Play against long pimples
Match Strategy
Albert Lo Asked 13 years ago
Hi Coach,
I have the following questions about playing against long pimples:
(1) What spin do we expect for balls served by long pimples if the ball is brushed downwards, upwards or just a flat hit?
(2) If I topspin the ball, what spin will be returned with a chop?
(3) If I push the ball, what spin will be returned with a push or chop?
(4) Under what situations will long pimples return with a floating ball and what are the ways to handle it?
Jeff Plumb Answered 13 years ago
Hi Albert,
As you are a Premium member you can watch our master class on playing against long pimples. I'm sure this will help you out a lot.
You can also see our lesson on the effects or rubbers to see how long pimples works.
In regards to your specific questions here are my thoughts:
(1) What spin do we expect for balls served by long pimples if the ball is brushed downwards, upwards or just a flat hit?
Because the long pimples have very little friction, hardly any spin will be generated with any of these actions. You can basically treat them all as having no spin. If your opponent brushes downwards as they serve, they may be able to produce a very small amount of backspin and if they brush upwards or over the ball as they serve, they may get a small amount of topspin. If they hit it flat it will have no spin at all. Basically I would treat all of these serves as if they had no spin.
(2) If I topspin the ball, what spin will be returned with a chop?
When you topspin the ball and your opponent chops the ball with long pimples, all of your topspin will remain on the ball which in effect comes back to you as backspin. The more topspin you put on the ball, the more backspin you get back.
(3) If I push the ball, what spin will be returned with a push or chop?
When you push the ball and your opponent pushes or chops the ball with long pimples, your backspin will remain on the ball and it will come back with a little bit of topspin. This is because the long pimples don't have enough friction to create their own spin.
(4) Under what situations will long pimples return with a floating ball and what are the ways to handle it?
The long pimples will only return you a no spin shot if you put no spin on the ball. The best way to handle such a shot is to topspin the ball.
So to summarise, long pimples don't have much friction which means they cannot generate much spin by themselves. In effect this means that you as the opponent control what type of spin you get back based on the type of shot you play. If you want a backspin ball to come back to you, you should topspin the ball to the long pimples. If you want a topspin ball to come back to you, you should push or chop the ball to the long pimples. If you want no spin, then you must hit a ball with no spin to the long pimples. Remember that you are in control, this will help you start to dominate against long pimples.
Let me know if these tips help you out!
Thoughts on this question
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Albert Lo Posted 13 years ago
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for your quick response with clear and comprehensive explanations. I always have difficulties in hitting a no-spin ball from long pimples.
If it is a short ball, I try to hit it with backhand or forehand flick and in most cases, the ball goes over the line of my oppenent. If it is a long ball, I try to hit it with topspin and in most cases, I miss the ball.
I think a no-spin ball doesn't bounce forward too far and the speed is rather slow. What technique is required to tackle it?
Albert
Jeff Plumb from PingSkills Posted 13 years ago
Hi Albert,
These balls from long pimples can be tricky. For the short ball, it is often deceiving because if they were using a normal rubber and pushing the ball there would be more backspin and hence we would need to lift the ball more. It sounds like you are subconsciously trying to lift the flick too much. Next time you get a chance to practice against the long pimples, really force yourself to aim much lower. Try imaging the ball has no spin at all. To break things up a little in a practice situation you could even try flicking the ball into the net. This will help you gauge the right angle to have your bat for the flicks.
You are right about the long balls. Because the ball doesn't come off as fast with the long pimples it does take longer to reach you. The key here is to watch the ball as closely as possible, and to get more practice against long pimples.
Once you understand the type of spin that is coming back it will also help you. If you are not sure what type of spin is on the ball it makes it a bit more difficult to watch the ball closely because you think the ball should be acting in one way but it is doing the opposite. For example if you think there is backspin on the ball you expect it to float through the air a bit. If there is really a bit of topspin on it, it will in fact dip and kick forward slightly off the table. This discrepancy between what is actually happening and what you think is happening makes it hard to make an effective stroke. So go over the different spins you'll get back and make sure you understand what is happening with the spin. Remember that you control the spin when playing to the long pimples.
Practice hard!
Albert Lo Posted 13 years ago
Thanks Jeff. I also need your advice on topspinning a no-spin long ball. Which way is more effective, brush over the ball at the highest point fast and hard or brush the ball vertically with fine contact after it drops a bit ?
Albert
Jeff Plumb from PingSkills Posted 13 years ago
Hi Albert,
You can do both. They have different effects. The one where you go over the ball will give you a faster stroke and will be more penetrating. The stroke where you brush up is a slower stroke and can generate more spin effect because it is traveling slower. They can be just as effective as each other.
When you should use each variation really depends on the situation and what your opponent finds most difficult. The slower stroke is going to be a bit more consistent.
I would recommend learning both variations and as you become more confident you can try and play the faster more penetrating stroke more often. You do need to mix up the play and keep your opponent guessing though.