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12 backhand drills for table tennis

A reliable backhand keeps you in the rally when the ball comes to your body or your backhand corner. These drills build it from the basic drive to attacking strokes.

Updated 21 October 2026

Beginner

Backhand Drive Basics

  • Beginner
  • 10 min
  • Partner
  • Backhand, Consistency

Develop a consistent backhand drive with correct elbow position, forearm rotation, and controlled follow-through.

Common mistakes

  • Locking the elbow tightly against the body — restricts movement.
  • Opening the bat face too much, sending the ball long.
  • Gripping too tightly throughout the entire stroke.

Forehand-Backhand Transition

  • Beginner
  • 10 min
  • Partner
  • Forehand, Backhand, Footwork

Practice switching between forehand and backhand drives in an alternating pattern to develop recovery footwork.

Common mistakes

  • Crossing feet instead of side-stepping to recover.
  • Neglecting recovery after each shot.
  • Applying the same stroke mechanics to both forehand and backhand.

Down-the-Line Backhand Drive

  • Beginner
  • 10 min
  • Partner
  • Backhand, Placement

Develop directional control of the backhand drive by practicing placement along the straight backhand line.

Common mistakes

  • Opening the bat face too much — redirects the ball crosscourt.
  • Not adjusting body angle toward the target line.
  • Contacting the ball too late — reduces ability to control direction.

Intermediate

Backhand Loop vs Backspin

  • Intermediate
  • 15 min
  • Multiball / robot
  • Backhand, Loop

Build the backhand topspin loop against backspin — essential for attacking short or mid-length pushes.

Common mistakes

  • Using the elbow as the pivot point rather than forearm rotation.
  • Contacting the ball too high — take it just after the peak, not at the top.
  • Bat angle too open — ball floats long with insufficient spin.

2-1 Footwork Pattern (FH-FH-BH)

  • Intermediate
  • 15 min
  • Partner
  • Footwork, Forehand, Backhand

Classic intermediate footwork sequence: two forehand positions plus one backhand, training crossover recovery.

Common mistakes

  • Running with large strides instead of small, controlled recovery steps.
  • Losing the crossover step rhythm — reducing the pattern to a shuffle.
  • Stopping the feet between shots instead of continuous movement.

Crosscourt Forehand-Backhand Rally

  • Intermediate
  • 12 min
  • Partner
  • Forehand, Backhand, Consistency

Sustained diagonal rally building endurance, consistency, and controlled topspin across both wings.

Common mistakes

  • Breaking the crosscourt direction by opening the angle.
  • Increasing pace too quickly and breaking the rally.
  • Becoming passive — actively move to the ball rather than waiting.

Falkenberg Footwork

  • Intermediate
  • 15 min
  • Partner
  • Footwork, Forehand, Backhand

The classic three-ball footwork drill: backhand, pivot forehand from the backhand corner, then forehand from the wide forehand.

Common mistakes

  • Pivoting too late, so the forehand from the backhand corner is played with a cramped arm.
  • Reaching for the wide forehand instead of moving the feet first.
  • Standing up between shots instead of staying low through the whole round.

Middle Ball Decision

  • Intermediate
  • 12 min
  • Partner
  • Footwork, Forehand, Backhand

Solve the ball aimed at your playing elbow: decide early, move out of the way and attack it.

Common mistakes

  • Waiting for the ball and getting jammed, then poking at it with the arm.
  • Leaning the body away without moving the feet.
  • Deciding the same way every time instead of reading the speed and height of the ball.

One or Two Backhands, Then Forehand

  • Intermediate
  • 15 min
  • Partner
  • Footwork, Consistency, Backhand, Forehand

The bridge from fixed patterns to match play: you know the ball will switch to the forehand, but not when.

Common mistakes

  • Guessing the switch and moving to the forehand before the partner has played.
  • Dropping the quality of the backhand while waiting for the switch.
  • Not recovering after the forehand and being late for the next backhand.

Advanced

Wide-Angle Full-Table Footwork

  • Advanced
  • 15 min
  • Multiball / robot
  • Footwork, Forehand, Backhand

Maximum-width footwork pattern across the entire table, demanding explosive lateral speed and quality recovery.

Common mistakes

  • Using crossover steps for medium-width balls — side-steps are faster for these.
  • Sacrificing stroke quality for recovery speed.
  • Stopping at mid-table rather than recovering past the center line.

Backhand Banana Flick

  • Advanced
  • 15 min
  • Partner
  • Flick, Backhand, Return of Serve

Master the backhand banana flick to attack short topspin or no-spin balls with a curving, aggressive trajectory.

Common mistakes

  • Contacting the ball too late — behind the body — losing the curving trajectory.
  • Using too much arm and not enough wrist snap — reduces speed and spin.
  • Trajectory too high — gives the opponent time to reset and counter-attack.

Match Simulation Drill

  • Advanced
  • 20 min
  • Partner
  • Forehand, Backhand, Footwork, Placement, Counter, Serve, Return of Serve

Realistic coached match-play simulation covering all tactical scenarios — the capstone advanced drill.

Common mistakes

  • Playing too safely — the risk-free shot that applies no pressure loses points at advanced level.
  • Forgetting the tactical plan under match pressure — rehearse decision trees before starting.
  • Not adapting after the opponent reads and exploits your pattern.

More drills

Train with Trainoro

The step-by-step instructions and an animated diagram of every ball — who hits, from where, to where — are in Trainoro’s Table Drills, along with training plans and a training diary.

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