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What is a forehand drive in table tennis?

Author

Noah Mitchell

Published Jan 17, 2026

A forehand drive in table tennis is an offensive stroke that is used to force errors and to set up attacking positions. A successful shot should land close to your opponent's baseline or sideline.

What is forehand drive in tennis?

A forehand drive is an attacking shot. It's played with a little bit of topspin, but mainly it's a flat hit and can be very powerful. When should you play a forehand drive? You'd normally play the forehand drive close to the table when your opponent's return is a little high.

What is forehand and backhand drive in table tennis?

However, the two are different because players raise their arms higher so the ball goes a little higher than a topspin in this type of shot. For a forehand drive, you will need to use the front of your hands to produce this stroke, but the backhand drive requires ls players to use the backside of their hands.

Why is the forehand drive used?

The forehand drive is played from mid-court to mid-court with a flat trajectory. The drive is used when the shuttle is too low to smash. It is considered an attacking shot as the opponent is forced to drive back or clear the shuttle high.

What is the backhand drive in table tennis?

The backhand drive is an attacking stroke played with a small amount of topspin. It is a drive shot and not a topspin loop! The backhand drive is played against long or medium length topspin or float balls.

26 related questions found

How do you do a forehand drive?

Ensure your weight is moving from back foot to front foot during the strike. Some players end up with their upper body moving forwards while their lower body moves backwards. Rotate from your hips not your shoulders. The forehand drive should come from the hips.

What is forehand push?

A forehand push is a difficult defensive shot that requires the player to strike downwards on the back and underneath the ball to create backspin. When performed correctly, a forehand push is used to change the pace of an exchange or to return the ball in a very low manner.

How do you hit a forehand drive in tennis?

Gripping your racket tightly, keep your eyes on the ball and turn your body towards its direction. Locking your elbow, continue looping the racket to the level of the ball, bending your front leg slightly. For a flat shot, keep your racket face straight as your ball contacts the sweet spot on the racket face.

What is the difference between the backhand to forehand?

Forehand strokes are hit with the front of the hand leading (like hitting with the palm), whereas backhand strokes are hit with the back of the hand leading (like hitting with the knuckles). Players frequently play certain strokes on the forehand side with a backhand hitting action, and vice versa.

Where is your forehand?

The tennis forehand is a stroke in which the inner side of the palm of the dominant hand that is holding the racket faces forward. Essentially, the tennis forehand is made by swinging the racket across one's body in the direction of where one wants to land the ball.

What is a forehand swing?

The tennis forehand is a type of groundstroke where the racket's swing path goes across the player's body with an open palm. The dominant hand maintains the forehand grip. For right-handed players, the racket's swing path starts at the right side of the body, where the racket face makes a contact point with the ball.

What is the major technique difference between the forehand and backhand throw?

When executing a backhand, the disc is pushed back behind the body and then fully extended outward. The disc needs to travel a long distance from point A to point B, before being released. When executing a forehand, the disc is also push back behind the body.

What are the 7 steps to the forehand?

  1. Step 1: The Grip. ...
  2. Step 2: The Ready Position & State. ...
  3. Step 3: The Preparation. ...
  4. Step 4: The Drop. ...
  5. Step 5: The Acceleration. ...
  6. Step 6: The Swing Path. ...
  7. Step 7: Contact & Extension. ...
  8. Step 8: The Follow-Through.

How do you play forehand?

The secret to a successful tennis forehand is to turn your hips and upper body as one unit when you're preparing to hit the ball, rather than just moving your racquet back. By thinking 'unit turn,' you put yourself in a better position to hit the ball.

Why is forehand important in tennis?

The forehand can be an aggressive and powerful attack shot that is used to return an opponent's shot and, when executed correctly, will manoeuvre an opponent around the court or win a point.

What is the difference between forehand push and forehand drive?

A push is more of a defensive shot than the drive and the aim is to play down the back and underneath the ball to create some backspin. Later on, the forehand push can be developed into a forehand touch, dig or chop.

What is the best forehand grip in tennis?

The semi-wester grip falls neatly between the eastern and western and has become the most common forehand tennis grip in modern tennis because it allows for excellent topspin and quick grip changes.

What is an Eastern forehand grip?

Holding an Eastern Grip

Simply place the palm side of your index finger's knuckle against the third bevel of the tennis racquet if you're right-handed, or if you're left-handed, against the seventh bevel, and then firmly wrap your fingers around the handle.

What discs are better for forehand?

Knowing forehand throws also means upgrading your skills as a disc golf player – which is important. In this review, we feature 8 of the top forehand discs available today.
...

  • Prodigy P Model S. ...
  • Infinite Discs Chariot. ...
  • Yikun Shu. ...
  • RPM Ruru. ...
  • Yikun FU. ...
  • Divergent Discs Alpas. ...
  • X-Com Zion. ...
  • Prodigy D Model US.

What is a good forehand distance?

300' is quite easily attainable with proper FH form without any strength behind it. In regards to Wysocki, the distance is attained more from the speed at which he throws and a very loose but fast flick-of-the-wrist. You really can't be quick with the flick-of-the-wrist if you are using a lot of strength.

What type of disc should I throw forehand?

There are usually two main characteristics that typically mark a disc as a good “forehand disc” — shape and stability. Many players find that flat-topped discs with very little dome are easier to grip and throw forehand.