In the latest YouTube video of Tresco for the chain XtresPadel, the benchmark coach Rodri Ovide delivers the secrets of a good volley, accompanied by his advice for amateur players.

Specific technical work: the volley

  • Importance of raise the elbow (avoid leaving it too low).
  • Solid supports : bend the left leg (for a right-handed person) and stay firmly anchored to the ground.
  • On the fly, we favor the precision and stability, not the power.

Stability before attack

  • If we are Misplaced, On slows down the game and we wait for a better ball.
  • It is not necessary never attack without balance.
  • The trap: when the technique is good, the amateur player often wants to repeat the perfect gesture every time.

“It's about learning to break the forward inertia. The difference is that the professional player is aware of this and doesn't act like it. He presses the red 'abort mission' button and plays what needs to be played.”

Understanding the game and managing the pace

  • Learn to slow down or speed up depending on the situation.
  • Resume your position when you are in imbalance.
  • It's you who must control the point, not your opponent.

“You realize that sometimes you won't have time to touch the ball properly.
So you modify: you block, you wait. You couldn't get your body in? Okay, you stabilize your support, you control it, and you attack the next one.”

“The hardest thing about volleying in padel is this: understanding that sometimes you just have to block, block, cross... until you can do the shot you've practiced 100 times.
The amateur wants to do that shot 35 times per game, even if it's only really possible to do it six times. And the rest of the time, you have to plug the holes, block, adapt, until you get your chance.”

The practice

  • THEtraining allows you to acquire the technical basics.
  • But this is the understanding of the game in a match which allows you to use these bases at the right time.

“It's a matter of practice. The more you play, the more you learn to read and anticipate, and you can look for your favorite shot more often.”

The effect

  • THEcut effect on the volleys is an asset, but it should not be abused.
  • You have to adapt to placement and timing, not always play the same move.

“Another common mistake is spin. Spin is good, but it doesn't always work. What's needed is control, game management. Not always the same shot with spin.
Otherwise, if your opponent anticipates, he will easily counter you.”

Game intelligence

“The intelligent player is not the one who wins the most. It's the one who loses the fewest points stupidly.”

During a match, it is not about no need to look for the perfect gesture, but to execute effective shots.

An effective shot is:

  • don't overdo it, keep it simple and precise.
  • being well put,
  • to have time to play,
  • send the ball at a good place,

The work of adaptation and patience

“If you watch the pros, they don't always finish. Sometimes they play a slow bandeja.
I go to amateur matches, and everyone hits hard. But the pros play slowly when necessary, hard when necessary.”

One of major problems, according Rodri Ovide, is the lack of patience and the tendency of players to want hit hard all the time, trying to finish too quickly.

“It's a sport that's played well by those who know how to play slowly when necessary and hard when necessary. It's not about hitting everything all the time.”
“But people think that if they hit hard, they play better. And that's not true.”

He compares with professionals and their ability to choose the right time to accelerate, rather than imposing a constant rhythm.

“The ball goes fast, but they know when to accelerate. What matters is ball control.”

Nicolas Fillaudeau

A big sports enthusiast and former tennis player, I discovered padel a few years ago without really focusing on it. Then I became addicted to this sport by practicing it and watching the premier padel matches. Looking forward to sharing the 2025 news with you!

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