The Cho-le (Chiquita) in Table Tennis: Technique and Tactics

The cho-le (chiquita) is a backhand flick receive in table tennis that attacks short backspin and no-spin serves by snapping the wrist through 60-80 degrees of rotation in under 100 ms. Ma Lin (China) popularized the cho-le in international competition between 2000 and 2005, converting what had been a passive receive position into a direct offensive opening. The stroke operates within a closed racket angle of 30-50 degrees, contacts the ball at its back-center to back-top hemisphere, and produces between 2,000 and 6,000 RPM depending on skill level. Grip pressure, footwork entry, racket angle adjustment, and placement selection all determine whether the cho-le wins the rally or feeds the opponent a third-ball attack. The cho-le’s compact wrist motion separates the stroke from the banana flick’s forearm-driven arc, and the equipment demands of the cho-le narrow the range of blade stiffness and rubber hardness that support consistent execution.

What Is the Cho-le (Chiquita) in Table Tennis?

The cho-le (chiquita) is a backhand flick receive executed against short serves carrying backspin or no-spin. The stroke converts a defensive receive position into an offensive opening by generating 2,000-6,000 RPM of topspin or topspin-sidespin from a compact wrist motion performed under the table. At club level, the cho-le produces 2,000-4,000 RPM. At professional level, players such as Fan Zhendong and Timo Boll push cho-le spin output to 4,000-6,000 RPM with additional sidespin variation.

The cho-le belongs to the backhand flick family within the broader category of table tennis forehand and backhand strokes. As a receive technique, the cho-le targets balls that bounce twice on the receiver’s side if left untouched. The short ball constraint limits the stroke arc and forces the wrist to act as the primary force generator rather than the forearm or shoulder. That wrist-driven mechanic defines the cho-le and distinguishes the stroke from longer-arc backhand attacks.

Where Does the Name “Cho-le” Come From?

“Cho-le” derives from the Chinese phonetic term for the stroke’s action. “Chiquita” comes from the Spanish word for “small one,” describing the compact, abbreviated wrist motion that defines the technique. Both names circulate in international table tennis coaching. English-language instruction uses “chiquita” or “chiquita flick,” while Chinese-language coaching retains “cho-le.” The two names refer to the same stroke.

Which Professional Players Popularized the Cho-le?

Ma Lin receives credit as the first player to use the cho-le as a primary receive weapon in major international competition. Between 2000 and 2005, Ma Lin’s penhold style incorporated the cho-le as a solution to short backspin serves that penhold players had previously returned with passive pushes. Zhang Jike expanded the cho-le’s tactical range during his 2011-2012 peak, using the stroke to initiate aggressive rally patterns from the receive position. Fan Zhendong refined the cho-le further by adding sidespin variation, making the cho-le placement less predictable. By 2010, the cho-le had spread beyond Chinese players; Timo Boll (Germany) and Dimitrij Ovtcharov (Germany) integrated the stroke into shakehand receive systems at the elite level.

How Do You Grip the Paddle for a Cho-le?

The cho-le grip loosens pressure on the handle and concentrates contact on the thumb and index finger. Reduced grip pressure permits the wrist to rotate through 60-80 degrees in under 100 ms. The shakehand grip is the standard base grip for cho-le execution. The penhold grip requires a modified wrist path because the paddle orientation reverses the contact geometry.

For shakehand players, the three lower fingers (middle, ring, pinky) relax their hold on the handle during the backswing phase. The thumb presses lightly against the forehand rubber surface at the blade’s edge, and the index finger wraps loosely around the backhand rubber side. The resulting grip feels unstable during regular rallies, but the instability is the point: a loose handle connection permits faster wrist acceleration through a wider rotational arc.

Penhold players executing the cho-le rotate the wrist from a more supinated starting position. The reverse penhold backhand (RPB) grip, used by players including Wang Hao and Ma Lin, positions the index and middle fingers behind the blade. The cho-le wrist path for penhold players moves through approximately 50-65 degrees of rotation rather than the 60-80 degrees available to shakehand players, because the penhold wrist starts closer to its rotational limit.

Grip style affects how table tennis grip types including shakehand and penhold interact with the cho-le’s wrist mechanics. The grip modification for the cho-le is temporary; grip pressure returns to normal within the 0.3-0.5 second recovery window after the stroke.

What Is the Wrist Position at the Start of the Cho-le?

The wrist begins in a cocked position, rotated inward (ulnar deviation) so the paddle face points roughly toward the player’s own body. The angle of the wrist cock measures approximately 30-40 degrees of ulnar deviation from neutral. The elbow sits 10-15 cm in front of the torso, slightly above table height, acting as the fixed pivot point for the entire rotation. The forearm remains still. The backswing loads elastic energy into the wrist’s extensor tendons, and the subsequent snap releases that stored energy into the ball.

How Does the Wrist Accelerate During the Cho-le?

The wrist accelerates from the cocked position through 60-80 degrees of rotation, reaching peak angular velocity at or just before ball contact. The acceleration window lasts under 100 ms. During this window, the wrist moves from ulnar deviation to radial deviation while simultaneously pronating (rotating the forearm inward slightly). The combination of radial snap and pronation brushes the ball upward and forward, imparting topspin with a sidespin component. Follow-through after contact extends another 10-20 degrees beyond the contact point, decelerating naturally as the wrist reaches its anatomical limit.

The speed of the wrist snap, not the force of the arm swing, determines cho-le quality. Increasing arm involvement beyond the elbow pivot adds stroke length without adding spin, and the larger motion delays recovery.

What Racket Angle and Contact Point Does the Cho-le Require?

The cho-le requires a closed racket angle of 30-50 degrees at contact. The paddle contacts the back-center to back-top of the ball, brushing upward and forward. Against heavier backspin, the angle opens 5-10 degrees (closer to 40-50 degrees closed). Against no-spin or light backspin serves, the angle closes 5-10 degrees (closer to 30-40 degrees closed).

Reading the incoming spin correctly determines the racket angle adjustment. The cho-le player reads the opponent’s serve contact to classify the ball as backspin, no-spin, or sidespin-backspin before committing to a racket angle. A misread of 10 degrees in either direction sends the cho-le into the net (angle too closed) or off the end of the table (angle too open). The margin for error on racket angle is tighter on the cho-le than on longer-arc strokes because the compact wrist motion leaves less time for mid-stroke correction.

Understanding spin types and mechanics in table tennis clarifies why the cho-le’s racket angle adjustment tracks directly to incoming spin magnitude.

Where on the Ball Does the Paddle Contact During a Cho-le?

The paddle contacts the back-center to back-top of the ball, between the 6 o’clock and 12 o’clock positions on the rear hemisphere. The contact brushes upward and forward simultaneously. Against pure backspin serves, contact shifts closer to the back-top (nearer 12 o’clock) to counteract the downward-pulling spin. Against no-spin serves, contact stays closer to back-center (nearer 9 o’clock on the rear hemisphere) because no downward spin needs to be overcome. The ball trajectory after cho-le contact arcs low over the net with a topspin curve that dips the ball onto the opponent’s side of the table within 1.5-2.5 meters of the net.

How Does Racket Angle Change Based on Incoming Spin?

The 5-10 degree adjustment range applies per spin increment. A player who misreads heavy backspin as light backspin arrives at the contact point with a racket angle 10-15 degrees too closed, driving the ball into the net.

What Footwork and Body Position Does the Cho-le Require?

The cho-le requires the right foot (for a right-handed player) to step under the table at a 45-degree angle toward the ball. The upper body leans forward to position the elbow 10-15 cm ahead of the torso and above table height. Left-handed players mirror the footwork, stepping with the left foot.

The step under the table is the distinguishing footwork element of the cho-le. A standard rally position keeps both feet behind the table’s edge. The cho-le demands that the lead foot move forward and inward, placing the player’s center of gravity closer to the short ball. Without this forward step, the player reaches for the ball from outside the table, limiting wrist range and reducing contact precision.

How Do You Step Into the Table for a Cho-le?

The footwork sequence for the cho-le follows 3 phases in order:

1. Read phase (0-200 ms after serve contact): the player identifies the serve as short by reading the ball’s first bounce position and trajectory. A ball bouncing within 30 cm of the net on the receiver’s side is classified as short.
2. Entry phase (200-400 ms): the right foot steps forward at a 45-degree angle, sliding under the table edge. The step length measures 40-60 cm from the ready position. The left foot stays behind as an anchor for balance.
3. Set phase (400-500 ms): the upper body settles forward with the elbow positioned over the table. The wrist cocks into backswing position during this phase. The player is now within contact range, and the wrist snap fires within the next 100 ms.

What Is the Ready Position Before Executing a Cho-le?

The ready position before the cho-le is the same neutral stance used for all receive situations: feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent at approximately 140-150 degrees, weight on the balls of the feet, paddle held in front of the body at table height. The cho-le decision happens during the read phase. No pre-commitment to the cho-le occurs in the ready position. Committing too early reveals the intention to the server and allows the server to adjust serve placement to avoid the cho-le zone.

When Do You Use the Cho-le Tactically in a Match?

The cho-le attacks short backspin and no-spin serves to deny the server a third-ball attack advantage. Primary placement targets the server’s wide backhand cross-court. Secondary placement targets the forehand down-the-line. The crossover point (elbow area) disrupts the server’s footwork transition between backhand and forehand.

Tactical cho-le use depends on identifying which serves are attackable. The cho-le is a targeted response, not a default receive.

Which Serve Types Does the Cho-le Attack?

The cho-le attacks 3 categories of table tennis serve types:

1. Short backspin serves: the most common target. The cho-le’s upward brush counters the backspin while the wrist snap adds offensive topspin. The serve must land within approximately 30 cm of the net on the receiver’s side to remain within cho-le range.
2. Short no-spin (dead) serves: the easiest serve to cho-le because no incoming spin needs to be countered. The closed racket angle and forward brush produce a fast, flat cho-le with topspin.
3. Short sidespin-backspin serves: the most difficult target. The cho-le player adjusts racket angle both vertically (to counter backspin) and laterally (to counter sidespin), requiring a read accuracy within 5-10 degrees on two axes simultaneously.

The cho-le is not effective against long topspin serves. A ball that reaches the receiver’s end line carries too much forward momentum for the compact wrist motion to redirect. Long serves require a full backhand drive or loop, not a cho-le.

How Does the Cho-le Fit Into Third-Ball and Fifth-Ball Patterns?

When the receiver executes a cho-le, the rally shifts from a serve-receive exchange to an open rally. The cho-le receiver becomes the attacker. Three common rally continuations emerge:

1. Cho-le wins outright: a well-placed cho-le to the server’s wide backhand or crossover point forces an error or a weak return. At club level, approximately 30-40% of cho-le attacks end the rally within 2 strokes.
2. Server blocks, receiver follows with a fifth-ball attack: the server manages a defensive block after the cho-le, and the receiver (now in an attacking position) follows with a forehand or backhand loop as the fifth ball in the sequence.
3. Server counter-attacks: the server reads the cho-le placement and executes a counter-loop. Experienced servers bait the cho-le with intentionally short serves, then position for a counter-attack.

The cho-le’s value increases against opponents who rely on the push stroke as a passive receive alternative. Replacing a push with a cho-le prevents the server from executing a planned third-ball attack pattern.

Where on the Table Do You Place the Cho-le?

Three placement zones define cho-le targeting:

1. Cross-court wide backhand (primary target, 60-70% of cho-le placements at professional level): the widest angle available from the backhand receive position. The ball travels diagonally across the table, pulling the server out of position.
2. Down-the-line forehand (secondary target, 15-25% of placements): a riskier line because the ball travels a shorter distance over the net and the margin for error on the sideline narrows. The surprise factor compensates for the tighter margin.
3. Crossover point/elbow (tactical disruptor, 10-15% of placements): the cho-le directed at the server’s elbow area forces an awkward transition between backhand and forehand. The crossover point is approximately at the center of the server’s body, where neither stroke has a clean swing path.

Varying placement across all 3 zones prevents the server from pre-positioning for a single cho-le direction.

What Is the Difference Between the Cho-le and the Banana Flick?

The cho-le uses a compact wrist-only motion to attack very short balls close to the net. The banana flick (backhand flick) involves a fuller forearm rotation and targets short-to-medium-length balls. The cho-le produces less raw power but executes faster, with a shorter backswing and quicker recovery time. Both strokes belong to the backhand flick family, but the mechanical differences separate them into distinct tactical tools.

The cho-le fills the gap that the banana flick cannot reach. Balls that are too tight to the net for a full banana flick backswing remain within cho-le range. The decision between the two strokes depends on the ball’s distance from the net after the first bounce: under 30 cm favors the cho-le, over 30 cm opens the option for a banana flick.

What Are the Most Common Cho-le Mistakes?

Three cho-le errors account for the majority of failed attempts at club and intermediate competition levels:

1. Late contact (after the bounce peak): contacting the ball in the falling phase after peak bounce allows backspin to pull the ball downward into the net. The cho-le requires contact at the peak or during the early rising phase of the bounce. Late contact is the most frequent cho-le error because the timing window is narrow, lasting approximately 50-80 ms around peak bounce height.

2. Excessive arm motion instead of isolated wrist snap: engaging the forearm or shoulder expands the stroke arc beyond what the short ball permits. The larger motion adds 100-200 ms to the stroke time, delays recovery, and reduces directional control. The cho-le’s power comes from wrist acceleration, not arm swing. Players transitioning from the banana flick to the cho-le carry the forearm habit into what must be a wrist-only stroke.

3. Failing to step under the table: executing the cho-le from a standing position behind the table edge forces the player to reach forward, collapsing the elbow position and reducing wrist range of motion by 15-25 degrees. The missing entry step is the root cause of poor contact precision in players who understand the wrist mechanics but skip the footwork.

Correcting all 3 errors requires isolated drill work. Practicing the cho-le against multiball feeds of short backspin balls (50-100 repetitions per session) builds the timing, wrist isolation, and footwork entry into automatic patterns.

What Equipment Supports Consistent Cho-le Execution?

Consistent cho-le execution requires an ALL+ to OFF speed class blade with carbon or composite layers for efficient energy transfer through a compact wrist stroke. Backhand rubber with 40-50 degree ESN sponge hardness and 2.0 mm minimum sponge thickness grips the ball during the short contact window. The table tennis equipment that supports the cho-le overlaps with gear selections for offensive playing styles, but the cho-le places specific demands on blade rigidity and rubber surface tackiness.

What Blade Characteristics Benefit the Cho-le?

Medium-stiff to stiff blades in the ALL+ to OFF speed class (Butterfly rating scale approximately 8.0-10.0 speed) transfer wrist-generated energy into the ball without absorbing force into blade flex. Blades with carbon fiber layers, such as the Butterfly Viscaria (arylate-carbon, OFF speed class) or the STIGA Carbonado 145 (TeXtreme carbon, OFF speed class), maintain rigidity during the compact cho-le stroke. All-wood blades in the ALL or ALL+ class flex under the rapid wrist deceleration at contact, losing 10-15% of the energy that a carbon-composite blade transmits.

Blade head size also affects the cho-le. A standard blade head (157 x 150 mm) positions the sweet spot closer to the paddle’s center, which aligns with the cho-le contact zone. Oversized blade heads shift the sweet spot and require adjusted contact targeting.

What Rubber Characteristics Benefit the Cho-le?

The cho-le demands inverted rubber with medium-high sponge hardness (40-50 degrees ESN). Softer sponges (under 40 degrees ESN) absorb too much of the wrist snap’s energy, reducing spin output by an estimated 15-20%. Harder sponges (over 50 degrees ESN) require more arm force than the wrist alone provides, pushing players toward forearm involvement.

Sponge thickness of 2.0 mm minimum (the ITTF maximum is 2.0 mm, though some manufacturers label the foam layer itself at 2.0-2.15 mm before topsheet) ensures sufficient dwell time for the ball to sink into the rubber surface during the cho-le’s brief contact window. Thinner sponges reduce dwell time and lower spin output.

Tacky topsheets, such as DHS Hurricane 3 (Chinese-style sticky rubber), grip the ball during the 3-5 ms contact window of the cho-le and increase spin generation. Tensor rubbers with grippy but non-tacky topsheets, such as the Butterfly Tenergy 05 or Tibhar Evolution MX-P, compensate for lower tackiness with higher sponge elasticity that catapults the ball off the surface.

Is the Cho-le Effective at the Recreational Level?

Yes. The cho-le is effective at the recreational level when simplified to a basic wrist flick against short no-spin serves. Recreational players benefit from starting with a neutral racket angle (less closed than the 30-50 degree competitive range) and focusing on timing the contact at the peak of the bounce before adding spin variation.

The simplified recreational cho-le strips the technique to 3 core elements: step under the table, contact at peak bounce, and flick the wrist forward. Spin output at the recreational level sits in the 1,000-2,000 RPM range, lower than the 2,000-4,000 RPM of practiced club players, but sufficient to convert a passive receive into an attacking stroke that disrupts recreational-level opponents.

Players at the recreational level face 2 barriers to cho-le adoption. The first is serve reading: identifying short serves quickly enough to initiate the footwork entry within the 200-400 ms window. The second is wrist isolation: recreational players tend to use full arm swings for all strokes, and the cho-le’s wrist-only mechanic feels counterintuitive until practiced for 4-6 weeks of regular training.

Ma Long uses the cho-le as a primary receive weapon at the highest level of competition, demonstrating the stroke’s scalability from recreational training to Olympic-level play. A profile of Ma Long’s career and equipment choices illustrates how the cho-le fits within a complete offensive playing style at every skill level.