We have now a participant in our league referred to as Dan Fielding. He’s a robust attacking participant, who I’ve by no means managed to beat. I’ve taken the odd sport from him, however the end result over time is often a 3-0 defeat.
Final week I misplaced once more, however I misplaced in a brand new manner! To my shock, he turned up with a bat which had lengthy pimples on one aspect. What the heck was occurring? Dan beats me, and most gamers in our league, along with his sturdy forehand and backhand topspins, so why the change?
Earlier than we began the match, Dan advised me he was becoming bored with attacking and wished to attempt a unique fashion. That was it. No hidden agendas. No making an attempt to cowl up a weak backhand. Only a change. One thing totally different. Honest sufficient.
Within the first sport, I used to be just a little hesitant, making an attempt to work out his new enjoying fashion. If you end up so used to somebody attacking you, it’s just a little disconcerting once they begin pushing and chopping! I misplaced the primary sport 11-6. Within the subsequent two video games, I performed higher, however nonetheless misplaced 11-9 and 12-10. But it surely was a enjoyable match and Dan gave the impression to be having fun with the problem of making an attempt to win matches otherwise.
Experimenting with brief pimples
There may be one other participant I coach, who just lately experimented with utilizing brief pimples on her forehand. She has a robust forehand assault, however often hits the ball flat quite than utilizing topspin. The result’s that her assaults will go off the top of the desk utilizing her standard inverted rubber.
The concept of utilizing brief pimples was that it will swimsuit her flat hitting approach. At first she was unsure, however after a few weeks she began to play very well and her forehand assaults had been touchdown on the desk extra usually and had been arduous to return. Her sport had improved.
However utilizing brief pimples wasn’t making her comfortable. Although she was enjoying higher, she wasn’t getting satisfaction from utilizing the brief pimples. Regardless of her flat hitting fashion, she actually needs to develop her topspin sport and she or he noticed the brief pimples as a barrier to this. So she went again to utilizing inverted rubbers.
When do you have to change to pimples?
What can we be taught from these two brief anecdotes? I believe experimenting with a unique kind of rubber, whether or not lengthy pimples, brief pimples or anti-spin, is a extremely good factor to do. It might not be one thing you persist with, however you by no means know whether or not a change of kit will swimsuit you except you give it a attempt.
There’s a feeling amongst some within the desk tennis group that switching to a pimples rubber is by some means dishonest. I don’t consider that is the case in any respect. Taking part in successfully with a pimples rubber takes loads of talent, provides selection to the game and provides opponents a unique kind of problem to beat.
For some gamers, utilizing a brief or lengthy pimples rubber could also be a greater match for his or her enjoying fashion. For instance, for those who predominately push and chop the ball along with your backhand, it makes loads of sense to make use of lengthy pimples. You’ll discover it simpler to return extra balls.
Or for those who wish to assault utilizing flat hits, quite than topspin, then utilizing brief pimples may make your sport extra constant and efficient.
Some gamers change to pimples once they grow old, to attempt to maintain them aggressive with youthful gamers. This actually is one thing to think about in case you are an older participant and also you suppose you’re declining in efficiency. However there isn’t a assure it’ll remodel your sport. You continue to need to work arduous at mastering using brief or lengthy pimples. But it surely’s price experimenting with.
Finally it comes all the way down to your individual private satisfaction. If utilizing pimples makes you get pleasure from enjoying desk tennis extra and provides you a brand new starvation to enhance, then it is a great point. It’s best to ignore any grumbles from different gamers who discover it arduous to play you. It’s their problem to work this out. Utilizing lengthy pimples and brief pimples is solely reliable and requires nice talent to make use of them properly.
What about me? I generally use brief pimples and lengthy pimples in my teaching classes, if a participant needs to practise in opposition to a majority of these rubbers. And I discover it very satisfying to make use of one thing totally different. Would I ever decide to utilizing pimples on a regular basis? Possibly. I haven’t dominated it out. For the second, I get loads of satisfaction from creating my topspin strokes. But when I get to the stage the place I need a new problem or if I really feel a change in gear might give my sport a lift, then I might fortunately change to pimples.
How about you? Have you ever switched to utilizing pimples? Why did you do it? Has it helped you enhance? Or for those who use inverted rubbers, is there something which might tempt you to change to pimples? Let me know within the feedback part under…
