Forehand volleys flying long or into the net?
The forehand volley in padel is usually the first volley beginners feel comfortable with, since it's closer to a natural punching motion on your dominant side. That early comfort can be deceptive, though, since a handful of small technical habits, formed early and rarely corrected, quietly cap how consistent the shot ever becomes. This guide breaks down the basic technique for a forehand volley and the specific mistakes that hold most beginners back.
What Is a Forehand Volley in Padel?
A forehand volley is any ball struck in the air, before it bounces, on your dominant side of the body. It's typically hit from a position near the net, using a short, controlled motion rather than a full groundstroke swing. Because it's played so close to the net, the forehand volley usually needs to prioritize control and placement over pace.
Grip for the Forehand Volley
Most players use a continental grip for the forehand volley, the same grip used for the serve and the backhand volley. Using one consistent grip across both sides at the net means you don't need to adjust your hand position between shots, which matters when a ball can arrive on either side with almost no warning.
Note
Switching grips between forehand and backhand volleys, a habit carried over from other sports, usually costs beginners more time than it gains in comfort. Stick with continental on both sides.
Technique Breakdown
Preparation and Racket Position
Take the racket back only a small amount, with the racket face slightly open and held in front of your body rather than down by your side. This early, minimal preparation is what makes the shot repeatable under time pressure, since there's very little swing left to rush through once the ball arrives.
Contact Point
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Make contact out in front of your body, roughly level with or slightly ahead of your leading shoulder. Contact that happens too far to the side or behind you reduces your control over the shot and often leads to the ball sailing wide or landing short.
Follow-Through
Push the racket forward through the ball with a short, controlled motion, finishing with the racket face still facing generally toward your target rather than wrapping around your body. A compact follow-through keeps the shot precise, which matters more at the net than raw power does.
Important
Keep your wrist firm from preparation through contact. A relaxed or flicking wrist is one of the most common reasons a forehand volley loses control right at the moment it matters most.
Positioning for the Forehand Volley
Stand roughly one to two steps back from the net, angled slightly so your dominant side is ready to meet a ball hit toward that area. A small split step just before your opponent makes contact keeps your weight balanced and ready to push forward or to the side, rather than starting flat-footed and reaching late.
Slightly shift your weight toward your forehand side when you anticipate a ball coming that way, without committing so fully that a last-second change of direction catches you off guard. That small anticipatory lean, built through repetition rather than guesswork, is what separates players who look rushed at the net from those who look like they have time to spare.
| Element | Correct Habit | Common Mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Grip | Continental, consistent with backhand | Switching grips between sides |
| Swing | Short, compact motion | Full backswing like a groundstroke |
| Contact Point | In front of the body | Too far to the side or behind |
| Wrist | Firm through contact | Loose or flicking at the ball |
Forehand Volley vs Backhand Volley
Most beginners find the forehand volley easier at first, since the arm moves more naturally across the front of the body on that side, closer to a simple punching motion. The backhand volley, by contrast, often requires more deliberate practice to avoid a dropped elbow or a weak, unsupported shot. Because the forehand feels easier, though, players sometimes get away with sloppier habits on that side for longer, since a decent result still comes through even with imperfect technique. That's exactly why forehand-specific mistakes are worth addressing early, before they become permanent habits that only show up under real match pressure.
Adjusting for High and Low Balls
A forehand volley above net height gives you the chance to angle the ball down aggressively, aiming for open space or an opponent's feet. A forehand volley below net height calls for a more patient approach: opening the racket face slightly more and prioritizing a clean, controlled shot back over the net rather than trying to force pace on a ball you're hitting on the way up. Beginners who use the same flat swing on both high and low balls tend to net an unnecessary number of the lower ones.
Common Mistakes with the Forehand Volley
Swinging Too Much
Because the forehand feels like a natural, comfortable motion, beginners often let the backswing grow larger than it should. A bigger swing at the net leaves less time to react and increases the chance of mistiming the shot entirely, especially against faster balls.
Dropping the Racket Head
Letting the racket head drop below your wrist during preparation forces you to lift the ball upward on contact, which usually sends it too high and gives opponents an easy attacking shot. Keeping the racket head up and the face slightly open avoids this entirely.
Reaching Instead of Stepping
Extending the arm to reach a wide ball, rather than taking a small step to get properly behind it, reduces both control and power. A short step toward the ball, even a slight one, makes a noticeable difference in shot quality.
Hitting Too Flat Under Pressure
On faster balls, beginners often panic and swing at the same pace as the incoming shot, producing an overly flat, uncontrolled volley. Softening the grip pressure slightly and using the pace of the incoming ball, essentially blocking rather than driving, keeps faster volleys in play far more reliably.
Aiming with the Arm Instead of the Racket Face
Some beginners try to steer the ball by adjusting their arm angle mid-swing rather than simply setting the racket face correctly before contact. This extra manipulation usually adds inconsistency rather than accuracy. Deciding the racket face angle during preparation, then keeping it stable through contact, produces a far more repeatable result.
Advice
Practice forehand volleys from a shorter distance to the net first. Working close in removes some of the timing pressure and lets you focus purely on a compact, controlled swing before adding distance and pace.
Drills to Fix Forehand Volley Mistakes
Have a partner feed a series of easy, controlled balls directly to your forehand side while you focus purely on keeping the backswing short and the wrist firm. Once that feels consistent, add feeds with more pace, focusing on softening your grip slightly to absorb speed rather than swinging harder to match it. Finally, mix in feeds to both sides so you build the habit of recognizing which volley is coming early enough to prepare properly.
A reliable forehand volley comes down to a handful of repeatable habits: a consistent continental grip, a short and controlled swing, contact out in front of the body, and a firm wrist through impact. None of it demands unusual strength or flexibility, just the discipline to keep the motion small and controlled, even when a shot feels easy enough to hit harder.
The forehand volley's biggest trap is exactly how comfortable it feels early on. Because the motion comes naturally, it's easy to assume the shot needs no dedicated practice at all, right up until a fast, awkward ball at the net exposes whichever habit went uncorrected. Treating it with the same attention as any other technical shot, rather than something that takes care of itself, is what turns an early comfort into a genuinely reliable weapon.
