The Heights Racquet & Social Club · Coach's Playbook
Padel DrillsHow to run every slot on the menu — for coaches
Each drill below has a goal, a setup, how the ball actually flows, how to run it for 2 to 4 players, and the cues to call out. New to coaching drills? Read the six principles first — they apply to every slot on the page.
Before you start — six principles for every drill
Keep reps highRotate players every 60–90 seconds so nobody stands around waiting. Idle players cool off and lose focus.
Name the target firstCall the target zone before you feed the ball, so the player commits to a decision instead of just returning it.
Reward placement, not powerPraise the ball that lands in the zone. Padel is a control game — celebrating winners teaches the wrong habit.
Your feed sets the qualityA drill is only as good as your feed. Groove one repeatable, catchable feed before you add pressure.
Freeze, fix, resumeStop play at the teachable moment, make one correction, then keep going. Don't stack five fixes on one point.
Always finish with pointsEnd every technical block with live points so players use what they just drilled while it's fresh.
Net Game & Finishing
03 DRILLS
01
Volley Pressure Ladder
Goal
Clean, well-placed volleys under time pressure — placement over power.
Set up
One person feeds from the opposite back court. The working pair stands at the net, just inside the service line.
Run it
Feed a steady stream of balls to the net pair. They volley to a called target — cross-court, down-the-line, or at-the-feet (a soft block volley). Award a point for landing in the target zone, not for hitting a winner. Rotate hitters about every 90 seconds so no one runs out of gas.
Scale
2: one at the net, one feeding — swap halfway. 3: two at the net, one feeding, rotate through. 4: run it as king-of-the-net — winners of each exchange hold the net, the others rotate in.
Cues
- Short punch, not a swing
- Racket out in front of the body
- Split-step as the feed comes
- Call the target before the ball so they commit
02
Bandeja Builder
Goal
Groove the bandeja (the controlling overhead) so players hold the net instead of backing off it.
Set up
You (or a feeder) lob from the back court. The working player starts at the net.
Run it
Lob to the player's overhead shoulder. They hit a sliced bandeja aimed deep and cross-court, then follow the shot forward to re-take their net position. Work in blocks of 8–10 reps, then rotate. The whole point of the shot is to buy time while staying at the net.
Scale
2–4 rotate through one feeding lane. With 4, add a second feeder so two players work at once on opposite sides.
Cues
- Contact out front and above the shoulder — not straight overhead
- Brush down the back of the ball for slice
- Aim deep so it stays low after the bounce
- Finish moving forward — drifting backward is the #1 error
03
Víbora vs. Bandeja Read
Goal
Pick the right overhead based on the lob that's coming — not just swing at everything the same way.
Set up
Feeder varies the lob depth unpredictably, short and deep in no set pattern.
Run it
On a shorter, attackable lob the player hits a víbora (more aggressive, whippier, with sidespin). On a deeper lob they hit the safer bandeja to reset. Don't call which one — let the player read and decide, then give feedback after each ball. Keep score on the correct choice, not just clean contact.
Scale
Best with 2–3 for volume of reads. With 4, half the group works while half feeds and shags, then swap.
Cues
- Short lob = step in and attack (víbora)
- Deep lob = control and reset (bandeja)
- Read it early off the opponent's racket — watch height and depth
- When unsure, choose the safe bandeja
Defense & The Walls
02 DRILLS
04
Back-Glass Control
Goal
Turn the back wall from enemy into ally — use the rebound to reset the point calmly.
Set up
Feeder hits firm balls into the back glass. The player stands in the back court and lets the ball pass to the wall.
Run it
The player waits, lets the ball rebound off the back glass, and lifts a controlled, deep lob to reset. Once that's comfortable, progress to the side-wall-then-back-wall ball (the double glass) — the shot that separates intermediate from advanced. 8–10 reps each.
Scale
2–4 in a feed-and-rotate line — one works, the others recover balls, quick swaps.
Cues
- Turn sideways and track the ball onto the wall
- Let it drop — patience is the actual skill
- Open racket face, contact low, lift
- Aim the reset lob deep, not flat
05
Defense-to-Offense
Goal
Absorb the attack, earn one great lob, and take the net back.
Set up
The coached pair starts at the back. The other pair — or you plus a feeder — attacks from the net.
Run it
The defending pair has to weather 3–4 attacking volleys, staying patient and low, then earn their way forward off a good deep lob and take the net. Play the point out. Whoever wins holds the net for the next rep. It's a full point, so it feels like a match rather than a drill.
Scale
A natural 4-player drill. With 2–3, you play the attacking role and supply the pressure yourself.
Cues
- Stay back and low under pressure — don't rush the net early
- The trigger to move up is one quality lob that pushes them off the net
- Advance as a pair, together — never one at a time
- Reset with the walls if the attack is too hot
The Lob
01 DRILL
06
The Attacking Lob
Goal
Use the lob as an offensive weapon that pushes opponents off the net — padel's most under-practiced shot.
Set up
Attackers at the net volley at the defenders. Defenders start in the back court.
Run it
The attackers keep pressure with volleys. The defenders score ONLY by landing lobs in the back third, over the attackers' reach, forcing them to retreat. This reframes the lob as a weapon instead of a panic shot. Rotate roles so everyone does both jobs.
Scale
Naturally a 4-player drill. With fewer, you fill the attacking net role and keep the pressure on.
Cues
- Disguise it — same prep as a drive
- Height AND depth; a short lob gets smashed
- Aim over the outside shoulder of the net player
- After a good lob, both defenders step in together
Serve & Return
02 DRILLS
07
Serve + First Volley
Goal
Serve with a target in mind, then win the first volley behind it.
Set up
Server serves (underhand, off one bounce, contact below the waist), then moves in. Return pair in place.
Run it
The server hits to a called target — the body, the T, or wide off the side glass — then plays the next ball as a first volley while moving to the net. The return pair aims deep and low to make that first volley hard. Rotate servers through.
Scale
Works 2–4 easily. With 2, just server and returner — swap roles each set.
Cues
- Legal serve: one bounce first, contact below the waist
- Serve to a spot with intent — don't just start the point
- Split-step before playing the first volley
- Wide-to-the-glass serves pull the returner off court
08
Return-and-Close
Goal
Return low, then make the decision most rec players get wrong — charge in or hold.
Set up
Server serves; the returner works the return and then reads the situation.
Run it
The returner must lob or drive the ball low, then immediately decide whether to advance to the net or hold back — based on how good their return was. A deep, low return earns the move forward; a weak, floaty one means stay back. Give feedback on the decision every rep, not just the stroke.
Scale
Best with 3–4 so the full court is live and the decision is real.
Cues
- A low return buys the time to move up
- A floaty return means stay back or you'll get smashed
- Come in behind a lob or a strong return only
- Talk with your partner about who's going
Live Points, Coached
02 DRILLS
09
King of the Court, Coached
Goal
Match-real points with live coaching — the easiest slot to sell to a booked four.
Set up
Four players, continuous points, you on the sideline.
Run it
Play points continuously. Freeze the action at the teachable moment to fix positioning, spacing, and communication, then resume. Winners hold, challengers rotate in. It plays like a game but delivers real coaching, which is why social groups book it happily.
Scale
A 4-player format. With 3, rotate the odd player in as server/feeder each point.
Cues
- Freeze on the teachable moment, not every error
- Correct spacing first — move as a pair
- Keep the pace up between freezes
- One correction per freeze
10
Two-Up, Two-Back Battle
Goal
Win the position exchange that most padel points hinge on.
Set up
One pair at the net (two-up), one pair at the back (two-back).
Run it
Set the classic padel standoff and replay the point until one pair breaks through — the net pair trying to hold, the back pair trying to earn the net with lobs. Reset and run it again, then switch roles so both pairs practice both jobs.
Scale
A pure 4-player format.
Cues
- Net pair: close the middle and hold your ground
- Net pair: bandeja the lob rather than backing up if you can
- Back pair: patient defense plus quality lobs is the way through
- The net is won and lost through the middle