm going, building up my confidence. 

Yet... come game time, there I go flopping around like a beached whale! Barely chopping any ball at all, and either counter-looping or simply fishing the ball back from the FH side. After reviewing my recent game footage, I was thinking of either ditching the chop rubber altogether and committing to fish/countering, or doubling down to really work on the chopping mindset/footwork during games. 

This is a common issue for choppers. I posted something a while back on the same very topic asking how to get into chopping rallies. Well, couple of things. Number one,  people under 2000 do not know how to loop chop properly. They instead take unnecessary risks, go for smashes, etc etc. Number two, you need a heavy chopping serve (underspin) to set things up. Watch Ma Te start his points. The serve is very heavy and the opponent can either loop it and you start chopping (hence the rally begins) or they push and you either keep on pushing or kill it with a strong loop.  On the receiving end, you need to receive long and low and the rally will also begin.


Maybe the OP's subconcious(buit around loads of matchplay experience) is automatically choosing the most appropriate stroke for the rally situation.
Actual chopping stroke is not difficult. However, under match conditions, getting the ball deep onto the opponents side is not simple. What is simpler is to play as OP wrote in his post.
Consider that maybe the subconcious was more correct and the result more effective overall LOL.


Edited by Tinykin - 06/19/2022 at 4:49am
Tibhar Drinkhall Defensive Classic. FH:Stiga Mantra M max,
BH:Gewo Proton Neo 2mm

Vodak 4APC - FH:YoungShine DianTing, BH: Butterfly Dignics 09c

Delusion is an asset
Back to Top
obesechopper View Drop Down
Silver Member
Silver Member


Joined: 04/20/2011
Status: Offline
Points: 835 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote obesechopper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/19/2022 at 1:48pm
Originally posted by Tinykin Tinykin wrote:

Originally posted by notfound123 notfound123 wrote:

Originally posted by obesechopper obesechopper wrote:

Does this happen to anyone else? Surely, it must!!

I spend the majority of my practice trying to chop incoming loops, drives and smashes. They look good and I can get a nice rhythm going, building up my confidence. 

Yet... come game time, there I go flopping around like a beached whale! Barely chopping any ball at all, and either counter-looping or simply fishing the ball back from the FH side. After reviewing my recent game footage, I was thinking of either ditching the chop rubber altogether and committing to fish/countering, or doubling down to really work on the chopping mindset/footwork during games. 

This is a common issue for choppers. I posted something a while back on the same very topic asking how to get into chopping rallies. Well, couple of things. Number one,  people under 2000 do not know how to loop chop properly. They instead take unnecessary risks, go for smashes, etc etc. Number two, you need a heavy chopping serve (underspin) to set things up. Watch Ma Te start his points. The serve is very heavy and the opponent can either loop it and you start chopping (hence the rally begins) or they push and you either keep on pushing or kill it with a strong loop.  On the receiving end, you need to receive long and low and the rally will also begin.


Maybe the OP's subconcious(buit around loads of matchplay experience) is automatically choosing the most appropriate stroke for the rally situation.
Actual chopping stroke is not difficult. However, under match conditions, getting the ball deep onto the opponents side is not simple. What is simpler is to play as OP wrote in his post.
Consider that maybe the subconcious was more correct and the result more effective overall LOL.

Something happened to me recently during a game. One vs a punk looper. The kids who like to cho and scream after every smash or drive! Anyhow, every time I fished the ball back to him... he was like a robot, just attacking it over and over. The type of ball they see in drilling all the time.

So, I told myself... CHOP EVERY BALL! I started doing that and actually came back to win the match! But it took a big mental shift. Literally every ball, during the point, I'd have to say CHOP IT CHOP IT! 

Even after that game, I thought it might be better just to get a speedier rubber and fish LOL
Back to Top
bozbrisvegas View Drop Down
Premier Member
Premier Member
Avatar

Joined: 09/27/2008
Location: Behind you
Status: Offline
Points: 3655 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bozbrisvegas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/19/2022 at 11:25pm
I got LP on one side so pretty much have no option but to chop topspin like it or not.  Faster balls at me near the table I just block though and hope I can slow it down.  

Where you are saying 'chop it' I'm saying move your bloody feet!  

Smile
TSP Versal
fh: MX-S max
bh: MX-P max
Watch me playing TT
Back to Top
vanjr View Drop Down
Gold Member
Gold Member
Avatar

Joined: 08/19/2004
Location: Corpus Christi
Status: Offline
Points: 1290 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote vanjr Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/22/2022 at 10:11am
Practicing one way and playing another is a common problem. I am not immune.

Other posters have valuable comments-you cannot get into a topspin vs chop rally if your opponent cannot consistently loop your chops-so in those matches you need an alternative strategy to fall back on and not "beat yourself up" for your opponents problem.

Against players who can consistently attack chops you still need a strategy to win points when they refuse to get into the rally you want.

I have the opposite problem. I fall back to chop when I should stay close to mid distance and do more LP active blocking or even hitting. I play one way in club matches and go to my old ways against tournament opponents.Disapprove
Back to Top
blahness View Drop Down
Premier Member
Premier Member
Avatar

Joined: 10/18/2009
Location: Melbourne
Status: Offline
Points: 4904 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote blahness Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/22/2022 at 7:08pm
From the other side of playing LP players, it is usually the fear of a tremendous FH attack that forces me to loop more often against them (thus going into topspin vs chop rallies). If the LP player has a weak FH attack, I feel very much at ease and can control the ball with various softer strokes, move them around until I get an opportunity to loopkill suddenly, this gives me way more points than trying to do control looping against them (they train specifically against that, no point butting against their strengths).

So if your opponent gives you junk looking balls, just attack them hard with a FH loopkill to teach them not to do that anymore LOL

The other thing is quality of backspin and trajectory, if you have tremendous amount of backspin in your pushes/chops and/or low trajectory balls, this limits the options of the attacking player, that's when we're forced to play the safe looping game (or even just push it back).


Edited by blahness - 06/22/2022 at 7:14pm
-------
Viscaria
FH: Dignics 09c
BH: Dignics 05
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.01
Copyright ©2001-2018 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.095 seconds.

Become a Fan on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Web Wiz News
Forum Home | Go to the Forums | Forum Help | Disclaimer

MyTableTennis.NET is the trading name of Alex Table Tennis Ltd.

Copyright ©2003-2020 Alex Table Tennis Ltd. All rights reserved.