Article
Master the Stop Before You Touch the Chiquita
Flashy strokes come last. The quiet short stop wins seventy percent of points before a chiquita is even possible.
のすけ · May 8, 2026
Chiquita is the result, not the start
The explosive backhand flick on a short serve — chiquita. It looks great when it lands.
But players who chiquita well have great stops first. Not the other way around.
Why stops come first
When opponents fear your chiquita, they serve long. Long serves get looped. So they are forced to serve short.
That pressure to serve short comes from the precision of your stop.
Three elements of a great stop
- Contact point: take it after the peak, on the descent
- Paddle angle: closed, sharp
- Touch: place, do not push
Drill
Receive thirty serves in a row, all stopped on the table. Some will not even clear the net — that is fine. Keeping it on the table is the only goal.
Bottom line
Chiquita is decoration. The stop is the skeleton.
Author
のすけ