Chop Skill

General

Eggy Unknown
Eggy Unknown Asked 14 years ago

What are the advantages and disadvantages of chop skill in table tennis game?

Jeff Plumb
Jeff Plumb Answered 14 years ago

Hi Eggy,

The chop stroke in Table Tennis is a defensive stroke. The main purpose of this stroke is to make it difficult for your opponent to play an attacking stroke.

When you play a chop, you impart backspin on the ball. It is this backspin that makes it hard for your opponent.

The advantages of the stroke are that (when practiced a lot) it can be a very consistent stroke. The disadvantage is that you rely on our your opponent to make a mistake to win the point.

 

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Thoughts on this question

Sam Quek

Sam Quek Posted 14 years ago

Hi, Pingskills!

So I was wondering what makes a good, very defensive chopper? Is chopping the ball alot of times the main skills? Or what is it?

Hope to haer from you soon

Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 14 years ago

There are two types of choppers.  Defensive choppers that just get the ball back and attacking choppers like Joo See Hyuk who attack when they have an opportunity.

The best choppers now tend to take advantage of loose balls and attack them.  Both types are legitimate and you can reach a high level doing either.

Ji-Soo Woo

Ji-Soo Woo Posted 14 years ago

Of course you don't have to be a defender to exploit the power of a chop.  Another advantage of a chop is that it slows down the rally.  This can be useful even for an aggressive player if the opponent has you on the run and a traditional drive or loop would mean an easy kill to an open court.  By chopping, it gives you a chance to get back into position.  Also, especially for lower levels, many opponents have a hard time if you vary spin and pace.  An unexpected chop in the middle of a driving rally can really mess up people's timing and people often over-compensate for the backspin and pop up the ball.

Sam Quek

Sam Quek Posted 14 years ago

Oh! I see! Thanks for both your advices!
Sam Quek

Sam Quek Posted 14 years ago

I now see the differences. But I my friend says that a chop is very hard to execute. In addition, the chopper must have very high concentration and reaction. He also says sometimes a backspun ball will fly out of the table. May I know is this true?

Hope to hear from you.

Ji-Soo Woo

Ji-Soo Woo Posted 14 years ago

Like any stroke, you need a lot of practice to consistently and competently use the chop.  I don't know whether it is harder to chop than to loop, for example, but certainly I see far less people at my club with a good chop than I see people with a good loop.  Part of the reason is the general lack of defensive players.  I think the easiest shot that lower level players play is the push, which is kind of like a mini chop, but a full blooded chop (like you see Joo do) is a very demanding stroke.  There are probably about 5 people in my club of 300 that use a real chop in their repertoire.  It helps to use LP because the slow speed of the rubber improves control, but there is no reason why one can't chop with inverted as well.  Because the chop is executed with an open face of the rubber, it can often result in a ball that pops up and flys long.  If you can develop a consistent chop which has 1) heavy backspin and 2) flies low over the net, you'll be eating club players for breakfast.
usman rauf

usman rauf Posted 14 years ago

yeah i second the motion...wtever Mr. Joo is sayin abt ths shot is 110% corrct cz i most of the tim use ths shot...very successful shot and a master in turnin the tables on opponents side..once i ws loosin a game of 20 in a championship wth 15 to 9...it ws a hard tim bt thn i statd chopin almost 90% of all th shots...thn 4tunatly i won th match aftr a deuce at 20...great memory...
Sam Quek

Sam Quek Posted 14 years ago

Very well, I have been executing the chop for now when I'm practising. I also notice that some below average players feared any type of haevy backspun ball. Wow...
michael franco

michael franco Posted 14 years ago

chop for me is like a hidden skill it is where you you uae this storke as if you want to steal a point from your opponent thus, chopping makes it hard to return even with a loop or topspin.
Sam Quek

Sam Quek Posted 14 years ago

Michael, you're right. One must know how to lift their stroke to lift the backspun ball over the net.
andrew brand

andrew brand Posted 14 years ago

i use quite fast rubbers and mainly attack, but i do occasionally chop, and i find if you do use a fast bat you can still chop well making these adjustments - against a spinny loop you need to let the ball drop more with a fast bat taking it lower, and chop much more vertically straight down towards the floor instead of any forward moving chop. it seems to me when you put forward movement into it with fast equipment that makes the ball go too long and miss the table. with a medium slow bat you can use the advice in pingskills lessons on the chop ie when the incoming ball is slow you can go more forward with your chop, and when incoming ball is fast you just need to go straight down with less forward momentum. 
Luca Balzan

Luca Balzan Posted 14 years ago

Hey there.

 I am a teenage table tennis player, and I am quite offensive. However, I have this friend who is a heavy chopper. He spends nearly all the game hitting heavy chops, and I sometimes find it difficult to topspin or chop back. From instinct, I always try to loop the ball, but many times it goes into the net or out. The main problem is that most of his cuts are short, so it is even more difficult to loop the ball. I try waiting for the right moment, but after 3-4 pushes (I find it impossible to chop the ball back), I end up hitting it into the net.

 Do you have any tips in order to counter his chop shots? Maybe a change in the looping technique?

 

Thank you! 

Leslie Yin

Leslie Yin Posted 14 years ago

If his chops land short, what you can do is a perform a drop shot where you push the ball just after the bounce. I believe it's in the free lessons section. 

Also you should continue to practice looping so that you make it more consistent.

In terms of strategy vary the speed of your loops as some choppers prefer fast balls but may find it more difficult to deal with slow loops. If they are still getting them back, execute a drop to bring them in to the table and continue the loops. 

usman rauf

usman rauf Posted 14 years ago

@LUCA

heavier th spin, widr the angl of your bat shud b...ths is th key point here...nw drop off shot has a wide angl so it will b helpful bt at very heavy sort of chop. hop ths wrks on ur sid well...

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