Basic Skills:
Volley (Forehand & Backhand)
A volley in padel is a shot in which the ball is struck
before it bounces on the ground. Generally a player hits a volley while
standing near the net, although it can be executed farther back.
To be a successful volleyer you need to have quick reflexes and you
need to have perfect hand-eye coordination.
Grip
The
Continental grip is the most commonly used grip by professional padel players.
This grip can be used both in a forehand volley and in a backhand volley. This
means that you don’t have to change your grip if you use a forehand and a
backhand volley alternately. This makes this grip more popular than the other
grips.
Some players use the Eastern forehand grip to hit a forehand volley,
but the disadvantage of this padel volley grip is the fact that if you want to
hit a backhand volley stroke in your next shot, you need to change your grip to
a continental grip. This can be very confusing and time consuming especially
for beginners.
Footwork
There
are several ways to practice the proper padel volley footwork preparation.
Another essential padel volley tip is to perform a timely split step and focus
your balance as early as possible. For best results, you have to execute the
split step as soon as your opponent makes contact with the ball. This is for
you to establish your base of support.
In fact, most professional players are able to execute their split
step in such a way that the execution is perfectly timed just after the
opponent’s ball contact. The split step is also important for you to be able to
move quickly and react to your opponents return flawlessly. A timely split step
also gives you the proper balance your need to execute your return properly. In
this type of footwork preparation, timing is essential.
Preparation
Volleys are normally played on the net, thus its shot preparation is
basically shorter compared to other shots such as groundstrokes. This makes an
appropriate tennis volley preparation crucial. Late preparation can lead to a
rushed shot resulting to poor executions. One of the most important volley tips
is to be well prepared by anticipating your opponent’s shots.
The split step is the most important footwork preparation in padel
volley shots.
Proper weight transfer also varies between a low volley and a high
volley shot. In a low volley shot, the weight transfer should happen before
contact while in a high volley shot, weight transfer should happen during
contact. This weight transfer signifies your timely weight transfer from your
back foot to your front foot.
At
contact, the paddle face must be in a slightly open position. This means that
the paddle face that comes in contact with the ball must be slightly facing
upwards or towards the sky. This paddle face position at contact can be used
either in a forehand or in a backhand volley.
A common problem among club players is late reaction time. This causes
their paddle face to be positioned is a "dish" manner (racket face
facing upwards fully).
Termination
The termination
of a volley is accompanying the ball, and ends pointing with the tip of the
paddle to the place where I want to hit the ball. A typical mistake is to
finish down, that’s the reason the ball goes to the net. The ending of the
stroke is well forward and pointing to the target.
