Returning Serve With Short Pimples

Hi,

In a match some time ago, I received spinny serves aimed to my short-pips forehand. I tried to push the ball back, and got the same result each time:  the ball died on the pimples and went into the net. If I'd pushed the ball a bit harder then each return would have gone on.

Interestingly, the opponent mixes up his serves. Some have heavy topspin/sidespin, others are pure backspin, and I couldn't read the spin at the time (although I knew he was varying it).  The pimples, for some reason, behaved the same way regardless of the serve spin, with returns all going into the net.

I played the same opponent again, with inverted rubber and got a different effect. The chopped balls went into the net, the topspin ones straight up and off the table, and the top/side going high and wide, just as you'd expect. Having a weak forehand, I couldn't attack the serves, plus I couldn't read the spin. I kept missing or setting up the returns. I played him more recently and nearly won with inverted rubber. So, I was getting used to the spin on his serves.  

The short pimpled rubber behaved consistently despite the wide variety of serve spins. It seems that against tough spin the short pimples might have an advantage over inverted rubber if used correctly (push a bit heavier in this case). What technique do Chinese hard-hitters with short pimples use to return spinny serves?

So, what's going on with the short pimples? Why did they die when I returned serve with them, and is there any advantage in using them for forehand returns?. Perhaps service return with them is a different ball game to using inverted?

Cheers,

Andrew.