An experimental technique is described which uses anisotropic crystals to generate dynamic pressure‐shear loading in materials. The coupled longitudinal and shear motion generated upon planar impact of the anisotropic crystal can be transmitted into a specimen bonded to the rear surface of the crystal, and monitored using velocity interferometer techniques. Test results usingy‐cut quartz generators andx‐cut quartz andy‐cut quartz samples indicate that shear stresses up to 0.35 GPa can be transmitted across epoxy‐bonded interfaces. The technique has been successfully used to detect a 0.2 GPa shear wave in 6061‐T6 aluminum at 0.7 GPa longitudinal stress. The shear wave velocity profiles have an accuracy of ±12%. The use of longer delay legs in the interferometer is suggested to improve the accuracy. Results obtained in this investigation are compared with numerical solutions obtained using the finite‐difference wave propagation code TOODY.