This exercise is the third progression in learning the technique of the power smash in padel. After working on the complete movement with the racket, the player now focuses on using the wrist to generate spin on the ball.
The objective is to learn to generate topspin by moving the wrist over the top of the ball, helping the ball rise higher after rebounding off the glass.
To isolate this movement, the player hits balls against the back glass while holding their elbow in place with their non-dominant hand.
Technical objectives:
3️⃣ This exercise is the third progression in learning smash technique.
The first two progressions focused on body position, weight transfer, a straight overhead racket path and reaching a high contact point with the arm extended.
➡️ All the progressions from the session dedicated to power smash technique are available here: Power smash technique: 6 progressions to learn the correct movement.
In this third exercise, the player continues to aim for the highest possible contact point, with the arm fully extended at the moment of impact.
✅ The player now adds a wrist movement that brings the racket over the top of the ball to generate topspin.
To make this movement easier, the player holds the racket towards the bottom of the handle, maintaining the grip developed since the beginning of the session. This position allows greater flexibility in the wrist.
⏩ The exercise aims to demonstrate that wrist movement alone, even without a follow-through from the arm, can be enough to make the ball rise significantly after rebounding off the glass.
At the end of the movement, the player’s wrist should be flexed downwards, with the tip of the racket pointing towards the ground.
The player must also move into position under the ball and actively reach for the highest possible contact point, rather than waiting for the ball to drop.
Setup:
The player positions themselves facing the back glass, in the middle of their side of the court, holding their racket and a ball.
They place their non-dominant hand on the elbow of their racket arm to limit movement of that arm.
How the drill works:
The player hits a series of controlled shots against the middle of the back glass.
Throughout the exercise, they hold their elbow in place with their non-dominant hand to isolate the wrist movement.
The player aims to bring the racket over the top of the ball at the moment of contact to generate topspin.
After each rebound, the player observes how high the ball rises and adjusts their movement accordingly.
They also focus on moving into the correct position under the ball, aiming for the highest possible contact point rather than passively waiting for the ball to drop.
➡️ The next progression for learning smash technique is available here: Learning the power smash: using the non-dominant arm to track the ball.
➡️ All the progressions from the session dedicated to power smash technique are available here: Power smash technique: 6 progressions to learn the correct movement.
Variation for a group of 2 to 6 players:
The players line up in the middle of the court, facing the back glass, to perform the exercise simultaneously. Depending on the number of players, the coach can divide them between both sides of the court to give everyone as much space as possible.
⏩ Each player performs a series of controlled shots against the glass, holding their elbow in place with their non-dominant hand.
The coach checks the use of the wrist, the generation of topspin and positioning under the ball before allowing the next player to take their turn.
Video credits: MEJORA tu REMATE de PÁDEL💥Ejercicios Para Potenciar tu SMASH en Pádel – Padelarte – YouTube