This fun and engaging drill helps young players develop coordination, ball control, and accuracy while staying constantly active.
Players must guide a rolling ball through a slalom course before striking it towards a goal.
The exercise is designed to be fun, dynamic, and highly engaging, keeping children motivated throughout the session.
Setup:
On one half of the court, the coach sets up:
- a line of cones in each service box to create the slalom course;
- a goal opposite each line of cones, made up of two cones placed approximately one metre apart against the back glass.
The coach places the basket of balls between the two courses, close to the net.
The players are divided into two teams, with each team lining up behind one of the cone courses. Each player starts with a ball placed on the ground in front of them and waits for the coach’s signal.
How the drill works:
On the coach’s signal, the first player from each team starts simultaneously.
The players must keep their ball rolling along the ground while weaving through the cones, much like a hockey player controlling a puck.
After passing the final cone and before reaching the service line, they must strike the ball towards the goal while keeping it rolling on the ground.
Each goal scored earns one point for the team.
After striking the ball, the player runs back to the basket to collect a new ball and rejoins the end of their team’s line. Meanwhile, the next player in the team begins their turn.
The drill runs for a period determined by the coach, typically between 5 and 10 minutes depending on the number of players.
At the end of the allotted time, the team with the most points wins the challenge.
Objectives of the drill for young players:
- Develop overall coordination and ball control.
- Improve movement skills and footwork quality through the slalom course.
- Develop accuracy and touch when striking a ball along the ground.
In this exercise, players follow one another with only a few seconds between starts. This means there is always a player actively engaged in part of the drill: weaving through the cones, shooting at goal, or running back into position.
This organisation minimises downtime and maintains a high level of activity for the entire group. There are no passive waiting lines.
Coaching tips:
When coaching children, it is important to avoid passive queues where players spend time waiting, become bored, or lose focus. Keeping children moving helps raise their heart rate and allows them to expend energy in a positive way.
Adding a scoring system also helps children stay motivated and engaged as they compete to win the challenge. It also develops teamwork, which is fundamental in padel.
The coach should always remain positive and enthusiastic with the players. The primary objective is to help children fall in love with padel and always look forward to coming back to practice. After every successful action, use encouragement such as “Well done!” or “Excellent!” so that the child feels supported. If a child makes a mistake, respond with “Almost!” or “Good try!” to keep them motivated.
Possible variations:
Feel free to be creative when adapting this exercise:
- reduce the size of the goal to increase the difficulty of the final shot;
- vary the slalom pattern with more complex movements (zigzags, circles, changes of direction, etc.).
Video credits: Ejercicios de Pádel para niños – Music From Heaven – YouTube