short pimple playing strategy

Table Tennis Strokes and Technique

Last updated 12 years ago

Ted Marin

Ted Marin Asked 12 years ago

Hi guys,

I would like to know how to effectively use short pimples.

Could you post a video answer basically outlining the basic strokes needed when playing with short pimples and maybe 1 or 2 advanced strokes that with practice could be utilized.

I have a Stiga Clippa 1.8 on my backhand and a Mark V GPS 1.8 on my forehand. I have replaced the Lion rubbers from the Pingskills Rook blade.

 I saw the video response to the question of how to play against short pips.

Maybe in the future when you get a question about playing against a particular playing style (attacker, chopper, penhold etc.) or the rubber types, do a followup question on how to use that particular style or rubber effectively.  Since you will most likely have someone playing that particular way visiting your site.

thanks for a wonderful site and clear videos.


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario Answered 12 years ago

Hi Ted,

Thanks for your question and suggestions.

We ar ein the process of planning a series of strategy lessons for different styles.  We will try to incorporate both playing with and against as part of the content.

For now, when you are playing with short pimples you need to stay close to the table as the short pimples become ineffective when you go too far away.

The strokes need to be sharp and fast to take advantage of the pimples.  Hit the ball quite flat to achieve this.

Premium members can vote for this to be added to our Video response questions.  Just go to the top of this page and vote now.  We have just completed videoing the first series of responses to questions that were voted on.


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Ted Marin

Ted Marin Posted 12 years ago

Thanks for the response.

Will these strategy videos be on a DVD or will it be part of the master class section?

2 days ago I played with the short pips for the first time. needless to say it was rather 

difficult to use. no matter what stroke I used the ball kept going into the net more often

than going over it. it also reacted a lot to spin, especially side spin. it would hit the rubber and 

fly off to the side. 

What I did well with it was serves. I like the way it responded. I liked the response from the BH

side/under spin serve. the ball went low and short over the net. my other racket would catapult the ball high and long.

 


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 12 years ago

Hi Ted,
 
We haven't decided which way we will go with the Strategy lessons at this stage. 
 
Playing with short pips has a different effect so it will take time to get used to.  The ball tends to slide off the short pimples a bit so you need to have a crisper contact and hit the ball at the top of the bounce.  This will help with net clearance.  The ball doesn't have as much topspin so you don't get an arc over the net but it is more of a straight line so you need better height to get a straight line onto the table.
 
Rather than reacting to the spin it was probably not reacting as much as you thought and sliding off to the side.  I used short pimples for a year and found this the hardest thing to get used to.  I often blocked the ball off the side of the table to start with.
 
That is good you have adapted to the serve with it.  It sounds like it suits your backhand serve well.
 
Keep working with it. It is just a matter of adjustment and getting used to the different responses off the rubber. 

Ji-Soo Woo

Ji-Soo Woo Posted 12 years ago

I would second Ted's suggestion to do more videos on how to play different rubbers and styles than the usual inverted/looping combination.  There are more and more resources available for the traditional looping style but precious little information on how to use SPs, MPs, LPs and antispin (both in terms of specific techniques and tactics).  Even though I am a double inverted player, I occasionally try out other rubbers and it will be good to know what I am doing!  A DVD on this would be nice (and I'll add this to my must-buy list after the advanced tactics DVD which is coming up next)


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