Backhand Drive: Table Tennis technique, drills and fixes

The backhand drive is a compact attacking stroke with a little topspin, played in front of your body against long or medium-length topspin or float balls (not short balls or backspin). Unlike the forehand drive, it needs little or no hip turn or weight shift: you stand square, keep the elbow in front, and the forearm does the work. From the front the app reads your body: how compact the stroke is, where your arm is moving fastest (the likely contact moment) and your recovery. The bat and ball aren't tracked, so bat angle and spin aren't measured.

Square up

Stand about an arm's length from the table with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders. Feet, hips and shoulders face square to where you want to hit.

chest facing the target.

Bend your knees slightly, lean forward and keep your weight on the balls of your feet. Hold both arms out in front with the elbow bent roughly 90-110°.

Bat back to the belly

Bring the bat back and slightly down to just in front of your belly button (toward your non-playing hip). Keep the elbow level with, or in front of, the bat.

a short backswing, all in front of you.

Keep the bat slightly closed and your wrist straight, with the backhand rubber facing the direction you want to play.

Forward from the elbow, contact in front

Move so you are behind the ball rather than reaching wide for it. If you missed, the ball should hit your chest.

Swing forward and slightly up by pivoting from the elbow: the forearm does the work, not the wrist or the shoulder. Keep a small gap between elbow and body, and keep the elbow at about the same height.

the elbow stays put while the forearm swings.

Contact the ball out in front of you at the top of the bounce or just before. Keep the bat closed through contact.

let it rise, then take it high.

Finish toward the target, reset

Follow through forward and up so the bat points where the ball went, finishing at about chin height. Don't let the arm swing on across your body.

Return straight to the ready position for the next ball.

Feel it

A short, controlled stroke that happens in front of your stomach. Your body stays square and quiet; the elbow sits in front of you like a hinge and the forearm swings forward and slightly up through the ball at the top of the bounce. The bat finishes about chin height, pointing at the target. If your wrist flicks, your shoulder lifts, or you jab at the ball early, it isn't the drive yet.

Fix-its

Your wrist does the work (a windscreen-wiper flick) Keep the wrist straight and swing from the elbow. A wrist-led stroke costs power and control and adds sidespin.
Your shoulder lifts the whole arm or your elbow rises Keep the elbow at the same height with a small gap from your body. A rising elbow usually opens the bat; keep it closed.
You poke or prod at the ball While learning, play a fuller stroke: from in front of the belly button to chin height.
You hit it straight off the bounce Wait that split second longer and take the ball at the top of the bounce or just before, out in front.
You reach wide for the ball Move your feet to get behind it, so a missed ball would hit your chest.

Drill

Shadow backhand drives without a ball: ready, bat to belly button, forward and up from the elbow, finish at chin height, reset. Add one technique point at a time.
Multiball or robot backhand drives to your backhand corner: focus only on contact in front at the top of the bounce, then reset to ready after every ball.
Backhand-to-backhand rally with a partner, diagonal (cross-court): keep the elbow in front and the stroke compact.
Film a set from the front in slow motion (120 fps or more if your phone has it) and check the elbow stays in front at the same height and the forearm finishes forward and up.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-26.