The backhand volley is a fundamental shot in padel, and its technique should be properly developed from beginner level.
A good backhand volley allows players to maintain pressure on opponents in defence by playing controlled, deep shots from the net.
The aim of this session is to progressively learn the complete technique of the backhand volley, breaking the stroke down into its different phases so that players can understand and develop each one separately.
The session consists of seven progressive drills. The first stages isolate the different body movements before gradually introducing ball striking and refining the complete stroke.
This session breaks down the backhand volley technique step by step, from the ready position through to the complete striking motion.
The player begins by working on a dynamic ready position, before learning how to prepare the racket correctly with a short, high backswing that stays in front of the body.
The following drills progressively introduce the arm movement, the forward step and the transfer of body weight, helping the player coordinate the different phases of the volley.
➡️ The first progressions are performed without a ball, allowing the player to focus entirely on the body movements and develop the correct movement pattern without having to manage the trajectory of the ball at the same time.
Ball striking is then introduced to practise and reinforce specific technical elements, including racket preparation, the split step before the volley, forward weight transfer, and coordination between the forward step and the shot.
❌ This progression also helps correct several common backhand volley mistakes: an excessively large backswing, failing to split step before the shot, poor coordination of the weight transfer, or an overly lateral arm movement that is not directed forwards enough.
✅ Through these seven drills, the aim is to progressively develop a compact, coordinated and controlled backhand volley, mastering each technical element separately before bringing them together into the complete stroke.
First step: use a continental grip
The first step in learning how to play a good backhand volley is to use the correct racket grip.
The grip used is the continental grip, which will allow the player to develop the correct backhand volley technique throughout the following drills.
➡️ To learn how to position the hand correctly on the racket, the method for finding the continental grip is explained in detail in this drill: Beginner tip: use the continental grip to progress faster
⚠️ It is important to master this grip before moving on to the next stages: without the correct racket grip, the player will not be able to perform the backhand volley technique correctly.
Backhand volley technique: improving the straight forward movement of the arm
To produce a deep and controlled backhand volley, the player must learn to direct the arm movement forwards with the elbow, towards the intended direction of the ball. A common mistake is to use a movement that is too lateral, driven mainly by the shoulder, instead of moving the arm forwards…