Training Padel

This drill taught at MM Academy helps defenders learn to adjust their shot selection based on the attackers’ positioning and movement: choosing between a lob or a chiquita on an easy ball.

Conversely, attackers learn how to position themselves correctly and stay dynamic in order to quickly read the defender’s intention and anticipate whether the next shot will be a lob or a low ball, allowing them to start moving accordingly.

Conditioned tie-breaks are included to add a competitive edge to the exercise.

Setup:

Two pairs take position on the court:

• One pair in defense, positioned deep at the back of the court
• The other pair in attack, positioned at the net

The coach stands behind the attacking pair, centered at the back of the court, to feed the starting balls.

Drill sequence:

The drill begins with an easy deep ball fed by the coach toward the middle of the court.
The ball rebounds off the back glass with plenty of height.

The defending player then has two options:

• If the diagonal attacker stays still or moves closer to the net, the defender should play a high and deep lob down the diagonal.
• If the diagonal attacker starts moving backward anticipating the lob, the defender should instead play a chiquita: a slow, low ball that lands just after the net, aimed at the opponent’s feet.

The defender can either read the attacker’s movement themselves right before striking the ball, or their partner can help by communicating the opponents’ positioning — especially the movement of the diagonal attacker.

After this first defensive shot, the point becomes completely free play.

After a few rallies in this format, players can start a conditioned tie-break using these rules.

The pairs then swap roles on court.

Technical & tactical tips:

Defenders should aim to vary their returns: after a few lobs, the opponents will start anticipating them — that’s the perfect moment to play a good chiquita into the space near the net and take advantage.

In both cases, defenders should try to use their first lob or chiquita to regain the net and seize the initiative in the rally.

For attackers:

• If they stick too close to the net, a good lob will go over them easily, and they won’t have time to position properly for a bandeja or víbora.
• If they drop too far back expecting the lob, they risk being caught by a chiquita and potentially counter-attacked.

Attackers must therefore stay light and mobile on their feet, ready to react quickly to the defender’s shot. They should try to read the defender’s stroke as early as possible to anticipate the upcoming shot and adjust their movement accordingly.

Here’s the video demonstration of the drill:

Video credits: ¡TRESCO vs 3 PROS! 😱 “JAMÁS SERÁS PRO si haces ESTO…” – xTRES Padel – YouTube