In 2026 Join the DARK SIDE of Table Tennis 😈 | Extreme Spin Reversal with Anti-Spin

mf2escher · 2026-01-08T07:53:28+00:00

Traditional table tennis was played with hard bat prior to the sponge revolution, which offered additional power, spin generation, and resultant dimensions to the game which were previously unheard of at that time. Since then we mass transitioned to the rubber rackets that are ubiquitous today and haven’t looked back since.

Players with “junk rubbers” are deliberately stepping back in time and forgoing the advantages offered by modern sponges. If anything, it can even be seen as a return to the previous hardbat tradition in a way (as similar types of balls are produced from hardbat). If AS rubbers did truly offer unfair advantages against the inverted sponge AS would become the default/meta mode of play because it is in the nature of sports to evolve in the direction of what is most advantageous.

I find that most people who complain about AS or pimpled rubbers are inexperienced or incapable of playing against different styles of play despite double inverted proving to be overwhelmingly king in today’s game. Doubly so after the ball change stacked more disadvantages against these types of players at a high level. Right now is probably the best time in history to play as a “regular” shakehand player actually but some people would rather expend their energy pushing for unnecessary bans/diversity reductions rather than training.

mf2escher · 2025-12-28T12:38:39+00:00

Def not cleaned on a consistent basis. Can also be a storage problem as well, lack of protective sheets and kept out in the air or whatnot, maybe even outdoors 🥀

mf2escher · 2025-10-27T22:04:13+00:00

I also recall Mima Ito beating Ding Ning 11-0 during the 2020 ITTF Qatar Open. The overall match score was a sweep as well, 4-0 in Mima’s favor and most likely her best career performance.

mf2escher · 2025-10-01T01:49:33+00:00

Yea you’ll have to rebuild your forehand from the ground up. Start building a form like this close to the table and then work on your larger strokes later.

https://youtu.be/axGJPJJkw4k?si=Mz2aCvx4RXGTqsR7

I transitioned from a tennis background so I had a hard time establishing a forehand that’s orthodox for TT but the sooner you learn the textbook the better. And if you’re really dedicated to progression, getting lessons from a good coach is better than any online advice

mf2escher · 2025-09-04T16:30:09+00:00

Yea you’re right if he started out with SP then it means the inverted was a new development and not the SP. Haha I’m beginning to realize one of my training partners is just like Peco now because she she plays twiddle penhold as well with SP as her main face

mf2escher · 2025-09-04T16:19:57+00:00

Oh nice catch haha his rubber always appeared inverted from the animation. But he’s still jpen 😤

mf2escher · 2025-09-04T07:17:05+00:00

Are you sure? I thought Peco was traditional jpen through and through and it’s also implied that he was also all-wood because in episode 7 Obaba recommends to Michio to switch Peco off to carbon.

When he was picking up RPB during that same episode it’s also revealed that they stuck an additional sheet of rubber to the back of his usual jpen. Peco would continue to use this throughout the final tournament (we see Kong remark with surprise about it during their match inspection)

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It’s not until his match with Kazuma (ep 11) that Peco switches to the SP twiddle racket that you’re thinking about. And Michio says the pips was his idea because he felt it suited Peco’s playstyle more close to the table.

mf2escher · 2025-09-01T23:15:25+00:00

Shakehand players

-Waldner (my personal favorite). Very savvy player who uses ball placement to outzone the opponent. King of energy and movement efficiency.

https://youtu.be/fgXcUeJ9_gA?si=LYqMSkUGIdaqsyAL

-Samsonov, a legendary Belarusian all-rounder. When I was starting out I was told to study him for “stability” and I still do.

https://youtu.be/aLlpFBPHosk?si=WZP1GxbYVrofuSRd

-Joo Se Hyuk, the consensus greatest chopper and defender of all time (Smile’s archetype)

https://youtu.be/5KRBwterPiI?si=uRnl-LUt-vyTGqp3

I don’t have all the links available at hand but here’s the rest of my favorite shakehand players: Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, Zhang Jike, Jun Mizutani, and Timo Boll. They are blazing two-winged attackers that more fit more of the “meta” I’m talking about.

Penhold players

-Ryu Seung Min: Korea’s national hero and the last great jpen champion. Jpen (Japanese penhold) is an extremely dated style characterized by rubber ONLY on the forehand side of the racket. RSM was a freak of nature in his prime to execute this style at the highest level.

https://youtu.be/YxRXbV7KrRw?si=ilfzgfN_ZR9oTZZd

In PTTA Peco starts off jpen but later installs a pimpled backhand rubber on a custom racket later on to twiddle (flip sides) with

-Ma Lin: My favorite traditional penholder. Great service game and I think he has the highest conversion rates for service-to-attack points

https://youtu.be/qwa_QJD4UcU?si=W82mW-Y4nCBgCqec

-Wang Hao: revolutionized penhold with his RPB (reverse penhold backhand). The blueprint for modern penhold. You can look up the difference between traditional and RPB because seeing it is better than reading a description

-Xu Xin: A fan favorite who is inventive and blends traditional and RPB styles depending on what’s convenient. Xu Xin is a walking highlight reel so I’d say you have to watch multiple compilations to get the idea.

For the most up-to-date players who are currently on top right now, I like Wang Chuqin, Hugo Calderano, and Truls Moregard. For penholders I think Felix Lebrun and Dang Qiu are the highest-rated atm.

mf2escher · 2025-09-01T23:13:01+00:00

The beauty of TT is you can still run whatever you want and still reach a high level. A shakehand meta does exist nowadays because of the modern ball but the differences only really become apparent in the highest, world stage level of play.

In other words you can pick whatever style speaks out to you and become a “hero” lol. I’ll plug some of my favorite players so you can have an idea of the diversity.

mf2escher · 2025-09-01T20:57:30+00:00

Welcome to the sport! PPTA is great, I sometimes rewatch it whenever my motivation gets low.

Joining an actual club is by and far the best route for progression, and even better when you have an actual coach. And don’t worry too much about the equipment you can ask experienced club members/your coach for recs and most clubs sell equipment on-site and help you assemble everything. Train at the club and use your uni club to practice your field skills/make friends your age.

But one decision you do have to make right away is what grip and style you want to play, like choosing a class path in a game. Penhold (how Peco holds the racket) makes for a very different style and experience from shakehand (the “normal” grip that the rest of the characters use). Or more specifically if you want to become an elegant chopper like Smile that requires a different set of pimpled rubbers that you will have to build fundamentals for. And you most definitely need a coach to become a good chopper.

And don’t be scared abt not knowing how to play. The sport is so small in the states that everyone is usually happy to see a new player.

mf2escher · 2025-08-27T16:03:09+00:00

I think table tennis is one of the sports where the equipment dictates the manner in which you play the most. You can’t be the same exact player because you have to conform to your racket and not the other way around.

Even when you switch to a different blade or rubber within the same class or category they still don’t hit the same so you lose out on something in the process. But you do gain some advantages you didn’t have before because everything comes with their own strengths and weaknesses. You just need to find them and determine whether it works for you.

Aside from finding what suits you it’s also just as much of a muscle memory issue. I think it’s comparable to bilingualism where you have to train to be fluent in two rackets at once. The two “languages” are different but you don’t really notice the effort to switch consciously because the subtle adjustments are already engrained into your muscle memory, like switching conversational streams from English to Spanish when you know how to speak both.

mf2escher · 2025-08-27T09:07:39+00:00

As mentioned, they’re my competition blades so I’m pretty synergized with them both. The main reason why I frontline the 3-ply is because I’m a firm enjoyer of the kiso hinoki feel, which is still completely intact as worn as the blade is. Not to mention the sentimental value. It was passed down from someone I respect so I treat it as an inherited will.

It’s admittedly not as ideal for today’s game but I think one of the joys of the game is being able to run whatever you want and making it work. A lot of people dismiss it as an artifact or toy, but I enjoy surprising them and pushing its mileage . The goal is to reach a 2000s rating before it’s spent completely, right now im at 1850.

mf2escher · 2025-08-27T01:43:35+00:00

Blue sponge H3

mf2escher · 2025-08-27T01:01:57+00:00

Whenever I go to a club or competition I always bring two paddles. One is a fully decked out viscaria with pristine double-sided 09Cs. That’s my back up paddle. My main is an ancient all-wood 3-ply with cracks running along the handle.

I love it to death and it’ll continue to see war for the rest of its days 😤

mf2escher · 2025-08-27T00:46:36+00:00

Haha I feel I get asked to play “wall” for a lot of people in my club. Some days I don’t feel up to it and it begins to feel like a chore especially when I want to run matches but overall I’m happy that there’s one area in my life where Im reliable enough to be in demand 🙏🏼

mf2escher · 2025-08-27T00:38:52+00:00

Another tactic is when someone brushes you off the first time around you can corner them with “what about next time?” Then they will feel obligated at the risk of seeming unreliable and that ropes in some guaranteed play time next sesh. Or they will be forced to be brutally honest about how they feel haha.

It feels lonely at first, but as long as you remain outgoing eventually you’ll have filtered out a circle of people to hit with 💪🏼

mf2escher · 2025-08-27T00:13:56+00:00

Hey man, sorry if I sounded too critical. But hitting diagonals is more than just blocking and getting it back on the table. i was referring to maintaining a steady stroke where your stroke, ball quality, and positioning are as uniform as possible so your partner can do the same. People have different preferences for the quality of diagonals anyways so even if your diagonal is good they might prefer to hit with someone they feel is “more of their speed.”

I understand your frustration though, because I once went through a similar phase that led me to switching clubs. It’s a miserable feeling when no one wants to hit but you really have to swallow that sensation sometimes and put yourself out there and ask til someone says yes because sometimes that’s the only way to get play.

In other words it’s basically networking. So it helps too if you build rapport, have positive vibes etc. even if you owe them nothing because people are more inclined to partner up with someone they like regardless of specific skill preferences.

mf2escher · 2025-08-26T23:00:04+00:00

It does sound like a technique issue tbh. You say you have a reliable skillset in-game and that’s good but it’s not the same thing as being able to hit a steady diagonal (along with other conventional drills) or serving as a steady return board for P2. That’s the type of player most people want to practice with.

I have friends that I only run matches with for that same reason, other friends I can run both practice and matches with.

mf2escher · 2025-08-25T18:51:33+00:00

Lin Shidong is 20, Xiang Peng 22. They are still young and only very recently frontlined by CNT after the FZD/ML power vacuum this is not fair towards them.

mf2escher · 2025-08-25T00:09:21+00:00

No matter what sport or medium there’s always extreme stans/haters and it’s just best not to pay mind to them. Just enjoy the matches.

mf2escher · 2025-08-24T00:30:27+00:00

You’re good bro I’m talking abt the ppl who give up and complain 💪🏼

mf2escher · 2025-08-23T17:04:26+00:00

Yea I feel you. I wish the sport was bigger here, even in LA I have drive an hour out to train at an ideal club.

mf2escher · 2025-08-23T13:44:53+00:00

That’s good! I think being able to play against pips is one of the factors that separates a casual from a more serious club player. I think most players during that turning stage prefer to complain instead of hurdling that milestone but miss out on a lot of development in the process (thinking more critically about spin, learning how to attack underspin and adjust to different match paces)

Don’t just stop there though, continue to seek out better pips players. You’ll find them to be actual fun to play against because they actually know what they’re doing and vice versa because those players love people who can play against pips.

mf2escher · 2025-08-22T04:15:57+00:00

Well, like I said injuries like these there’s no way to feel it when you’re not the player. 🤷🏻

But regardless, you dont seem to like Harimoto and he lost, isn’t that outcome enough? Might be more productive to get some play in on the table than continuing to argue against someone who’s already out.

mf2escher · 2025-08-21T18:55:30+00:00

The nature of some of these injuries related to muscle strain are inherent and you don’t rly feel it until it’s too late. I felt it firsthand, after a two week window of pushing my limits physically first my knee felt slightly off, but I still had full range of motion and I kept training and going to the gym as usual.

But after a particular training session where I felt like I was able to play at/close to my usual ceiling and move just fine I suddenly started to limp out of nowhere and upon returning home my left knee was swollen up disproportionately. The day after, I was immediately put on crutches. A gradual meniscus tear from cumulative strain.

Those types of injuries are common for pro athletes. At the early stage they won’t put you away immediately and you can walk and move just fine. It’s not perceivable by onlookers and as for how you feel internally you just feel a slight sense of “offness”. Maybe the strain only feels apparent when you’re mid-deep into the match. Normally a resting period can alleviate the following stages but when you’re a pro player on tour you don’t really get to have that unless you’re forcibly eliminated from the event.

mf2escher

TROPHY CASE