J-Arena S2019E16 - Table Tennis

In table tennis, players with a defensive style based on backspin returns are known as "choppers." The style requires persistence and skill to force errors. At this year's World Championships, Japan's bronze medal winning women's doubles players were both choppers, highlighting the style's effectiveness. While chopping may look one-dimensional to the untrained eye, its exponents employ many subtle varieties of spin. We look deeper into the chopping style with legendary chopper Koji Matsushita.