Once the racket is correctly prepared, the player must learn to move towards the contact point of the ball and transfer their body weight forwards as they strike the ball.
The backhand volley uses a short, compact movement in front of the body, combined with a step forwards that allows the player to transfer the body’s energy into the ball.
This exercise focuses on developing this coordination as well as the final position of the racket, which should remain above net level.
Technical objectives:
This exercise is the third stage in learning the technique of the backhand volley.
The first stage focuses on developing the correct ready position, while the second teaches the correct racket preparation.
➡️ 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.
3️⃣ This third stage focuses on moving from the racket preparation position to the finishing position, working on the contact point, the forward transfer of body weight, and the finish of the volley.
❌ A common mistake is to use too large a backswing, taking the racket behind the shoulder in an attempt to generate more speed and power. Against a fast ball, this preparation makes it more difficult to find the correct contact point and can cause the player to strike the ball beside the body rather than in front.
The racket preparation should therefore remain short and in front of the left shoulder for a right-handed player, allowing them to find the contact point in front of the body.
➡️ From this position, the player performs a forward weight transfer. For a right-handed player, the weight initially placed on the left leg during the preparation moves forwards with the body, while the right leg steps towards the ball. At the end of the movement, the player’s weight is transferred onto the right leg.
This step should be made forwards rather than sideways, so that the movement of the body contributes directly to the stroke and allows this energy to be transferred into the ball.
The finish is also essential: the racket should finish above net level. Finishing too low can cause the ball to end up in the net or reduce the depth of the shot.
Finally, as the player moves forwards towards the contact point, the non-dominant arm moves backwards and upwards.
✅ The desired technical sequence is therefore as follows:
- From the ready position, the player turns the shoulder towards the intended direction of the shot and shifts their weight onto the left leg.
- From this preparation position, they coordinate the arm movement with the right leg stepping forwards, progressively transferring their weight onto that leg and finishing the volley correctly.
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 correct ready position.
How the drill works:
The player performs a series of repetitions without a ball to make the weight transfer and finishing position automatic.
On the coach’s signal, the player moves from the preparation position into the backhand volley movement: they step forwards with the right leg while initiating the arm movement, progressively transferring their weight from the left leg to the right leg.
They make sure to keep the movement short, find the contact point in front of the body, and finish with the racket above net level, while the non-dominant arm moves backwards and upwards.
The player performs around 10 repetitions without a ball to make this coordination automatic.
They then apply the same movement to balls fed by the coach.
➡️ To continue learning the backhand volley technique, the next progression is available here: Backhand volley technique: refining the racket preparation 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