How To Play Against Antispin

Ban Junk Rubbers!

Anti-spin and long pimples, yuk! They should be banned! Everyone should have to use normal rubbers!

Sound familiar? I think we all have heard a fellow table tennis player say this at one time or another. I’m not going to get into why I think they should be allowed and even encouraged, that’s a topic for another article. Suffice to say that anti-spin and long pimples don’t look like disappearing soon, and although there may not be many players in the World’s Top 100 Men using anti-spin or long pimples, I’m willing to bet that you, dear reader, are not in such elite company either or else you probably wouldn’t be interested in hearing my views on how to play against these ‘funny’ or ‘junk’ rubbers. I’ll start with anti-spin because it’s a bit simpler to play against than long pimples.

(Note: Due to the length of the article, I’ve split it up into two smaller articles, this one dealing with anti-spin rubber, and another article dealing with long pimpled rubber.)

So take a deep breath, gird up your loins and read on…

What is Anti-spin Rubber?

In general, anti-spin rubber is a smooth sandwich rubber with little or no grip on the surface of the rubber. You can hold a table tennis ball in your fingers and rub (not roll) the ball along the surface, and the ball will simply slide along the surface with very little friction when compared to a ‘normal’ smooth rubber. Different anti-spin rubbers have varying amount of grip, which is why not every anti-spin plays exactly the same, but they will all have much less grip than a normal rubber.

Why do People use Anti-spin Rubber?

Anti-spin is used by players of a variety of styles, but overall there are three main reasons why anti-spin is used.

1. To provide very good control of the ball regardless of what shot your opponent makes.
2. To provide variation in the behavior of the ball in comparison to strokes made with the normal rubber that is typically on the other side of the bat.
3. To allow the user of anti-spin to turn or ‘twiddle’ the bat in his hand and make his opponent incorrectly guess which side of the bat was used, thus forcing a poor return.

How Does Antispin Work in Theory?

There are several factors involved in how a particular anti-spin rubber works. Each anti-spin rubber uses these factors differently, which is why no two anti-spin rubbers play exactly the same way. The factors involved are listed below. Please keep in mind that this is my theory about anti-spin, so I’m not claiming to be the last word on the subject.

(1) Amount of Grip of the Topsheet

All anti-spins have much less grip than normal rubbers, but this does not mean that they all have no grip. There is actually quite a difference in grips between different anti-spin rubber topsheets. The more grip they have, the more the player will be able to change the spin that you have put on the ball.

(2) Softness of the Topsheet

The softer the topsheet, the more the topsheet will ‘wrap’ around the ball when the player attempts to put spin on the ball, and the more spin the anti-spin will generate. Keep in mind that this will not be anywhere near the amount of spin that comes from a normal rubber, but it is still significant. A player with a soft topsheet will be able to produce more spin variation that a player using a stiff topsheet, such as one of the Dr. Neubauer topsheets that is rock hard.

(3) Thickness and Hardness of the Sponge

As in (2) above, the thicker and softer the sponge, the more the rubber will be able to wrap around the ball and generate spin which a brushing motion is used. This will also affect the speed of the return, as noted in (7) below.

(4) Speed of the Rubber

The faster the overall rubber, the less time the ball will stay on the rubber and the less opportunity to spin the ball. I think that there have been studies done that indicate that the speed of the rubber does not affect the dwell time, but this is my gut feel about the effect of rubber speed.

(5) Speed Glue

Speed glue softens the sponge, allowing the rubber to wrap around the ball more and generate more spin as well as speed.

(6) The Type of Stroke Used

A stroke where the rubber makes flat contact with the ball without brushing it will have the least effect on the spin already on the ball. A brushing motion will apply more spin than a flat stroke (but still a lot less than a normal rubber), keeping in mind that if the ball already has a lot of spin on it then the anti-spin rubber will struggle to change the spin in any significant way.

(7) Speed and Bounce of the Return (as pointed out by heavyspin)

The effect of the anti-spin on the spin of the ball is not the only problem that you will face. Compared to a stroke with an ordinary rubber, the amount of speed on the ball will be less with the same stroke made by an anti-spin rubber. A thicker, harder sponge will tend to return the ball faster, but it will still not be anywhere near as fast as a normal rubber. A speed-glued anti-spin rubber might just about get there, though. In addition, the bounce of the ball off the table will also be different, due to the difference in spin and speed applied by the anti-spin rubber.

All of these factors will affect the amount that your opponent can change your spin. Bear in mind that if you spin the ball and your opponent does not change your spin, the ball will keep spinning in the same way but it’s overall motion will be in the other direction, so if you hit a topspin it will come back to you as backspin, and if you hit a backspin it will come back to you as topspin. This is true regardless of what rubber your opponent is using, it is just easier to do with anti-spin. (Think of a chopper chopping a loop, for example. The spin on the ball is always in the same direction, but it is coming to the chopper as topspin, and to the looper as backspin.)

How Does Antispin Work in Practice?

To explain how anti-spin works in reality, it is probably easiest to compare it to how normal rubber works. Imagine this scenario:

You and your opponent are both using normal rubbers such as Sriver. You topspin loop the ball to your opponent, and he plays his stroke by moving his bat from near his knee to above his head, in a fairly typical topspin action. What type of speed and spin will be on the ball that is coming towards you?

Answer: The type of spin can vary all the way from a slow heavy topspin if your opponent has spun the ball without much forward motion, to a medium-fast loop with medium spin if he has spun the ball and hit through the ball about equally, to a very fast loop or drive with not very much spin if he has hit through the ball without spinning it much.

In this day and age of smooth grippy rubbers, most intermediate and advanced players will know what is happening instinctively when they are playing, and adjust accordingly. This type of topspin rally is what the many hours of training has prepared you for. It is an entirely predictable scenario – if you watch your opponent’s stroke closely enough, you will know what spin and speed is on the ball coming towards you.

Now imagine that your opponent is playing with an anti-spin rubber. Once again, you topspin loop the ball to his forehand, and he uses the anti-spin side to play a stroke from his knee to his head, in a fairly typical topspin action. What type of speed and spin will be on the ball that is coming towards you?

Answer: The ball will be anywhere from a heavy backspin ball to a float ball, depending on the type of anti-spin used and the type of contact made by your opponent. It will not be a topspin ball. Read on for the reasons why.

What Happens When You Topspin?

The Short Version

As Carl Danner was nice enough to point out, the short version for both topspin and backspin is as follows – “Basically, anti-spin continues the spin already on the ball, so you get (effectively) back the opposite of what you have hit — only slightly less intense, as you noted.”

The Long Version

Since I lack Carl’s ability to take a complicated idea and boil it down to it’s essentials, here are a few example scenarios and an explanation of what will happen in each:

(A) Your Topspin to Your Opponent’s Topspin Style Stroke

1. You hit a heavy topspin ball. Your opponent is using a medium speed anti-spin rubber that has virtually no grip. He hits the ball with a topspin style stroke and with flat, non-brushing contact. The anti-spin will have little effect on the spin already on the ball, so most of the spin will remain, and the ball will come back to you fairly quickly and with medium backspin. It won’t be a heavy backspin, since the spin has been steadily getting less due to air resistance ever since you hit the ball. Why you will hit a bad stroke next – with a conventional rubber his return would have no spin or a little topspin. Your bat angle will be incorrect, and the ball will go into the bottom of the net.
2. Same as for (1), but now your opponent brushes the ball rather than flat-hitting it. Because the topsheet has little grip, the only factor able to change the spin of the ball is the sponge giving way, allowing the rubber to wrap slightly around the ball. The thicker the sponge and the softer the topsheet, the more your spin will be reduced. Your opponent will still not be able to fully kill your spin though, so the ball should come back to you with medium to light backspin. Why you will hit a bad stroke next – with a conventional rubber his return would have medium to heavy topspin. Your bat angle will be incorrect, and the ball will bounce on your side of the table.
3. You hit a heavy topspin ball. Your opponent is using a medium speed anti-spin rubber that has a little grip. He hits the ball with a topspin style stroke and brushes the ball rather than flat hitting it. Now both the topsheet and the sponge can help to change the spin on the ball, although it is still unlikely that your opponent will be able to kill all your spin. The ball should come back to you as a light backspin to a near-float. Why you will hit a bad stroke next – with a conventional rubber his return would have medium to heavy topspin. Your bat angle will be incorrect, and the ball will bounce on your side of the table.
4. Same as for (3), but now your opponent hits the ball with a flat, non-brushing contact. Since his rubber has a little grip, this will act to kill the spin just a little, much less than if he tried to brush the ball. The sponge and topsheet will give way, but since your opponent is not brushing the ball they should have little effect on the spin. The ball should be coming back to you with a medium backspin, not as much backspin as in (1) above but with more backspin than in (2) and (3). Why you will hit a bad stroke next – with a conventional rubber his return would have no spin or a little topspin. Your bat angle will be incorrect, and the ball will go into the net.

(B) Your Topspin to Your Opponent’s Chop Style Stroke

1. You hit a heavy topspin stroke. Your opponent is using a medium speed anti-spin rubber that has virtually no grip. He hits the ball with a backspin style stroke and with flat, non-brushing contact. The anti-spin will have little effect on the spin already on the ball, so most of the spin will remain, and the ball will come back to you fairly quickly and with medium backspin. Why you will hit a bad stroke next – with a conventional rubber his return would have little or no backspin. Your bat angle will be incorrect, and the ball will go into the net.
2. Same as for (1), but now your opponent brushes the ball rather than flat-hitting it. The only factor able to change the spin of the ball will be the sponge giving way to wrap slightly around the ball. The thicker the sponge and the softer the topsheet, the more your spin will be increased. Since it is an anti-spin rubber though, it will not be a huge increase in spin, so the ball should come back to you with medium-heavy backspin. Why you will hit a bad stroke next – with a conventional rubber his return will have heavy backspin. Your bat angle will be slightly incorrect, and the ball will ‘pop up’ higher than expected from your bat.
3. You hit a heavy topspin ball. Your opponent is using a medium speed anti-spin rubber that has a little grip. He hits the ball with a backspin style stroke and brushes the ball rather than flat hitting it. Now both the topsheet and the sponge can help to increase the spin on the ball, so the ball should come back with a medium-heavy backspin, with a little more spin than in (2) above. Why you will hit a bad stroke next – with a conventional rubber his return will have heavy backspin. Your bat angle will be slightly incorrect, and the ball will ‘pop up’ higher than expected from your bat.
4. Same as for (3), but now your opponent hits the ball with a flat, non-brushing contact. Since his rubber has a little grip, this will act to kill the spin just a little. The sponge and topsheet will give way, but since your opponent is not brushing the ball they should have little effect on the spin. The ball should be coming back to you with a medium-light backspin. Why you will hit a bad stroke next – with a conventional rubber his return will have little or no backspin. Your bat angle will be incorrect, and the ball will go into the net.

Ok, so much for returns from your topspin strokes. But what happens when you backspin the ball to your opponent?

What Happens When You Backspin?

Here are a few example scenarios and an explanation of what will happen:

(A) Your Backspin to His Topspin Style Stroke

1. You hit a heavy backspin ball. Your opponent is using a medium speed anti-spin rubber that has virtually no grip. He hits the ball with a topspin style stroke and with flat, non-brushing contact. The anti-spin will have little effect on the spin already on the ball, so most of the spin will remain, and the ball will come back to you fairly quickly and with medium topspin. It won’t be a heavy topspin, since the spin has been steadily getting less due to air resistance ever since you hit the ball. Why you will hit a bad stroke next – with a conventional rubber his return will have little or no topspin. Your bat angle will be incorrect, and the ball will go ‘pop up’ into the air.
2. Same as for (1), but now your opponent brushes the ball rather than flat-hitting it. Because the topsheet has no grip, the only factor able to change the spin of the ball is the sponge giving way, allowing the rubber to wrap slightly around the ball. The thicker the sponge and the softer the topsheet, the more your spin will be increased, although not by very much, so the ball should come back to you with a little more spin than in (1) above, but still a medium amount of topspin. Why you will hit a bad stroke next – with a conventional rubber his return will have heavy topspin. Your bat angle will be incorrect, and the ball will go into the net.
3. You hit a heavy backspin ball. Your opponent is using a medium speed anti-spin rubber that has a little grip. He hits the ball with a topspin style stroke and brushes the ball rather than flat hitting it. Now both the topsheet and the sponge can help to increase the spin on the ball, so the ball should come back to you as a medium topspin with a little more topspin than in (2) above. Why you will hit a bad stroke next – with a conventional rubber his return will have heavy topspin. Your bat angle will be incorrect, and the ball will go into the net.
4. Same as for (3), but now your opponent hits the ball with a flat, non-brushing contact. Since his rubber has a little grip, this will act to kill the spin a little. The sponge and topsheet will give way, but since your opponent is not brushing the ball they should have little effect on the spin. The ball should be coming back to you with a light topspin. Why you will hit a bad stroke next – with a conventional rubber his return will have little or no topspin. Your bat angle will be incorrect, and the ball will ‘pop up’ into the air.

(B) Your Backspin to His Chop Style Stroke

1. You hit a heavy backspin stroke. Your opponent is using a medium speed anti-spin rubber that has virtually no grip. He hits the ball with a backspin style stroke and with flat, non-brushing contact. The anti-spin will have little effect on the spin already on the ball, so most of the spin will remain, and the ball will come back to you fairly quickly and with medium topspin. Why you will hit a bad stroke next – with a conventional rubber his return will have little or no backspin. Your bat angle will be incorrect, and the ball will ‘pop up’ into the air.
2. Same as for (1), but now your opponent brushes the ball rather than flat-hitting it. The only factor able to change the spin of the ball will be the sponge giving way to wrap slightly around the ball. The thicker the sponge and the softer the topsheet, the more your spin will be reduced. Since it is an anti-spin rubber though, it will not be a huge reduction in spin, so the ball should come back to you with medium topspin, but with less spin than in (1) above. Why you will hit a bad stroke next – with a conventional rubber his return will have medium to heavy backspin. Your bat angle will be incorrect, and the ball will ‘pop up’ into the air.
3. You hit a heavy backspin ball. Your opponent is using a medium speed anti-spin rubber that has a little grip. He hits the ball with a backspin style stroke and brushes the ball rather than flat hitting it. Now both the topsheet and the sponge can help to reduce the spin on the ball, but they will not be able to kill the spin entirely, so the ball should come back with a light topspin. Why you will hit a bad stroke next – with a conventional rubber his return will have medium to heavy backspin. Your bat angle will be incorrect, and the ball will ‘pop up’ into the air.
4. Same as for (3), but now your opponent hits the ball with a flat, non-brushing contact. Since his rubber has a little grip, this will act to kill the spin just a little. The sponge and topsheet will give way, but since your opponent is not brushing the ball they should have little effect on the spin. The ball should be coming back to you with a medium-light topspin. Why you will hit a bad stroke next – with a conventional rubber his return will have little or no backspin. Your bat angle will be incorrect, and the ball will ‘pop up’ into the air.

Conclusion

If you are still with me after all that heavy going, congratulations! Now go back and read it again to make sure it all makes sense. Then go out and find an anti-spin player and try it out.

In a nutshell, there are 3 basic rules that you must remember:

1. What Did You Just Do to the Ball?

An anti-spin rubber will not affect the spin that you have put on the ball very much. So the most important thing to keep track of is what was the last stroke you played – chop or topspin? If you chopped the ball, your opponent will only be able to use his anti-spin to give you a return that ranges from float to heavy topspin, and the amount of spin will increase with the more spin you put on the ball in the first place. Similarly, if you loop the ball, your opponent can only use the anti-spin to give you a return that varies from float to heavy backspin, and the amount of spin will again be in proportion to the amount of spin you gave the ball first.

2. What Stroke Did Your Opponent Play?

This doesn’t actually matter that much when the anti-spin rubber is used. The grippier the anti-spin, the thicker the sponge, and the softer the topsheet, the more this will have an effect. It won’t be more important than Rule 1 though.

3. What Side of the Bat did he Use?

Remember, all of the above assumes that your opponent actually hit the ball with the anti-spin side. All bets are off if your opponent twiddles the bat and uses the conventional side when you are not looking!

When in Doubt, What Do I Do?

Sooner or later, it’s going to happen. Your anti-spin using opponent hits the ball and you don’t remember what spin you put on the ball, or you didn’t notice what side your opponent used. What is your best course of action? The way I see it, you have two choices:

1. My own personal recommendation is to hit the ball slowly but put as heavy a spin on the ball as possible, based on the theory that if you heavily spin the ball you will have a better chance of overriding whatever spin is on the ball already, and the slowness of the shot will give you a large area of table to land the ball on.
2. Other players I know like to hit the ball as fast and flat as they can, working on the principle that if you pick a specific spot on the table and aim for it, hitting quickly and flat should help kill the spin on the ball and it will hopefully go in a straight line towards where you have aimed.

Which theory works best for you? – try it out and see!