【How I Use No Spin!】Kyoka Idesawa: "Three types of no-spin shots from pips-out rubber. I fight with subtle changes in the 'scale'"

　What are the benefits of using a no-spin Ball that comes close to having no Spin? We asked "no-spin masters" with different styles about why they use no spin and how they make the most of it in matches.

Published in the December 2026 issue of 卓球王国 / Special no-spin feature, "Let's Win with No Spin!" ①
Asked of top Players and coaches: "How I Use No Spin!"

Kyoka Idesawa [Resonac / right-handed shakehand, forehand short pips, backhand pips-out, unorthodox offense and defense]

Profile　Idesawa Kyoka
Born June 28, 2002, from Ibaraki Prefecture. Won the All Japan Junior title in her first year at Taisei Girls' High School, then captured back-to-back All Japan Student titles in her third and fourth years at Senshu University. She currently plays for Resonac. Won both singles and doubles at the 2025 Japan League Big Tournament

The changes that come naturally from the equipment are like a bonus. I win with my own skill.

　Most of the Balls I send are no spin, and no spin is the core of my game, but I am not consciously trying to produce no spin all the time.

　If I can focus on three things — early contact, a Racket angle that is nearly vertical, and the right amount of power — and get into a position where I can launch consecutive attacks first, then no spin comes out naturally as a result.

　When I was in first grade, I was recommended by Mihoko Onuki of Hitachi Onuma Table Tennis to switch from inverted rubber on both sides to short pips on the forehand and pips-out OX on the backhand. She thought I would struggle with a looping style because my knees did not bend and I stood very upright on my legs.

　My style has a narrower range of variation than Players who use inverted rubber, but the fine detail of those changes is what defines me. With pips-out on the backhand, I vary the power from the same Swing to produce a "dead no spin" Ball and a "slightly Backspin no-spin" Ball, then slide the Racket sideways or use a Punch shot to create a "slightly topspin no-spin" Ball. I create chances with these three types of no spin, then finish with a forehand Smash.

　If I can produce the right variation for each situation, my winning percentage goes up. On the other hand, if I use a Punch shot in a situation where a Backspin no-spin Ball would have been effective, only to be counterattacked, or if I make the wrong choice, I often end up losing. Onuki-san often told me that if I could drop a "dead no spin" Ball short, I would then be able to develop the Rally however I liked, so I think that using it more would bring me closer to my ideal style.

　My forehand short pips are a Spin-oriented, stability-oriented Rubber, and I do not consciously try to create no spin with them. But if I am pushed onto the back foot and simply block the Ball back, it can become an easy Ball for the Opponent, so I am also considering switching to short pips that create variation even when I simply make contact.

　That said, I think the variation that comes naturally from the Rubber is just a bonus. Players with unusual styles and Players who use pips-out rubber are often told, "You'll lose once the variation stops working," but even if Opponents get used to the changes in your equipment, I think everyone can continue playing for a long time and enjoy it if they keep approaching the game with the mindset of, "From here on, it's a battle of my own skill."