How should I play against an opponent with long pimples on the backhand and antispin rubber on the forehand? He chops the ball from two paces away from the table. I use Tibhar Grass D-Tecs (OX) long pimples on my backhand and normal rubber on my forehand.
George – Intermediate player
Tom’s response…
This is a tricky style to play against. Your opponent is skilled at returning a lot of balls, slowing the game down and forcing you into making errors. But this opponent will have limitations, which if you can exploit will give you a much better chance of winning.
A good tactic to use is a heavy backspin serve, aimed at his long pimples. Most likely, he will return this serve with a push or a chop. The ball now coming back to you will have no spin or even a little topspin. You can attack this with your normal rubber.
Your attacking stroke can be quite direct, as there is little spin on the ball. Don’t try to lift the ball too much, or it will go off the end of the table. Hit through the ball of the ball (if hitting flat) or contact more towards the top of the ball (if playing with topspin). But you should try to be aggressive.
Since your opponent is good at chopping, it will need to be a good attack to get past him. Aim for either the forehand corner or the backhand corner or straight at him. If you get this tactic right, it can win you many points.
You should also try to move this opponent around. Since he likes to chop away from the table, you could try moving him in and out. Play one shot long and the next shot short. Also move him wide to the backhand and wide to the forehand. If you make this opponent move a lot more, then he will find it harder to keep returning all your shots.
Finally, I recommend a little patience. Since he prefers to defend, you can take your time. You can use your own pimples to keep the ball on the table and when you feel the time is right, then attack strongly with your normal rubber.
I wouldn’t worry too much that he uses a combination of long pimples and anti-spin. It sounds scarier than it actually is. Neither rubber is going to give you much topspin to worry about. So you will mostly be dealing with backspin and float balls. If in doubt about the spin, use your long pimples to guide the ball back on the table and wait to attack a ball where you are certain what the spin will be.
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