Good racket preparation allows the player to approach the backhand volley from a balanced position and prepare the direction they want to play the ball.
From the ready position, the player must learn to quickly prepare the racket in front of the body, while correctly positioning the shoulders.
This exercise helps develop an automatic transition between the ready position and the racket preparation position for the backhand volley.
Technical objectives:
This exercise is the second stage in learning the technique of the backhand volley.
The first stage focuses on developing a good ready position, with the arms and legs slightly bent, the body weight on the balls of the feet, and the legs constantly active.
➡️ All the progressions from the session dedicated to backhand volley technique are available here: Backhand volley technique in padel: 7 progressive drills to master the stroke.
2️⃣ In this second stage, the player learns to move from the ready position into the racket preparation position.
For a right-handed player, this transition should allow them to transfer their weight onto the left leg, while turning the right shoulder towards the intended direction of the volley.
The racket preparation should always remain in front of the body and in a high position, with the racket face approximately at head height.
The player also adjusts the angle of the shoulder line according to the direction they want to play the ball.
➡️ The objective is to repeat this movement in order to make the transition from the ready position to the correct racket preparation position automatic.
Setup:
The coach places three cones in a triangle in the volley position, with two cones at the front and one at the back. Each cone is approximately one step apart.
The player stands behind the back cone, in the ready position worked on previously.
How the drill works:
On the coach’s signal, the player moves from the ready position into the backhand volley preparation position.
They briefly hold this position with the racket prepared high and in front of the body, their weight on the left leg for a right-handed player, and their shoulders oriented in the intended direction of the shot.
They then return to the ready position before repeating the movement on the coach’s next signal.
The player completes a series of 10 repetitions to make the transition between the two positions automatic.
Throughout the exercise, the player remains properly activated, with the knees slightly bent, the arms held away from the body, and the body weight on the balls of the feet, so they remain ready to react quickly.
➡️ To continue learning the backhand volley technique, the next progression is available here: Backhand volley technique: working on weight transfer and the correct finishing position.
➡️ And you can explore the full session, including all the progressions, here: Backhand volley technique in padel: 7 progressive drills to master the stroke.
Variation for a group of 2 to 6 players:
With several players, the coach sets up several triangles of three cones around the court.
Each player stands behind the back cone of their triangle, in the correct ready position.
On the coach’s signal, all players perform the same movements simultaneously, following the technical instructions of the exercise.
Video credits: PERFECCIONA tu VOLEA de REVÉS de PÁDEL⭐CONSEJOS y EJERCICIOS para la VOLEA PERFECTA – Padelarte – YouTube