Site Products
Coaching Tip of the Week: Inside-out Backhands

Tip of the Week: First Block and First Counterloop

(By Larry Hodges)

Do you often have trouble blocking or counterlooping against your opponent’s opening loop against backspin? If you are like most players, of course you do – and there’s a simple reason for it. Most players practice blocking and counterlooping in rallies where they start the rally by serving topspin. And so they are conditioned to block and counterloop against loops against topspin. 

But a loop against backspin has a different trajectory (starting closer to the table, so more arc) and more topspin (since it adds to the incoming backspin), and so you need to practice against that. In fact, if you mostly practice against loops in topspin-topspin rallies, you are conditioning yourself to react correctly in such rallies – but since that’s likely how you’ll react in a game when the opponent loops against backspin, you are also conditioning yourself to miss against that!

Get a partner and a bucket of balls. Server serves backspin, receiver pushes back long, server loops, receiver blocks or counterloops – but don’t play out the point. As soon as the server loops, he should be reaching for the next ball. One player gets to practice his loop against backspin, over and over, while the other practices reacting to a loop against backspin, over and over. This is how you isolate individual shots and techniques to develop them. It’s a version of multiball that far too few players use.

So, next time you have trouble dealing with an opponent’s loop against backspin, are you going to do the above, or are you going to just practice against loops against topspin?

Latest News

Butterfly Training Tips with Bob Chen – After Serve Control and Short Ball Attack

April 18, 2025
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Bob Chen is working on the combo of Serve, Forehand… Read More

Butterfly Training Tips with Jabdiel Torres – Short Push & Forehand Loop

April 17, 2025
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Jabdiel Torres is working on his short game and transition… Read More

World Cup Macao: Main Draw

April 16, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins, photo WTT) Group play concluded today at the ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup Macao. … Read More

Kanak Jha Reaches World Cup Final 16

April 16, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins) Kanak Jha has faced Germany’s Dang Qiu (Currently World No. 11) four times, and in… Read More

Butterfly Training Tips with Rachid El Bou Bou – Backhand & Forehand Loop Stroke Chemistry

April 16, 2025
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Rachid El Bou Bou is working on his Stroke Chemistry… Read More

Gold Rush Dominate And Win The MLTT Cup!

April 15, 2025
Carolina Strikes Gold 🏆 It’s official – the Carolina Gold Rush have claimed their first-ever Major League Table Tennis… Read More

The WTT Youth Contender Arrives In Puerto Rico For The First Time

April 15, 2025
(by: Edgardo Vázquez /Puerto Rico National Coach ) From March 26 to 29, 2025, the Puerto Rican Table… Read More

Butterfly Training Tips with Jonathan Pino – Flip to Modified Falkenburg

April 15, 2025
(by: Bowmar Sports) In this Butterfly Training Tips, Jonathan Pino is executing the Flip, to Modified Falkenburg https://youtu.be/xjXvY4pBKbs… Read More
View All News

Get the latest from Butterfly

Stay “In The Loop” with Butterfly professional table tennis equipment, table tennis news, table tennis technology, tournament results, and We Are Butterfly players, coaches, clubs and more.