Browsing: Pimples

Playing with long pimples brings huge advantages, not least that most conventional players struggle against the unique spin imparted by pips-out rubbers.

However, itâ€s not easy to develop the skills to play effectively with long pimples. They require a specific technique and, importantly, they require a blade that allows the pimples to shine.

Pick the wrong blade for your long pimples and you wonâ€t be making the most out of their spin-generating capabilities, as well as making your life difficult with limited control.

These recommendations have come from professional long pimples player Xinyu Cheng whoâ€s also written about his story as a professional player for us here at Racket Insight.

Weâ€ll start with a summary of the 6 blades every long pimples player should consider using, then weâ€ll explain why each one has been chosen.

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Victas Koji Matsushita

• Weight: 87g
• Thickness:5.4mm
• Manufacturers Speed: 61
• Manufacturers Control:96
• Handle Options:Straight (ST), Flared (FL)

Summary: An incredible blade for modern defenders who don’t rely purely on defending.

The Koji Matsushita blade is, in our opinion, the best all-round blade for modern defenders. Especially if you havenâ€t developed a speciality for a specific playstyle yet.

The slightly oversized head shape leans this blade towards a more defensive style, although itâ€s no stranger to creating high spin rates with an aggressive loop. Thatâ€s a key factor for anyone trying to play both offensive and defensive shots.

For chopping, this is a very forgiving blade with a solid ‘bite†(or dwell time) on the ball at contact. The Koji Matsushita gives defenders a high amount of control with both long pimples and inverted rubbers.

Itâ€s not perfect for all long pimples players though, as the balance between attacking and defending means this is a relatively fast blade for a defender. Blocking close to the table can be a little tricky so itâ€s easier to step back away from the table and play a full chopping stroke.

As this is a Japanese-made blade, the craftsmanship is brilliant and you wonâ€t find yourself needing a replacement blade any time soon.

No wonder we recommend it as one of the best table tennis blades you can buy.

Stiga Clipper CR

• Weight:90g
• Thickness: 6.4mm
• Manufacturers Speed:11.2
• Manufacturers Control:6.4
• Handle Options:Straight (ST), Concave, Penhold

Summary:The Stiga Clipper CR blade is a top choice among all-wooden blades for aggressive long-pips players due to its great control and effectiveness in handling balls with different spin and speed

I’ve (Xinyu) been using this blade for most of my professional table tennis career, even since high school. The Stiga ‘CLCRâ€, a top choice among all-wooden blades, is well-known for its great control. Itâ€s incredibly predictable and you feel like you canâ€t miss the table.

The Stiga Clipper CR blade is engineered in a way that it can handle balls with different spin and speed effectively, which is particularly important when paired with long pips rubber.

For aggressive long-pips players, it’s important to seize opportunities close to the table. This blade, when paired with some offensive long-pips rubbers like Saviga, Yinhe Super Kim, or Tibhar Grass, is a great choice. Attacking with long-pips can make the ball float and sink rapidly, making it hard for the opponent to return effectively.

However, I personally think the Stiga Clipper CR is not ideal for chopping near the table. Itâ€s more effective with shots played away from the table because, after all, it’s not a defensive blade.

The speed is quite fast  and the spin generated isn’t strong enough to cause your opponent problems close to the table when chopping. In contrast, it’s a good choice for blocking because the blade does all the work for you. The excellent control of this all-wood blade effectively absorbs the incoming ball’s spin, helping to reduce force.

If youâ€re used to attacking with long-pips on your forehand, using this blade for forehand loop attacks is a fantastic choice, especially when paired with backhand long-pips.

I’ve seen many long-pips players choose the Stiga Clipper CR in both China and Spain. I was particularly impressed by a former Spanish national champion who showed me his ‘European†version of the CLCR during a match but you wonâ€t need that. The regular Clipper CR is more than good enough.

Dr. Neubauer Barricade

• Weight: 52g
• Thickness: 5.7mm
• Manufacturers Speed:68
• Manufacturers Control:95
• Handle Options:Straight (ST), Flared (FL), Anatomic

Summary: The Dr. Neubauer Barricade DEF blade is a unique and slow defensive blade that requires more power and concentrated force for any stroke or shot, but offers better control and placement, enhanced disruptive effects when paired with long pips rubber, and is very effective for close-to-the-table defense.

Dr. Neubauer Barricade is my favorite blade, despite being criticized by many people for being the “slowest blade in the worldâ€. That just means it requires a bit more power and concentrated force for any stroke or shot.

My teammates often make fun of this blade because it produces a dull, heavy sound when hitting the ball, giving the impression that it’s made from champagne bottle corks or rigid cardboard. This is a truly unique blade.

Most importantly, the ball stays on the racket for the maximum amount of time due to this slow speed characteristic, allowing for better control and placement.

The Barricade DEF blade contributes to enhanced disruptive effects when paired with long pips rubber. The blade’s composition and construction, combined with the unique properties of long pips rubber, result in increased reversal and wobbling effects on the ball. These effects make it more challenging for opponents to anticipate and adjust to the spin generated by the long pips rubber, giving you an advantage in manipulating the game’s pace and rhythm.

In training, I’ve found that when I chop from mid to back court, hardly anyone can consistently counter-loop the ball because it becomes extremely spinny. It’s also very effective for close-to-the-table defense since the blade can effectively absorb the impact of incoming shots. The blade does most of the work for you.

Of course, this blade does have certain drawbacks. Being a defensive blade with extremely slow speed, it’s not suitable for offensive play. When it comes to forehand loops, youâ€ll never be able to rely on speed to win points. Instead, I recommend pairing it with a rubber that offers strong spin capabilities to enhance the rotation, making it more challenging for opponents to defend against.

Nexy Joo Sae-Hyuk

• Weight: 90g
• Thickness:6.3mm
• Manufacturers Speed:Not Provided
• Manufacturers Control:Not Provided
• Handle Options:Straight (ST), Flared (FL)

Summary:The Nexy Joo Sae-Hyuk blade is a 7-ply all-wood blade suitable for chopping players who also want to counter-attack on their forehand. Its 7-ply all-wood structure makes the control outstanding.

The Nexy Joo Sae-Hyuk blade is a recent release, primarily due to the discontinuation of the previous Butterfly collaboration. All table tennis players who play chop and use long pips are likely familiar with the name Joo Sae-hyuk, who is recognized as the world’s top chop player.

When I was younger, the Butterfly Joo Sae-Hyuk was considered the best chopper blade. However, after Joo Sae-hyuk retired due to injuries and terminated his contract with Butterfly, this blade became a limited edition. Currently, a second-hand Butterfly Joo Sae-hyuk blade in 90% new condition is selling for approximately $400 in the second-hand market, which I believe is a price that deters most players.

The Nexy version is a blade I started using last year and have also used a few times in the Spanish League. This 7-ply all-wood blade’s main feature is that it’s suitable for chopping players to use for counter-attacks on the forehand. In other words, compared to the classic Butterfly Joo, the Nexy Joo has stronger offensive attributes.

Modern chop players, especially on the mens side of the game, are rarely pure defenders. A purely defensive style is too passive at more advanced levels, so you need a blade that can launch an offensive when the opportunity arises.

When this blade is equipped with long pips, its 7-ply all-wood structure makes its control outstanding, whether you are blocking near the table or chopping from afar. Of course, my recommendation is that this blade is best paired with a chop type long pips rubber, such as the Butterfly Feint used by Joo Sae-hyuk, or the 388d-1 produced by China’s Dawei company, to maximize its strengths.

Sword Strange King IV

• Weight: 89g
• Thickness: 6.5mm
• Manufacturers Speed: Side 1:8 / Side 2:6.5
• Manufacturers Control:Not Provided
• Handle Options: Flared (FL), Penhold

Summary:Featuring one fast side and one slower side, this unique design gives players who use long-pimple rubber alongside an inverted rubber more options to play a wide variety of shots.

The Sword Strange King IV is a table tennis paddle made specifically for use with long-pimple rubbers. Despite having nine layers of pure wood, it’s not as stiff as you might think; it’s actually quite flexible.

In the 16th Veterans Cup Table Tennis Championship held in Stockholm in 2012, Wang Yin, a well-known Chinese long pips player, won the men’s singles championship using his “Strange King” paddle.

After many years of continuous improvements, the latest product in the Strange King series, Strange King IV, has been released.This blade is a bit thicker than the earlier version, Strange King III, and it also includes a layer of carbon fiber for added strength.

What’s unique about this paddle is its design for players who prefer to twiddle the paddle during the match. This blade has one fast side and one slower side thatâ€s more suited to long pimple rubbers.

One side of the paddle is made from Hinoki wood, making it springier, and the other side is made from a softer wood with horizontal grain. This design means that the Hinoki side is better for attacking shots like loops, while the other side is great for defending and absorbing power.

Ultimately, this design gives players who use long-pimple rubber alongside an inverted rubber more options to play a wide variety of shots.

Whilst this is a fascinating, unique blade, the primary downside is that it can be difficult to get your hands on one. There arenâ€t many distributors around the world.

Victas Swat

For Speed

• Weight:86g
• Thickness: 6mm
• Manufacturers Speed:Not Provided
• Manufacturers Control: Not Provided
• Handle Options: Flared (FL), Straight (ST)

Summary:Victas Swat is a well-balanced blade designed for ‘attacking’ defenders with a focus on speed and control. It has a 7-ply pure wood construction that allows you to feel the ball on contact and effectively absorb impact and reduce force when used alongside long pimples.

If youâ€re a defender that like to be aggressive with blocks and loops, we can take inspiration from Ni XiaLian and take advantage of the Victas Swat blade. If youâ€re curious, she pairs it with Curl P1V rubbers.

This blade has a fantastic balance of speed and control, with the primary focus being for attacking players. The bladeâ€s softness ensures that it can effectively absorb impact and reduce force when used alongside long pimples.

Thereâ€s a 7-ply pure wood construction which allows you to feel the ball on contact, although some players may not like the ‘vibration†that flows through into the handle.
We recommend the Victas Swat for players who want to stay close to the table and use their long pimples to gain an attacking advantage. In topspin rallies, youâ€ll find the blade gives an incredible sense of control, allowing you to compete with traditional Aggressors.

How To Choose The Right Blade For Playing With Long Pimples.

For players who use long pimples, choosing a suitable blade is very important. You donâ€t want to pick the most expensive or most popular blade, but choose a blade that suits your own playing style.

You must understand your playing style before looking for blades that have the right material and weight properties.

Playing Style

Playing style is the first and most impactful factor that needs to be considered when choosing a new blade.

For long pimple players who are primarily defensive and avoid playing attacking shots where possible, I recommend choosing blades with slower speed and better control, such as the Dr. Neubauer Barricade DEF.

For long pimple players who seek opportunities to take the initiative to attack a weak shot by the opponent, itâ€s worth considering some faster blades. In fact, most all-round blades would be suitable.

On the other hand, if your style is to mostly block at the middle and near tables (a Brick Wall playing style), you can also choose most all-round blades on the market.

Then you have players like me who rely on strong chops to win points. We need to specifically choose a chopping blade with a larger head and softer woods. Paired with long pimples, the mid and far table balls will become very spinny, posing a greater threat.

Material

For most long pimple players, pure wood blades are undoubtedly the best choice. In my professional career, 95% of the blades Iâ€ve used have been pure wood. The reason is because pure wood blades provide the highest level of control through a high dwell time, which allows for a great handle on ball speed and spin.

Blades with added carbon fiber are characterized by their fast speed, but this can often create a very reactive contact which reduces control. Carbon is great for offensive play due to the added speed, but for defense (especially with long pimples) the contact time between the ball and the racket is too short.

Stick to all-wood blades.

Weight

Lastly, itâ€s important to consider the weight of your blade.

Typically, pure wood blades are not overly heavy. I would recommend opting for a lighter blade whenever possible. A lighter blade is easier to move around, providing quicker response time to incoming shots.

Having a light blade is especially important for players using long pimples who rely heavily on defensive strategies, and who often need to switch quickly between different types of strokes and angles.

Xinyu started playing table tennis when he was 8 years old in China and he’s also the owner of popular table tennis blog ppongsuper . He has trained with the Chinese provincial team and now plays competitively in the Spanish national league. He’s constantly striving to improve his skills and tactical abilities, as well as deepen his understanding of table tennis. He joined the Racket Insight team to share his passion and promote table tennis to more people!

Blade: Nexy Joo Sae Hyuk | Forehand:Butterfly Sriver FX | Backhand: Dawei 388d-1
Playstyle: The Defender

David’s been playing Table Tennis since he was 12, earning his first coaching license in 2012. He’s played in national team & individual competitions, although he prefers the more relaxed nature of a local league match! After earning his umpiring qualification in England, David moved to Australia and started Racket Insight to share information about the sport he loves.

Blade: Stiga WRB Offensive Classic | Forehand: Calibra LT | Backhand: Xiom Musa
Playstyle: The All-Rounder

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Do any of these scenarios feel familiar to you?

• Youâ€re new to using long pips rubbers.
• Youâ€re thinking about swapping your inverted rubber for a long pimple one.
• Youâ€ve been using long pimple rubbers for a while now but want to win more matches.

Well, this page is just for you.

Iâ€m sharing my journey of learning to use long pimple rubbers, going from a total beginner to an advanced player playing top divisions in China and Spain.

I’m hoping my experiences will give you some solid advice and help you feel more confident as you get used to playing with long pips. If you’re looking for equipment, check out my article on the best blades for long pimples.

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The Effects of Long Pimples

If we take a close look at the appearance and structure of long pips rubber, thereâ€s a clear difference to normal inverted rubbers as the pimples face outward. Theyâ€re not covered by a flat sheet of rubber.

The primary factor that sets long pips rubbers apart from other types of rubbers is the way they interact with the ball. The long, flexible, outward-faced pimples bend and flex upon contact with the ball, leading to a range of unique effects:

• Spin Reversal: When the ball hits a long pips rubber, the incoming spin is absorbed and returned with a reversed spin. For example, if the ball comes in with topspin, it will be returned with backspin, and vice versa. This spin reversal is a key element of the long pips playing style and is responsible for the disruptive effect on opponents’ rhythm. Itâ€s the primary feature that long pimple players should take advantage of.
• Reduced Speed: The flexible pimples also absorb some of the ball’s energy upon contact, leading to a reduction in speed. This can make it difficult for opponents to generate continuous powerful attacking shots and can force them to adapt their tactics. In many cases, offensive players may miss the ball when exerting a loop shot as the ball suddenly slows down and drops quickly.
• Variable Spin and Trajectory: The flexibility and varying characteristics of long pimples can create unpredictable spin and ball trajectories. This unpredictability can be both an advantage and a challenge, as it requires players to develop a deep understanding of their rubber’s behavior to control and exploit these effects. I find that some beginners even themselves donâ€t have a clear idea what spin their shots have. As long pimple players, we must develop a more profound understanding of our shots than our opponents.

Learning to Play With Long Pimples

I’d like to share with you my experience of learning different techniques for playing with long pips when I was a child.

I’m sure you’ve read countless tutorial blogs or watched numerous table tennis videos on YouTube about long pips shots. However, if you don’t have a professional long pips coach, you may not have a clear idea of how to learn these techniques systematically.

Let me introduce you to several common techniques and provide guidance on the correct order in which to learn them, gradually building your skills.

Blocking with Long Pimples

Blocking is the first technique that I learned after changing the inverted rubber into long pips. It is the most basic skill that we defensive players have to master as we have to block strong topspin from our opponents.

The technique of blocking with long pips is slightly different from other traditional types of rubbers.

To execute a block with long pips, it’s important to keep your racket angle open and make contact with the ball using a vertical stroke. Focus on maintaining a fluid movement and a consistent racket face to achieve better control over the ball.

Interestingly, I found blocking with long pips to be very easy when I was a child. I could easily block back attacking shots without any difficulty. However, as I grew older, I began to find it gradually more difficult to deal with powerful topspin shots.

This is because, as we age, most players become stronger and are able to generate topspin with greater speed and power. As a result, it’s become quite challenging for long pips users to defend against such opponents.

Here are my top 2 tips based on my experience to help improve your use of long pips in table tennis when blocking:

1) Think about your timing

Timing is crucial when blocking with long pips.

The optimal time to block using this rubber is when the ball first hits the table and players should hit the ball just after the bounce. This technique is similar to executing a chop block with inverted rubber.

The motion should be fast enough in order to avoid being impacted by strong spin. Otherwise, the ball may easily fly off the table.

2) Raise your heels

My favorite piece of advice is to raise your heels slightly and lift the racket a bit higher to hit the ball from top to bottom.

This detail of raising your heels is essential as it helps to cushion and absorb the strong impact and power from the incoming ball. There’s no need to use too much force when contacting the ball yourself or it may easily go out of bounds.

Simply tap the ball lightly from top to bottom, similar to painting a wall.

Pushing with Long Pimples

Pushing is a fundamental skill in table tennis when using long pips rubber, particularly when playing near the table. While similar to pushing with traditional inverted rubbers, there are slight differences to consider.

Firstly, it’s important to note that when pushing with long pips, the backspin generated is typically reduced, often resulting in a dead ball without spin. This is a crucial point to remember, as opponents may make use of it by serving with backspin and preparing for their next attacking shot.

Therefore, it’s essential to learn another type of push.

By opening the racket angle and making it more vertical, you can execute a harder push. Personally, I prefer using this technique to return serves, as it enables a faster ball with a slight topspin.

The spin variation can confuse opponents and lead them to make mistakes. This shot is more aggressive and can even be used for attacking.

Sidespin Attack with Long Pimples

After mastering the two fundamental defensive shots using long pips near the table, some players develop the desire to incorporate attacking shots into their game. However, attacking with long pips rubber can prove to be a challenging task, both for the player attempting the shot and for their opponents.

Playing attacking shots is difficult because the ball tends to float and descend rapidly, adding an element of risk to the shot. Despite this, it is worth attempting due to its potential effectiveness at forcing your opponent out of their rhythm.

The sidespin attack is not a conventional stroke, especially as it does not have a counterpart in the techniques used with inverted rubbers.

To execute this shot, players need to laterally brush the ball with their racket. As the opponent’s shot approaches, the racket should be positioned to the side of the ball, ensuring that the pips make contact with the ball at an angled position.

This particular shot can be especially valuable when the opponent serves a short shot on the forehand side. In such instances, I usually step forward, slightly shift towards the right, and employ a backhand stroke to hit the ball. My contact will brush the sides of the ball with an upward motion.

The ball will then return to the opponent’s forehand side, with a relatively fast speed and low trajectory. Consequently, this puts the opponent in a highly uncomfortable position, leaving them with limited time to react.

In addition, long pimples players have the option to execute a sidespin attack from their backhand side. Performing long and forceful attacks can significantly unsettle your opponent, so it is a shot worth practicing.

Chopping with Long Pimples

Chopping is considered a relatively advanced technique that not all long pips players choose to learn or master.

Many players are unwilling to engage in a game style that requires them to play far away from the table, as it demands significant movement and can be quite exhausting. Additionally, mastering the art of chopping requires a substantial amount of practice time.

In my opinion, if one desires to become a proficient chopper or utilize it as a primary weapon in their games, it is advantageous to begin learning it at a young age.

Unfortunately, this means that many individuals miss the optimal learning period. It is relatively easier to master blocking or pushing shots with long pips rubber, which may only take several weeks or months of practice. However, chopping needs years of dedicated training and application in real game situations. It is indeed a challenging endeavor.

Nevertheless, once mastered, chopping can greatly disrupt and harm opponents. It generates a significant amount of strong backspin, making it exceedingly difficult for opponents to return the ball effectively. Sometimes, even attempting a push can result in the ball failing to clear the net.

The majority of long pips players employ chopping techniques with their backhand. The motion itself is not overly complicated. Simply raise the racket over the shoulder and fully cut through the ball as it approaches. The challenging aspect lies in handling powerful and fast loops from opponents, which requires extensive practice to effectively deal with.

Serving with Long Pips

Serving with long pips is often neglected by many players. In fact, in most local leagues, opponents are likely to have no clue how to effectively return a serve with long pips.

Interestingly, using a mix of serves using long pips and inverted rubbers can bewilder opponents and lead to winning points directly.

It is worth noting that serves with long pips typically result in a dead ball (without any spin), with a slight tendency to float along and drop quickly towards the end of the trajectory. However, if your opponent is an advanced player with ample experience against long pips, these serves may not pose much of a threat to them.

In fact, advanced players will likely launch direct attacking shots in response.

Therefore, my advice is to initially attempt one or two serves in order to tell the skill level of your opponents at the start of the game. Against advanced players, you want to keep your serves short so that the ball would always bounce twice on your opponentâ€s side.

Winning Match Strategies with Long Pimples

Once you have mastered the various fundamental shots with long pips, the next crucial step is to apply them strategically during matches.

Here are three tips that I frequently employ in games, which have proven to be effective and have even helped me secure victories against formidable offensive players.

Start From Serves

One important aspect of utilizing long pips is to focus on serving. This includes both serving the ball and returning the opponent’s serves.

As mentioned previously, players can incorporate a combination of serves using long pips and inverted rubbers, utilizing backspin, topspin, and dead balls.

If the opponent lacks experience, they can easily become confused and make mistakes. In fact, during my early table tennis lessons, my coach emphasized that there is nothing simpler than scoring a point directly from a well-executed serve.

Another crucial aspect is diversifying the ways in which we return serves. Initially, I used to rely solely on pushing the ball with my long pips, even when the ball was directed towards my forehand side.

This approach was convenient as I didn’t have to read the spin, but it had its drawbacks. My opponents became aware of the spin and could fully prepare for their shots in advance. Consequently, upon heeding my coach’s advice, I began returning serves in various ways, including chopping, blocking, pushing, and occasionally using inverted rubber.

This mixed return approach rendered my opponents extremely uncomfortable and created ample opportunities for me to control points during the game.

Twiddling the Paddle

“Twiddling the paddle†refers to the technique of changing the side of the racket used during a rally in table tennis.

Initially, when my coach introduced me to this technique, I was reluctant to use it. I considered it troublesome and time-consuming. However, as I observed many advanced long pips players employing this technique in league matches, I realized its effectiveness.

When trying it myself in match scenarios, I discovered the value of twiddling.

For instance, after executing an exhausting chop from the backcourt and my opponent returns the ball with a backspin push, twiddling the paddle becomes crucial. By switching to the inverted rubber, I can effectively push the ball back with spin and prevent it from becoming a dead ball, making it harder for my opponent to launch a direct attack. I had lost numerous points in this scenario before mastering the twiddling technique.

Furthermore, in situations where the ball is high and falls in my backhand area, and I don’t have sufficient time to move and execute a forehand shot, and smashing with long pips also seems complicated, twiddling the paddle allows me to perform a backhand smash with the inverted rubber.

Twiddling the paddle has provided me with increased versatility and adaptability during matches. But one tip I want to say is that when buying the paddle, try to choose one with a straight handle so that you can switch more smoothly.

Attacking Short Balls

When the ball is received short during a table tennis rally, attacking with long pips can be an effective strategy. A fast, floated return using long pips creates huge difficulties for opponents to return it.

I often employ this tactic during games, capitalizing on the advantage provided by long pips rubber.

One approach I enjoy using is to play a sidespin attack with long pips, imparting a unique spin and trajectory that can catch opponents off guard.

Now, what should we do when the ball is longer? The answer is to continue attacking! If you possess strong looping skills with inverted rubbers, simply lift the ball up. However, if you are a defensive player like myself, I recommend employing chopping techniques or twiddling the paddle to push the ball back with inverted rubber. Remember, a chop isnâ€t only a defensive shot.

This is particularly effective against advanced players, as it minimizes their opportunities for direct attacks.

By adopting these strategies, you can make the most of short balls during a rally, disrupting your opponent’s game plan and gaining an advantage in the match

Xinyu started playing table tennis when he was 8 years old in China and he’s also the owner of popular table tennis blog ppongsuper . He has trained with the Chinese provincial team and now plays competitively in the Spanish national league. He’s constantly striving to improve his skills and tactical abilities, as well as deepen his understanding of table tennis. He joined the Racket Insight team to share his passion and promote table tennis to more people!

Blade: Nexy Joo Sae Hyuk | Forehand:Butterfly Sriver FX | Backhand: Dawei 388d-1
Playstyle: The Defender

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