by Branden Barrett

Created on: May 01, 2009

Table tennis is a sport where one's reflexes, mentality, speed, and shot selection ultimately reign supreme. There are two patterns to table tennis, that being offensive and defensive strokes. From these two is a hierarchy of dozens and dozens of types of shots, from the spin shot and drop shot to the smash and counter drive. One shot in particular, the side drive, is definitely one of the most used shots in table tennis. The premise behind the shot is to apply a lot of spin from either the forehand or backhand wing, depending on what side the ball is coming from. However, instead of applying the spin down the middle of the court, the idea is to push it to the left or right, there by forcing the opponent to make a difficult "get" from the side of the court. From here, you can then apply the finishing blow.

The mentality behind the side drive is to hit the ball in the opposite direction of the opponent, as well as applying more spin to the ball than the spin your opponent just gave you. By implementing a higher rotation on the ball, the ball will curve toward the side and then bounce in the opposite direction of the other player. It is not an easy shot to hit, as it requires you to be on a particular side of the table when the ball heads toward you. For example, if the opponent hits the ball to the left side of the table, you then need to hit the ball with a left-hand spin (moving your arm to the left when you hit the ball). If you hit a right-side spin you will ultimately hit the ball out of bounds. If by some miracle the ball stays in play, the other player can easily hit an easy winner toward your weak side. It is one of the game's riskier shots, but executing it consistently will allow you to stay on top of your opponent at all times.

Some other things to remember when hitting a side drive is how you should proportion your body when you apply the spin. First off, the type of grip you utilize makes a big difference. The penhold grip makes hitting the side drive a lot easier, as the racket is tilted at a stronger angle, allowing you to hit the ball with more spin. The shakehand grip can also hit the side drive, but will require you to turn your body as you hit the ball. This can be done by keeping the arm locked up and shifting your body weight in the direction that you think will catch your opponent off guard. Remember to also keep your feet spaced apart and to take the ball on the rise. If you take the ball too early the ball will hit the net, and if you take the ball too late it will shoot out of the court like a rocket. Take it a half-second after the ball bounces, which will give you enough time to recognize the type of spin on the ball.

A lot of people think that the side drive is primarily an offensive style shot, but this is not the case. Oddly enough, it is actually categorized under "defensive" shots in the table tennis encyclopedia. It can be used as an offensive shot, but it is more difficult to pull off a winner with it in comparison to say a smash, flat shot, or deep loop drive. The side drive should be used to catch your opponent off guard or to "stabilize" the rally. This shot will give you more time to get in position, so you then can turn the tables on your opponent. Be sure to understand it is one of the tougher shots in table tennis, so practice by having someone hit the ball toward you with a type of spin, then follow through by applying the same type of spin while hitting in the opposite direction. Table tennis is not about power, but about spin, and understanding the types of spins, will help you to raise your game to the highest level - good luck!

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