What is "Looper"?

A table tennis term explained

China's Liu Shiwen plays a shot during the women's singles quarter-final match against Choe Hyon Hwa of North Korea at the Asian Table Tennis Championships in Wuxi, in China's Jiangsu province on April 14, 2017

What is it?

A table tennis playing style based on the loop, a stroke that applies topspin to the ball. It’s the most common method in the modern game, its popularity growing with the improvement over the years in the manufacture of paddles.

Not to be confused with

The 2012 neo noir science fiction thriller, starring Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt among others. The mix-up is understandable: it deals with time travel and kill-shots, things table tennis players sometimes appear quite good at.

Why is it effective?

The loop is a great stroke because the heavy topspin pulls the ball onto the table, and yet it can go very fast. The combination of spin and speed makes it deadly and controllable. In contrast, the smash, with little topspin, carries greater risk of error.

How is it used?

One-winged loopers have a stronger flank, usually the forehand, and use their serve to set it up. The two-winged looper is more versatile, but, in a game as quick as table tennis, can sometimes be caught between forehand and backhand.