Again a question about vs pimples
Match Strategy
Ardak . Asked 2 years ago
Hi, coach!
About my improvement vs pimples:
I was thinking that I got used to play vs pimples. But I was wrong. Yesterday I played in a tournament. I played vs 5 pimples users. 3 of them I beat easily. Because they couldn't return my FH topspins, and they got pimples only in the BH sides. 1 of them I almost beat, but I lost the decisive set 9:11, he got pimples on both sides. But the last one was very hard.
My tactic vs pimples:
If I do 2 pushes in a row, one of them will surely bounce very high then he smashes. If I do 2 or more topspins in a row, the incoming backspin increases very much, and I can't lift the ball. So vs pimples I try to do topspin, push, topspin, push, ... . Usually, when pimple users try to smash my pushes the ball went to the net. My tactic didn't work for the hardest pimple user. I do topspin, he returns, then I do push, he smashes. It looks almost impossible to return his flat smashes.
How to beat such players, coach?
Alois Rosario Answered 2 years ago
Hi Ardak,
Sounds like you came up against a good player.
The main thing in this situation is to make the push stroke more effective. Try to make the quality of the push better by keeping it lower or pushing it to a better place on the table. Perhaps more to the side they don't attack as well with.
You can also try rolling the ball with less topspin but more height instead of pushing this ball.
Ultimately, I think the best is to have the ability to topspin more balls in a row against the pimples. This means being able to adjust your stroke to lift the very heavy topspin.
Sounds like a good topic for a tutorial.
Thoughts on this question
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Ardak . Posted 2 years ago
Next thursday possibly I will play him again. I will try all your advices about pushes and I will focus on doing more topspins in a row. Thank you, coach!
D K Posted 2 years ago
Sort of improtant thing Ardak: WHAT pimples does the player use?
Well done push can not be easily smashed. A hard power loop could be possible if he is much higher level than you. Though if he smacked it flat,it seems like he is rather a short pimple user. Long pimple users can attack a push but it is certainly not that effective. Even the concrete model of pimpled rubber can make a difference.
Ardak . Posted 2 years ago
Hi, DK!
My opponents use short pimples on FH, long pimples on BH side. Yes, you are right, well done push can not be easily smashed. I admit that my pushes are not spinny&low, my pushes against pimple users are higher and with less spin than against inverted rubbers.
Ardak . Posted 2 years ago
One more question: I didn't try chop. But will it be more effective than push? Is it worth to learn chopping? Because from pimples the ball comes to me weirdly, it's inertia is not forward, so I can't push it with good spin.
Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 2 years ago
Chopping can work because it will allow you more time. The only thing is it will give your opponent more time as well.
D K Posted 2 years ago
Does the player attack with his long side?
Regarding the chop,it is always good to have wider range of strokes.
Both chopping and pushing against any pips can be tricky.
In order to chop,you have to receive some energy from them. If he is using some shovel push with his pips,the nuance between push and chop will become almost nonexistent (personal experience,I regularly play against pips and I am a chopper).
This is due to the fact that shovel push creates little to no power,no momentum,you have to be in the same distance for both the chop and push.
Though,you can add the chop into the mix of strokes. It seems to me that you play in very predictable manner and I would react similarly to that player if you started playing this against me,as I am a pimple player too.
Ardak . Posted 2 years ago
Hi, D K !
He attacks by short pimples.
Yes, you said right, I play in very predictable manner. Because in the game against pimples I think only about returning the balls, I am under pressure. Because trajectory of the ball from pimples is very unusual to me and unpredictable in terms of spin. In the game I think only about not doing two topspins in a row, and two pushes in a row. I didn't think about effective pushes and placement, these are things which I will try, focus next time. Thank you!
D K Posted 2 years ago
You see,I even forgot about placement. That is also important. Could you be more specific about his style?
Regarding the strokes,only returning against pips does not good. You need to enforce the errors,because such player will not do mistakes on his own too much.
When I play against pips,I rather use the rule "pimples are not read,pimples are decided about". Especially in case of longpips.
That means this difference:
A player who "reads" longpips firstly performs a topspin,the longpimpler returns and the player starts thinking what spin is in there and flashbacks to what stroke he has used,which slows him down and also causes pressure. He gets backspin and plays it half frozen half surprised...like "I have played a stroke and now I have barely an idea what is coming back"
A player who "decides" longpips is already thinking about the after-effect when he is preparing for that topspin,and plays the topspin with the intention to get back backspin,and acts appropriately afterwards. Such players are more prone to performing the second topspin.
Regarding second topspin,it is not that hard to play it. The most difficult thing is that longpimplers use placement.
You have to only account for the fact that the second one will be off-backspin. Remember that longpimplers,mainly close-table ones, usually return only as strong spin as they get. If you are afraid of backspin,dont create too much of your own. You will get lighter backspin and you can perform two topspin in a row-which is a key ability against any material.
Despite that I am a chopper,I use offensive strategies against pimplers,but also a reversed ones including chopping.
I assume you are attacker,so you should rather use offensive ones. After all,Alois says it himself: more topspins in a row.
The loop-push-loop-push strategy is a good thing,BUT it requires you doing it well. That means powerful,consistent loop,and deep low push.
D K Posted 2 years ago
Overally,I have to add that the topspin and push must have significant difference. If you do only light slow topspin and shallow push,the long pimple player does not feel any difference
Ardak . Posted 2 years ago
Thank you, D K!
Pimple user didn't participate in the weekly mini tournament yesterday. Hope next week I will play him.
Ardak . Posted 2 years ago
Hi, everyone!
Yesterday I played mentioned pimple user. I lost 1:2 (we play until 2 wins). The score in the last set is 9:11.
In the first set I missed many balls tying to do spinny high topspins. Because the ball stops in the air. Weird trajectory from pimples. So, I stopped trying such topspins. I do straight power topspins better, but I can't recover after such topspins, when I play vs pimples. He returned such topspins very fast and with weird trajectory and placement. First set I loss.
In the second set I was losing 5:9. I started to play with chops. Hi and spinny chops. Surprisingly, he struggled to smash such chops. He was attacking by flat strokes, I was chopping away from the table. Many of his smashes went to the net. I won the second set.
3rd set was very close scores. In the 3rd set he started to mix flat smash and weak short returning. I chopped flat smashes very well, far from the table. But failed to play vs his short returns. Because I am not used to run away from the table and back close to the table.
One more time I understand that I need to improve my topspin and footwork. Thank you!
D K Posted 2 years ago
Ardak,maybe one more thing: you are trying to use loop-push-loop-push strategy.
Maybe you could try to use flat strokes instead of loops. At least sometimes. Then the pimpler will have to cope with not two strokes but three.
And for you,it is only a subtle change. Note that I am not saying BOMB the ball. I am just saying to hit it flat. Of course you can vary the power.
Ardak . Posted 2 years ago
Thank you, D K ! I will try it this thursday.
Ardak . Posted 2 years ago
Hi, everyone!
Yesterday, after long time I played that pimple user again in weekly mini tournament. I won 2:0. Recently I changed to a slower blade. My current blade is very good for flat hits and chops, and has good control. During the game I felt myself very comfortable. But in the previous matches I was feeling so uncomfortable like I was running on the ice. This time I mixed chopping, flat hits/topspins. He was smashing my chops, I blocked his smashes far from the table with high trajectory. As in the previous game, sometimes he returned my chops very short, but this time it was very comfortable to move and continue chopping. Almost all my 3rd ball attacks worked well. Maybe I learned/adapted to his game, maybe I was in a good physical shape, maybe he was in bad physical shape, maybe because of a blade with more control, it was easy win. I was very surprised. But I know I need to work on doing topspins in a row.
D K Posted 2 years ago
Good job Ardak!
Ardak . Posted 2 years ago
Thank you!