This exercise is the fourth progression in learning the drop shot technique. After learning to absorb the pace of an incoming ball and control it with the racket, the player now uses this slowed-down ball to execute a proper drop shot.
The objective is to combine two separate actions: an initial contact to take the pace off the ball, followed by a drop shot to make it bounce just over the net.
This progression brings together pace control and the slicing action used for a drop shot, in a situation where the ball is first brought under control before being struck.
Technical objectives:
4️⃣ This exercise is the fourth progression in the session dedicated to learning the drop shot technique.
The first three progressions focused on the racket path, the slicing action and controlling a ball played by an opponent.
➡️ All the progressions from the session dedicated to the drop shot technique are available here: Learning the drop shot technique in padel: 6 progressive drills to master the shot.
In this fourth drill, the player learns to turn their initial ball control into a proper drop shot, using two successive contacts.
✅ The first contact involves taking as much pace as possible off the incoming ball with the racket, allowing it to bounce just in front of the player so they can comfortably play it again.
✅ On the second contact, the player aims to execute a drop shot with a downward racket movement, imparting backspin on the ball.
They finish the movement with a slight upward lift of the racket face, bringing it to an almost horizontal position, to control the ball’s speed and trajectory.
Both movements remain short and compact, with a minimal backswing and a short follow-through, to maintain maximum control.
➡️ The objective is to make the second shot bounce just over the net, while maintaining a smooth, precise movement.
This progression develops coordination between the initial ball control and the execution of the drop shot technique.
Setup:
The coach positions themselves on one side of the court, with a basket of balls.
The player stands opposite the coach, on the other side of the net, in a volley position.
How the drill works:
The coach feeds easy balls at a moderate pace towards the player’s forehand side.
The player begins by positioning their racket to meet the incoming ball and absorb its pace, as practised in the previous progression.
This time, instead of catching the ball with their non-dominant hand, they aim to slow it down in a controlled way so that it stays just in front of them.
They then prepare to execute a proper drop shot on this slowed-down ball.
For this second shot, they perform a downward racket movement to impart backspin, finishing with a slight upward lift of the racket face to take pace off the ball.
✅ The objective is to make the ball bounce just over the net, in the opponents’ half of the court.
The player repeats this sequence, focusing on a highly accurate first contact, followed by a short, controlled drop shot.
After approximately ten successful repetitions, they can move on to the next progression.
➡️ The next progression for continuing to learn the drop shot technique is available here: Learning the drop shot technique: improving control and accuracy by aiming at a target.
➡️ The full drop shot session and all its progressions are available here: Learning the drop shot technique in padel: 6 progressive drills to master the shot
For a group of 2 to 6 players:
With several players, they work in pairs across the court, leaving enough space between the groups.
⏩ In each pair, one player takes up a volley position to practise controlling the ball before playing a drop shot, while their partner feeds balls from the other side of the net.
Once the first player has mastered the sequence, the players swap roles.
The coach observes and corrects the quality of the initial ball control, the transition to the second shot, the backspin and the accuracy of the bounce just over the net.
Video credits: CÓMO HACER una DEJADA PERFECTA en PÁDEL – trucos y ejercicios TOP – Padelarte – YouTube