Definition: A loop in table tennis is a stroke that has extremely heavy topspin, which causes the ball to dip rapidly towards the playing surface.
The amount of forward speed can be varied, from a ball with medium forward speed and extreme topspin (the typical loop), to a ball with fast forward speed and very heavy topspin (a loop drive or loopdrive), to a ball with extreme forward speed and heavy topspin (a powerloop, loop kill, loopkill, or rip).
The first loops in table tennis actually had very slow forward speed, and extremely heavy topspin. Over time this original version of the loop (now called the slow loop) has become less popular as the pace of the game has increased.
Also Known As: loop drive, loopdrive, loop kill, loopkill, rip, slow loop, powerloop
