This exercise is the third progression in learning the X4 smash technique. After working on the contact point and wrist movement by striking the ball directly in front of them, the player now aims to send the ball over an obstacle.
The objective is to send the ball over the 3-metre side fence, while maintaining the correct X4 smash technique.
This progression gradually increases the difficulty before attempting to send the ball out of the court over the 4-metre back glass.
Technical objectives:
3️⃣ This exercise is the third progression in learning the X4 smash technique.
The first two progressions focused on an extended arm, a high contact point, striking the top of the ball and a vertical downward flexion of the wrist.
➡️ All the progressions from the session dedicated to the X4 smash technique are available here: Learning the X4 smash technique in padel: 5 progressive drills to master the shot.
In this third drill, the player learns to reproduce the same movement to send the ball over the 3-metre side fence.
They must maintain an extended arm at the moment of impact and aim to strike directly on top of the ball, at the 12 o’clock position.
The shot still relies on a quick downward wrist movement, finishing with the wrist flexed and the tip of the racket pointing towards the ground.
✅ The objective is to maintain a clean, precise technique despite the increased difficulty, without compensating with a large arm swing.
Setup:
The player positions themselves facing the side fence of the court, approximately 2 metres away, with their racket and a basket of balls nearby.
The coach stands beside them to observe and correct their technique.
How the drill works:
The player takes a ball and prepares their racket above their head, with the dominant arm almost fully extended.
They toss the ball upwards and aim to strike directly on top of it, using the vertical wrist movement practised in the previous drills.
Their objective is to drive the ball sharply downwards towards the ground, then send it over the 3-metre side fence using the height of its bounce.
✅ Throughout the shot, they focus on keeping the arm almost fully extended and maintaining a short follow-through, with the wrist flexed and the tip of the racket pointing downwards.
They repeat the movement, prioritising consistent technique and the correct ball trajectory, rather than a large, powerful swing.
After approximately ten successful repetitions in a row, they can move on to the next progression.
➡️ The next progression for continuing to learn the X4 smash technique is available here: Learning the X4 smash technique: adjusting your footwork and executing your first X4 smash.
➡️ The full X4 smash session and all its progressions are available here: Learning the X4 smash technique in padel: 5 progressive drills to master the shot.
For a group of 2 to 6 players:
With several players, they spread out along the side fences of the court, leaving enough space between them to avoid interfering with one another.
🔀 They perform their shots simultaneously, aiming to send the ball over the fence.
The coach observes and corrects the contact point, arm extension, wrist movement and the quality of the resulting ball trajectory.
Video credits: Como SACARLA X4 en PÁDEL FÁCIL💥EJERCICIOS Para MEJORAR El REMATE X4 En PÁDEL – Padelarte – YouTube