long-pips
lem496 asked 4 years ago
Hey Guys,
I hope all is welll. I’m making this question private because I dont want to bore the other users with my injury (bicep tendon rupture). Ive been doing extensive physical therapy to try and avoid surgery. My coach suggested we try long pips on my backhand for the heck of it, just see what happens. After much experimentation I settled with Gras D Tech on my backhand and thanks to your last review Rakza 7 on my forehand. Well, apparently I’m a natural when it comes to long pips. I took first place in the tournament last week beating several players that were ranked 300 and 400 point above me. My coach, David Zhuang, is a 3 time Olympian and 3x Gold medal Pan American Games and he suggests I stay with the long pips no matter what. His training with long pips is way different than most that he borrows a lot of strokes from short pips and combines them with traditional long pips strokes. Most of the drills are setting up my opponent for a forehand attack by using thier goto LP defense style of topspin, push, topspin, push to “scrub” most of the spin off the ball when they expect backspin. My question is this. Have you had any difficulty handling Long Pip players at your level? Theyre are so few quality LP tutorials online in English Is there any chance you will be coming out with anymore LP tutorials? I didnt think I would enjoy playing with them but boy was I mistaken, they are so much fun. The way they allow me to control the pace of the game is a real confidence booster. I never feel as though I’m out of the game no matter how good my opponent is.
Stay Safe,
Lem
Tom Academy Coach answered 3 years ago
Hi Lem, yes sometimes playing with a different set up and changing rubber can surprise you! We will definitely be trying to add more short and long pimple tutorials on the Academy in the future. The only reason we haven’t so far is as you said there’s not that many players using them.
Myself and Dan very rarely come across players using these rubbers but sometimes when you do they can be tricky for sure, especially if they can use the pimples well in combination with good attacking shots!
But we will 100% be trying to create more long pimples videos when possible and of course we’re always available on here to answer any questions or give you help or feedback you may need in the meantime.
Cheers, Tom 🙂
lem496Here in the states, long pips are starting to turn up more and more at the tournaments. What’s really surprising how many younger players are starting to show up with short and medium pips on their forehand. Some of the older players say every 10 years what was old becomes new again, then all but a few crawl back into the wood work.
