After learning how to identify the correct contact point after a rebound off the back glass, the second step in learning the technique is to work on the ready position and racket preparation.
When defending off the glass, the player must learn to prepare the racket very early, before the ball passes in front of them and bounces on the ground. This early preparation then makes it easier to track the ball’s trajectory.
The racket preparation should remain short and low, with the knees bent and the non-dominant arm used to locate and track the ball’s trajectory.
This exercise also reinforces an essential principle of defending off the glass: stay patient and let the ball pass before playing it when it comes back in front of the body.
Technical objectives:
This exercise is the second step in learning back-glass defense.
The first step focuses on identifying the correct contact point after the ball comes off the glass and returns in front of the player.
➡️ All the progressions from the full glass defense session here: How to defend after the back glass in padel: 4 basic progressive drills.
The next step is therefore to learn the correct ready position and racket preparation.
➡️ The preparation should be made early enough and remain compact. To help the player find this low position, they begin by touching the ground with the tip of the racket before the ball bounces.
They then gradually move the racket backwards while following the ball’s trajectory, while keeping the knees bent and the preparation compact.
The non-dominant arm is used to track the position of the ball.
Finally, the player must learn not to rush: they let the ball pass and wait until it comes back in front of the body before striking it.
Setup:
The player stands at the back of the court, close to the back glass, with their racket in hand.
The coach stands in front of them with a basket of balls and feeds easy balls that rebound off the back glass.
How the drill works:
The coach feeds a ball that rebounds off the back glass.
Before the ball passes in front of the player and bounces on the ground, the player begins the preparation by touching the ground with the tip of the racket. This reference point helps them keep the preparation short and low.
As the ball continues towards the glass, the player gradually moves the racket backwards while following the movement of the ball, keeping the knees bent throughout.
During the preparation, the non-dominant arm remains active and tracks the position of the ball.
The player then lets the ball rebound off the glass and come back forwards, without trying to play it too early.
Once the ball comes in front of the body, the player plays a controlled shot towards the coach’s hands.
Several repetitions are performed so that the player can gradually automate the sequence: prepare early, keep the preparation short and low, let the ball pass, then strike it in front of the body.
The exercise is performed first on the forehand side and then on the backhand side, in order to work on the same preparation on both sides.
➡️ To continue learning back-glass defense technique, the next progression is available here: Defending off the glass: adjusting your movement before the shot.
➡️ And you can explore the full session, including all the progressions, here: How to defend after the back glass in padel: 4 basic progressive drills.
Variation for performing the exercise with a group of several players (2 to 6 players):
The players divide into pairs and set up as described above.
One player in each pair feeds the balls by hand while the other returns them with the racket, following the same technical instructions outlined above.
The roles are then reversed after several minutes.
The coach observes and corrects each player.
Video credits: Como MEJORAR la DEFENSA de PÁDEL⚔️💥EJERCICIOS Básicos Para PERFECCIONAR La DEFENSA – Padelarte – YouTube