Physical Education

The Loop

The loop drive is the primary attacking stroke of serious players today. A loop is basically a spinny counterpart of a drive, emphasizing topspin over forward motion. Likewise, a stronger upward motion is required in the swing, grazing the ball instead of hitting it. Despite the nature of the loop, they can go just as fast as the drive-approaching 100mph for an over-the-table loop by a talented player. If there were any doubts about the endurance requirements of table tennis, try hitting decent loops against extreme backspin time and time again. Players not used to this stroke may find it the most tiring for the first time.

Depending on the characteristic of the incoming ball, the loop must be modified to hit the ball correctly. If a ball is coming in fast and high with heavy topspin, the paddle should be more closed and the swing should go forward more. However, if a chop came floating your way, then the correct thing to do would be to open the paddle somewhat, and perform a strong upwards swing-think of it as 'pulling the ball back up with the paddle'. This is especially what makes the loop such a tough stroke. As the ball touches the paddle for only a short time, as well as meeting on a more perpendicular path(as opposed to the highly parallel paths during a drive), good timing is critical to avoid completely missing the ball altogether. This means keeping a sharp eye on the ball throughout the stroke is important, as it is for all other strokes.