Effect of short pimples
Table Tennis Match Strategy
Last updated 2 years ago
Jasper Low Asked 4 years ago
I played against a short pimple player just now and i have no idea what short pimple does... My friend says that the pimples change the spin randomly.Is it true?
Alois Rosario Answered 4 years ago
Hi Jasper,
It doesn't change the spin randomly but will give you a similar response off a similar ball.
The short pimples will fatten out the spin. So if you topspin to it, then it will come back with a little less topspin. If they push with it then it comes with less backspin.
It is more about getting used to the different response compared to inverted rubber.
Take a look at the tutorial on Help Playing Short Pimpled Rubber that we have in our "Playing Against" Series. I think this will help you as well.
Thoughts on this question
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Jasper Low Posted 4 years ago
And when I watch short pimple player plays,the ball seems to go faster..
D K Posted 4 years ago
It does not seem,it IS faster,but the truth is that short pimplers hit the ball very early off bounce,which is their major advantage,and this causes the speed.
Otherwise,there are fast and slow shortpips just as there are fast and slow inverted rubbers.
Jasper Low Posted 2 years ago
Why does short pips create a backspin kind of feeling when it returns a topspin ball? Is it not topspin anymore?
Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 2 years ago
Hi Jasper,
It might have a little topspin but it feels like backspin because it is much flatter than a normal inverted rubber ball so you are comparing it to that ball.
D K Posted 2 years ago
Also,this slightly depends on the TYPE of shortpips. Shortpips with rather wide and dense pimples are more spinny and create less backspin feeling. They kill the spin,but since their surface is roughly equal to inverted rubber,they are not that good at it.
Shortpips with longer,thin pimples with bigger space between the pips can truly create slight backspin if they hit a topspin ball,as their surface is larger,they have better reversal. Though,as Alois says,the "backspin" is often a psychological factor,that it is in fact very light spin in place where you expect strong topspin.