Playing an open game

Hi Alois,

You recommended that I play an "open game" now that I'm playing with pimples on both sides.

You suggested earlier that I try to get good spin on short serves so the opponent can't attack. Now you are suggesting that I serve long and fast. It is easier for me to do deep serves, but I can now do medium toss serves with loads of top/side-spin and still get double-bouncers, and they win me a lot of points. I have watched Miao do this, and I'm inspired by her game.

A couple of problems when trying to play an open rally:

1) when the opponent serves heavy chop to my forehand, I can't loop it, and after changing to pips it's even harder now. So when I see a lot of chop on the serve, I play a conservative push/chop and try to keep the ball out of harm's way. But by playing the ball back with chop I'm not playing an "open rally" and the opponent gets the first chance to attack. If I go for a topspin return, I am likely to either miss it or send back a poor shot, with little spin, that can be attacked.

2) When players serve back/side-spin to my backhand I also have trouble. In the past, I've tried to wrist-up the ball, but I keep losing points when I do this. Either I put the ball into the net, or off the table, or else it is easily attacked. I just can't judge the spin properly, and can't get into a rally. I think these back/side-spin serves would be much easier to return with a push. But then I wouldn't be in an open rally.

Watching top players I've noticed that when returning serve they often try a slow-loop or else a flick with the pimples. My forehand topspin is dodgy, and I feel I'm just going to throw points away if I try a topspin return of serve. Maybe I could get the robot to serve me backspin balls and practice looping them with pimples?

I've found that it takes a lot of practice to play forehand drives with pimples. I can easily miss many in a row, or else the ball will clip the net. I feel uncoordinated when forehand hitting. I changed to pimples because my forehand topspin generated virtually no spin and couldn't hurt anyone. But it's still more consistent that flat-hitting at the moment.

Have you any suggestions about how I can develop an open game? I imagine I should watch more of players who use pimples, like Miao, to get a better idea?

Cheers,

Andrew.