One of the most important strokes of padel is the volley. It may seem like an easy blow at first glance, but it is one of the most complicated in this sport and at the same time one of the definitive ones when it comes to working on a point to make it fall on your side. The volley can be made forehand or backhand.

What is the volley?

The volley in padel is one of the most fundamental and used strokes. It is done when the player is close to the net, and when the ball has not bounced off the surface, that is, the ball is hit while it is still traveling. The volley is a blow that greatly unbalances the opponent, especially when it is made with good power and aimed at an opponent’s weak point. This shot is made with the aim of continuing to maintain the net, looking for the rival team to respond to the volley with a poor quality shot and leave us with the ball ready to finish forcefully.

Difference Between Forehand Volley and Backhand Volley

As well as groundstrokes, the volley can also be played from the forehand or backhand. This will be done depending on which side the ball travels, and each of these shots has to have a specific process, although they are still very similar volley shots. It’s important to understand that, just like down the court, the backhand is a bit more complex than the forehand. That’s why it’s harder to find direction and power with a backhand volley.

The preparation of the volley

The first step in making a good volley is preparation. First of all, it is crucial to be standing facing the ball, with the compass slightly open and holding the racket at chest level and forward, in order to be ready for the shot. In addition, it is important that the legs are slightly bent, and that the player is active, resting more on the balls of the feet than on the heels. In this way, you can be 100% prepared to hit a forehand or backhand volley.

It is also essential to mention that the volley is a shot that requires a short preparation. That is, it is not necessary for the player to take a lot of flight or make a very extensive arm movement. That is why it is recommended not to prepare the blow with the arm so far back, because it takes speed to respond with a volley.

The impact

The point of impact on the ball must be in front of the player, and more or less at head height. In addition, the racket must be in an almost vertical position, making sure that the head of the padel racket is at a higher point than the handle.

At the moment of hitting the ball, force must be exerted with the whole body, leaning slightly forward when impacting the ball. It is important that the power of the volley does not come from the arm alone.

Another of the key points of the volley in padel is the movement of the body. When you hit a forehand volley, the opposite foot of the dominant arm should be brought forward, so that the player practically ends up standing in a profile position. When hitting a backhand volley, the dominant foot is brought forward.

volley completion

When executing a volley, the racket follows the trajectory of the ball and ends up pointing where the ball travels. Finally, it is important that, after making the shot, you return to the initial preparation position, that is, facing the ball, with your legs open and slightly bent and with the racket at chest height to be ready to hit. the next hit.

TIPS TO IMPROVE THE VOLLEY

For the drive or backhand volley to be good, many factors are very important:

• You must always be well positioned and with the racket up. It is one of the most important things because if the padel racket comes out from below it is lost to hit the ball and the ball will surely stay in the net or go to the glass.
• We will always have to be with the racket raised and the average legs tense and in tension to be able to react to any type of ball.
  The positioning of the feet is very valuable when it comes to volleying and above all trying to enter the ball from the side. That will make us control the blow much more and direct the ball to the right place with total control.
• We will always make the movement of the volley with short runs from top to bottom with the end of the racket in front. That will make the ball arrive after the service line and run more.
• Whenever we attack forehand we must advance the left foot, on the contrary, when we volley backhand, the foot that we will advance will be the right. It may seem silly, but when we manage to coordinate those movements and positioning with the impact of the ball, we will realize that the ball always goes to the place on the court that we want with total control. We will realize that it will become an attack hit and not just a defense hit as many people think.

The volley in padel must be a blow that makes you work hard on the point and that you can finish many of them. Also, whenever you want to win a match, it is said that the matches are won on the network. Hence the importance of making good volleys to win matches.

Don’t hesitate to try all these tips on your volley to make it one of your best shots. You never want to lose the net when you realize how much damage you can do to it when volleying. Discover the best padel rackets so that your volleys are impressive.