Mastering the Backhand Drive In Table Tennis: Unleash the Power

This Backhand Drive video is the third we have produced in our pro table tennis coaching video series with Eli Baraty from the Harefield Academy in the UK. Table tennis training videos are a great way to improve your game by watching the masters at their craft and Eli provides us with a great coaching session.

It's really important to master the basic strokes before moving on to the more advanced techniques and serves like the pendulum serve. This follows on from Part 2 in our basic series of Pro Ping Pong Coaching Videos was "How To Do A Forehand Drive". This is a great table tennis stroke and one that will be used a lot, so it's important to master the forehand drive before you move onto the Backhand. Again a potentially more powerful shot that can be used for outdoor ping pong as well as smashing it indoors!

What Is The Backhand Drive For?

This stroke is used for a couple of reasons, the main one is that it broadens your range of strokes from just having to use a forehand stroke. The other is to allow you to control the ball more effectively when the ball is played towards your backhand side. Normally, the backhand allows you to return the ball consistently with control and a little topspin. You can return the ball with your backhand either with a soft touch or with a little power to give it a more aggressive ball to be received. How and when you use the backhand stroke will depend on your strategy within a particular game.

How To Do A Backhand Drive in Table Tennis

Table tennis is a fast-paced and exciting sport that requires speed, accuracy, and precision. One of the most important shots in table tennis is the backhand drive, which is a powerful and spinny shot played with the backhand side of the racket. In this article, we'll take a closer look at how to do a backhand drive in table tennis, including grip, stance, footwork, backswing, contact, follow-through, and practice drills.

Grip

The first step to a successful backhand drive is the grip. The grip is the way you hold the racket, and it can make a significant difference in the speed and spin of your shots.

To achieve the proper grip for the drive, place your thumb on the back of the handle, and wrap your fingers around the handle. The racket should be held loosely, allowing for quick and efficient movement. Make sure to keep your wrist firm and your arm relaxed, as tension can cause you to lose control of the ball.

Stance

The stance is the position of your feet and body before making the shot. It is a crucial element of the drive, as it determines your balance and control.

To achieve the proper stance, stand upright with your feet planted shoulder-width apart and perpendicular to the ping pong table. Your weight should be evenly distributed across your feet, with your knees bent slightly. Your non-dominant foot should be slightly ahead of your dominant foot, allowing for better balance and control.

Footwork

Footwork is the movement of your feet before and during the shot. It is a crucial element of the backhand drive, as it allows you to reach the ball and generate power and spin.

To achieve the proper footwork, take a small step towards the ball with your non-dominant foot as the ball approaches. Rotate your hips and torso towards the ball, while keeping your eyes on the ball at all times. As you make contact with the ball, transfer your weight to your front foot, allowing for better balance and control.

How to Play The Backhand Drive Shot

This is a shot played with the backhand side of the racket. It is a powerful and spinny shot that can be used to attack your opponent or defend against their shots.

To achieve the proper backhand drive, swing the racket forward and towards the ball, making contact with the ball at the peak of its bounce. The racket should be angled slightly downwards, allowing for a topspin shot. Keep your wrist firm and your arm relaxed, and make sure to hit the ball with the center of the racket.

The key to a successful drive is to generate power and spin with the shot. The backswing, contact, and follow-through are all crucial elements of the shot that can help you generate power and spin with the backhand drive.

Backswing

The backswing is the movement of the racket before making contact with the ball. It is a crucial element of the backhand drive, as it helps generate power and spin in the shot.

To achieve the proper backswing, bring the racket back behind your body with your elbow close to your side. The racket should be parallel to the ground and pointing towards the net. As you prepare to make contact with the ball, rotate your hips and torso towards the ball, while keeping your eyes on the ball at all times.

Contact

The contact is the moment when the racket makes contact with the ball. It is the most critical part of the drive, as it determines the speed, spin, and direction of the shot. towards the ball, making contact with the ball at the peak of its bounce. Aim to hit the ball with the center of the racket, and angle the racket slightly downwards to generate topspin. Make sure to keep your wrist firm and your arm relaxed, as tension can cause you to lose control of the ball.

Follow-through

The follow-through is the movement of the racket after making contact with the ball. It is a crucial element of the backhand drive, as it helps generate power and spin in the shot.

To achieve the proper follow-through for the backhand drive, continue the motion of the racket forward and towards the target after making contact with the ball. The racket should end up pointing towards the target, and your body should be in a balanced position. The follow-through should be smooth and controlled, with no sudden stops or jerky movements.

Practice Drills for the Backhand Drive

To improve your backhand shots it's essential to practice regularly. Here are some drills that can help you develop your technique:

• Against a Wall: Stand facing a wall and hit the ball against the wall using only your backhand. Focus on generating power and spin with each shot.
• Against a Partner: Stand opposite a partner and take turns hitting shots to each other. Focus on consistency and accuracy with each shot.
• From Different Positions: Practice hitting drives from different positions on the table, such as the corners and the middle. This will help you develop your footwork and control.
• With Footwork: Practice hitting while incorporating footwork, such as stepping around the backhand to hit a forehand shot.

Conclusion

The backhand drive shot is a foundation stroke for your game. The main goal is to keep your backhand drive consistent to give your game confidence. It can be very useful to play the ball down the line of the table. This means the side from which you received the ball. Play the ball across the table into the same opposing corner, rather than diagonally across the table.

Because of the nature of this stroke, it gives you quite a lot of flexibility in the wrist movement to change the spin, speed, timing and control of the ball. You can use your wrist to flick the ball, which can give it a lot of spin. You can touch the ball lightly with your backhand to make the ball drop just below the net making your opponent step in for the ball. This will upset your opponent, moving his rhythm within the game all over the place so that he becomes inconsistent.

Above all it's about timing and feel of the ball. To hit a perfect shot you will need to make sure that you have your legs square to the table and your body is slightly bent over.

Eli Baraty provides an excellent demonstration below in this video for you to watch it over and over until you master it. Personally I love the backhand stroke and once you get confident using it, you can start to learn how to play a backhand loop which give a massive amount of extra spin and power behind the ball.

The backhand loop will give your opponent a really hard time returning the ball. Aim for a consistent backhand stroke. Check out this video below to help you understand how it's done by a professional. We have the great table tennis coach Eli Baraty demonstrating his skills for you in this tutorial.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Frequently asked questions and answers about mastering the backhand drive in table tennis:

What grip should I use for the backhand drive?

There are different types of grips that players use for the backhand drive, but the most common one is the shakehand grip. This grip allows for more power and control on the backhand side. However, some players may prefer to use the penhold grip or a variation of it.

How important is footwork?

Footwork is crucial for executing a successful shot in table tennis. It allows you to get into the right position, generate power, and maintain balance throughout the shot. Practice footwork drills regularly to improve your drive.

Can I generate topspin?

Yes, you can generate topspin with the backhand drive. Angle the racket slightly downwards and make contact with the ball at the peak of its bounce to generate topspin. This will make your shot more effective and difficult for your opponent to return.

How do I avoid common mistakes?

Common mistakes when practicing the shot include hitting the ball too late or too early, using too much wrist or arm, and not following through properly. Focus on keeping a firm wrist, relaxed arm, and proper technique when practicing.

How do I improve my consistency?

Consistency is key when it comes to the drive in table tennis. Practice regularly and use drills that focus on consistency and accuracy. Also, try to maintain a consistent stance, grip, and technique throughout your practice sessions.

Should I always use the backhand drive in table tennis?

No, this is just one of many shots you can use in table tennis. Use it when it's appropriate, such as when you're in a good position to hit a backhand shot, or when you want to surprise your opponent. It's important to have a variety of shots in your arsenal to keep your opponent guessing.

Video Transcription

The backhand stroke is similar to throwing a frisbee.

You want to try and point your nose in the direction of where you are going and stand square to the line of play.

This is how it's played. (Eli does a serve).

Your timing is very important with the backhand, because you lose site of the ball for a split second.

If you're here, you can't see the ball for a spilt second once it comes towards you.

Therefore, try to contact it not too close to your stomach and not too far in front of you.

I hope that helps you with your game.

Credits

The Backhand Stroke Coaching Video features Eli Baraty of The Harefield Academy. It's great to have Eli's knowledge and experience to share with these table tennis video tips. The video content is produced and edited by our very own Editor, Mark. Mark is a filmmaker in his own right and has been producing professional video for a number of years. it's great to see him combining his two passions, video production and table tennis for TT Tables We really hope you enjoy these little tutorial clips. Feel free to leave a comment below.

How To Do A Backhand Drive In Table Tennis - Pro Coaching Tutorial