Playing a Looper
Match Strategy
JOHN MURPHY Asked 12 years ago
How can i play against a player who has a very good fast loop,he is a premier player and i just below him in the next level,i am competitive against him but cant deal with his loop any help please? John
Jeff Plumb Answered 12 years ago
Hi John,
It can be difficult playing someone stronger than you especially when they have a strong attack. You need to try and improve your short game so you give them less opportunities to attack. Start with your serve. Try to find a good short serve that will stop them from attacking and give you the chance to play the first loop.
With your return of serve, you can also try and return the ball short. If you have trouble with this or as a variation, you can place the ball wide and deep to make it harder for them to make a strong first attack.
During the rally try to think about whether they have a stronger forehand or backhand and play to that weaker side more often.
Having said all that, you can't stop them attacking all the time so you also need to try and improve your block. See if you can do this in practice by having a good player loop to you. Watch our lesson on the Backhand Block for some tips. Even if you can start to win a few points against his attack, and then win more when you manage to attack first, you can start to build up more pressure on him.
Let me know if these suggestions help you out. For our premium members we also have the Playing An Attacking Looper video as part of our match strategy course.
Thoughts on this question
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Surapun Wongopasi Posted 11 years ago
Hi Alois and Jeff,
I have a problem blocking a very fast and spiny forehand loop drive/loop kill because I play close to the table and when I try to block it, which is your normal reflex, the ball would go into the net. I reckon the proper stroke would probably be to open the bat more upward and do a quick pull to lessen the fierce impact. But this stroke would be against your instinct. I guess if I can step back a few feet, I can try to play a quick and short-swing topspin stroke just like the top players do on YouTube. But the loop drive comes to you very fast during a topspin vs block rally that I just can't move back fast enough to try other strokes except the block. Would appreciate your suggestions/comments.
Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 11 years ago
Hi Surapan,
I think the best solution is just to change the angle of your racket. As you thought, opening the angle of your bat will change the result and get the ball over the net rather than in it. I don't think you need to pull the bat to lessen the impact. Try to have a more relaxed hand to absorb the speed. You can even think about brushing the ball slightly to get a bit of topspin on the ball. You don't need to make much of a stroke just get the brushing contact but the angle of your bat.
Surapun Wongopasi Posted 11 years ago
Thanks Alois, I will try the stroke you recommended. I just have to find someone who is willing to practise this shot because when I face it in a real game, I tend to forget to open up the bat's angle.