If you keep hitting padel volleys into the net, start by checking where you meet the ball, how long your swing is, and whether you are balanced. Do not change all three at once. A short racket path, contact in front and a controlled target are useful first checks in LTA Padel’s volley guidance.
This guide is for beginner and improving players whose forehand or backhand volleys keep dying in the net. It gives you a quick way to diagnose the miss and a partner drill for practising one correction at a time.
What should I check first?
Watch the contact rather than only the ball’s final path. Use this table after a netted volley, then pick one cue for the next feed.
| What you notice | First check | Try on the next feed |
|---|---|---|
| The ball comes fast and you swing at it | Is the racket travelling too far? | Set the racket early and block with a compact path. |
| You make contact beside or behind your body | Did you prepare after the ball reached you? | Turn and prepare sooner; meet the ball farther in front. |
| A comfortable feed still goes into the net | Are you trying to hit too hard or too sharply down? | Use a controlled push and aim with more margin over the net. |
| You miss mainly while moving sideways | Are you reaching before your feet are set? | Take a small adjustment step, regain balance and shorten the volley. |
These are practice cues, not a diagnosis from one miss. If the feed is low, fast or awkward, the shot itself may be difficult. When you have time and space, you can let a rally ball bounce before playing it; you do not have to volley every ball just because you are near the net.
How do I make a safer volley?
Prepare early and keep the swing short
As soon as you read whether the ball is coming to your forehand or backhand, bring the racket into position. LTA Padel recommends a ready position around the height where you expect to make contact, generally above net height, so the racket does not have to travel up from low down for every volley. For a fast ball, its guidance describes a compact block: let the prepared racket meet the ball and send it back without adding a large swing.
Meet the ball in front
If contact drifts alongside or behind you, the volley becomes harder to direct. Prepare early, move your feet into position and make contact in front of your body. Step into the shot with the opposite foot when the feed gives you time. If you are reaching, first make the feed easier or give yourself more space from the net; adding a bigger arm swing usually makes the timing harder to repeat.
Match the shot to the feed
You do not need to attack every volley. LTA Padel distinguishes a defensive block for a fast ball from a deeper push on a more comfortable ball, and reserves a more attacking slice volley for a slower feed. When you are trying to stop net errors, begin with the block or push. Add slice or pace only after you can send the simpler volley over the net consistently.
A partner drill to fix repeated net errors
Use this progression with a partner or coach. Keep the feed and target steady while you work on one cue.
- Start in one place. Stand in your usual net position. Have your partner feed a gentle ball to the forehand, then the backhand. Aim through a generous central area of the court.
- Use the short path. Prepare the racket before the feed. Block the quicker balls; push the easier ones with control. After each miss, name one observation: late preparation, contact beside you, a long swing or poor balance.
- Repeat the same feed. Change one cue only, then try that feed again at the same pace. If you still reach or rush, slow the feed rather than swinging harder.
- Add movement. Ask your partner to alternate sides. Make a small adjustment step, play the volley, then recover to a ready position before the next feed.
- Return to a rally. When the controlled feeds feel manageable, use the beginner volley control drill, which works on preparation, contact height and recovery. You can progress to LTA Padel’s three-volley depth drill, where the volleying pair tries to make the ball bounce beyond the service line before the point continues.
If your movement is what breaks down, practise the padel split-step progression. If the problem appears when your pair is moving into or holding the net, review basic padel positioning and agree who covers the middle before you start the rally.
What should I track after practice?
Keep the note simple: which side you missed on, whether contact was in front, and whether you were balanced. That is more useful than recording only the number of errors because it gives you one cue to revisit. The padel match review guide has a short framework for turning match observations into a practice focus.
You can also record a short drill or match clip and use Padel Coach App to review visible preparation and contact, then keep one focus for your next session. Look for a repeated pattern across clips rather than trying to diagnose your whole volley from one point.
Quick answers
Should I swing harder to get the ball over the net?
Usually, start by shortening the swing and meeting the ball in front. A compact block or controlled push is easier to repeat than adding power to a late contact.
Should I volley every ball when I am at the net?
No. In a rally, you may let the ball bounce once before returning it; the serve itself must bounce before the return. See LTA Padel’s rules guide. If a low ball is awkward and you have time and space, letting it bounce can give you a groundstroke instead of a rushed volley.
Which volley should I practise first?
Start with a compact block against a gentle, predictable feed. Once you can direct it with control, vary the feed and add the push volley for balls that arrive more comfortably.
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