Padel Practice Drills: 12 Solo and Partner Exercises to Improve Fast

By Gary, founder of RacketRise. Playing padel in the UK and tracking the sport's explosive growth.

Last Updated: March 2026

Quick Summary

• Most padel players never practise — they just play matches, which means they repeat the same mistakes week after week
• Solo wall drills improve control faster than match play — 20 minutes against a wall builds racket feel that takes months to develop in games alone
• 12 drills in this guide — 4 solo, 4 partner, and 4 match-play exercises covering volleys, lobs, serves, wall play, and positioning
• Find courts near you — use the RacketRise Court Finder to find padel and pickleball courts across the UK

You play padel every week. You enjoy it. But you are not getting better. The same weak backhand, the same panicked volley, the same serve that lands mid-court every time. The problem is not talent — it is that match play alone does not fix specific weaknesses.

Quick Answer: The fastest way to improve at padel is structured practice, not just playing matches. Start with solo wall drills — 20 minutes of forehand and backhand rallies against the back glass builds racket control faster than anything else. Add partner volley drills twice a week. Practise your serve with targets on the court. The UK now has over 1,000 padel courts, and most venues will let you book a court specifically for practice if you ask.

Table of Contents

• Why Drills Matter More Than Matches
• All 12 Drills at a Glance
• Solo Drills: What Can You Do on Your Own?
• Partner Drills: Exercises for Two
• Match-Play Drills: Competitive Practice for Four
• How Often Should You Practise?
• Sources & Further Reading
• Related Articles
• Frequently Asked Questions

Why Drills Matter More Than Matches

Playing matches is fun. But matches reinforce habits — good and bad. If your backhand volley is weak, you will unconsciously avoid it during a match. You will run around it, let your partner take it, or just hope it does not come your way. The weakness never gets fixed.

Drills isolate specific skills and force repetition. LTA coaching data suggests that players who supplement match play with at least one dedicated practice session per week improve their rating 40% faster than those who only play matches. That is the difference between staying at the same level for a year and genuinely getting better.

The UK padel scene has grown from 68 courts in 2019 to over 1,000 courts across 325 venues by mid-2025. Most of these courts sit empty during off-peak hours. Booking a court for practice at 10am on a Tuesday costs as little as £20 for the full hour — £10 each if you bring a partner. That is cheaper than most coaching sessions and arguably more effective for building muscle memory.

All 12 Drills at a Glance

Solo Drills: What Can You Do on Your Own?

You do not need a partner to improve. Some of the most effective padel practice happens alone. All you need is a court, a racket, and a bag of balls.

1. Wall Rally Drill

What it builds: Racket control, consistency, feel for the ball.

Stand 3-4 metres from the back glass wall. Hit the ball against the glass and rally with yourself — forehand, backhand, alternating. Start with 20 consecutive hits. When that feels comfortable, aim for 50. Then 100.

Key focus: Keep the ball below shoulder height. Use a continental grip. Do not smash it — this drill is about control, not power. Count your rallies. When you lose the ball, start over.

Progression: Once you can hit 50 in a row comfortably, add movement. After each hit, take a small step sideways and recover. This adds the footwork element that makes the drill match-realistic.

2. Serve Target Practice

What it builds: Serve accuracy, confidence, routine.

Place four targets in the service box — two near the T (centre line) and two near the side wall. Use cones, water bottles, or spare balls. Serve 10 balls at each target. Track your hit rate.

Key focus: Consistency over power. The padel serve is underarm and must bounce before clearing the net, so placement is everything. Aim to hit 6 out of 10 targets initially, building to 8 out of 10.

Progression: Add a routine before each serve — bounce the ball twice, set your feet, look at the target, then serve. Building a pre-serve routine eliminates the careless serves that give away free points in matches.

Ready to practise? Find a court near you with the RacketRise Court Finder — most venues have off-peak availability perfect for drill sessions.

3. Shadow Movement Drill

What it builds: Court positioning, split step timing, recovery.

Without a ball, move through the six key court positions: left net, right net, left mid-court, right mid-court, left back glass, right back glass. Start at the net. Split step (a small hop to ready position), then move to each position in sequence. Touch the ground at each point and recover to the net.

Key focus: Speed of recovery, not speed of movement. Getting back to your ready position quickly matters more than sprinting to the ball. Do 5 full circuits with 30 seconds rest between.

4. Reaction Ball Drill

What it builds: Reflexes, hand-eye coordination, adaptability.

Use a reaction ball (the irregularly shaped rubber balls that bounce unpredictably) or simply throw a regular padel ball hard against the back glass from close range. The unpredictable bounce forces you to react quickly and adjust your racket position.

Key focus: Stay on your toes. Keep the racket in front of you. React to the ball rather than trying to predict it. This translates directly to returning fast volleys and awkward glass rebounds during matches.

Partner Drills: Exercises for Two

Partner drills add an opponent's feed, which makes practice more match-realistic. These are the drills I recommend most — they are simple to set up and directly improve the shots you need in games.

5. Cross-Court Volley Drill

What it builds: Net play, touch, volley control.

Both players stand at the net on opposite sides, roughly 2 metres from the net. Volley cross-court to each other — forehand to forehand first, then backhand to backhand. Aim for 20 consecutive volleys without the ball hitting the ground.

Key focus: Soft hands. The paddle face stays open. No big swings — just block and redirect. This is the shot that wins most padel points, and it requires touch, not power.

Progression: Once 20 in a row is comfortable, add a target zone. Place a cone 1 metre from the side fence. Both players must keep volleys within that zone.

6. Lob and Overhead Rotation

What it builds: Defensive lobs, overhead positioning, transition movement.

Player A starts at the back of the court and lobs to Player B at the net. Player B hits an overhead or bandeja and moves back. Player A moves forward to the net. Repeat — the player who lobs moves forward, the player who hits the overhead moves back. Continuous rotation.

Key focus: The lob must be high and deep — aim for the back third of the court. The overhead should be controlled, not smashed. This drill teaches the rotation pattern that dominates padel rallies.

7. Approach and Volley Drill

What it builds: Transition from baseline to net, first volley quality.

Player A feeds from the back of the court. Player B starts behind the service line, moves forward to the net, and plays a volley. Player A feeds again immediately. Player B must play 3 volleys in a row before rotating.

Key focus: Split step before the volley. Do not run through the ball — stop, set, then play the volley. The transition from baseline to net is where most intermediate players lose points because they arrive off-balance.

The honest take: The pattern I keep seeing on UK padel courts is players who are decent from the back but fall apart at the net. They rush forward, arrive off-balance, and stab at volleys with no control. This one drill — approach, split step, volley — fixes that. Twenty minutes twice a week, and your net game will transform within a month. The difference between a 3.0 and a 4.0 player is almost always net play, not power.

8. Deep Baseline Rally Drill

What it builds: Consistency, depth, patience.

Both players rally from behind the baseline. The rule: every shot must land past the service line on the opposite side. If a shot lands short, the point goes to the other player. Play to 11.

Key focus: Height over the net. A ball hit 2-3 metres above the net with moderate pace will consistently land deep. This drill breaks the habit of hitting flat and fast, which is the main reason rally balls land short.

Looking to book a practice session? The RacketRise Court Finder shows off-peak availability at venues across the UK — ideal for drill time.

Match-Play Drills: Competitive Practice for Four

These drills need four players but add structure to your games that normal matches lack. They force you to work on specific situations rather than just playing points randomly.

9. King of the Court

What it builds: All-round play, pressure, adaptability.

One pair starts at the net (the "kings"). The other pair starts at the baseline. Play a point. If the baseline pair wins, they become the kings and move to the net. If the kings win, they stay. First pair to win 10 points as kings wins.

Key focus: The kings must hold the net position. The challengers must find ways to move them back — lobs, passing shots, angled returns. This drill reinforces the fundamental padel principle that the net position wins.

10. 3-Point Rally Game

What it builds: Point construction, pattern play, tactical awareness.

Play normal doubles, but every rally must last at least 3 shots per side (6 total) before a point counts. If someone wins the point before 3 shots each, the point does not count and you replay it.

Key focus: Patience. This drill stops the habit of going for winners too early. Padel rewards construction — setting up the point with placement before going for the finish.

11. Golden Point Pressure Drill

What it builds: Mental toughness, performing under pressure.

Play a normal match but every game is a single golden point. No 15-30-40 — just one point decides each game. First pair to 6 games wins the set.

Key focus: Decision-making under pressure. When every point is the only point, you learn what shots you trust and which ones break down. This is the closest drill to tournament pressure you can simulate in practice.

12. Handicap Doubles

What it builds: Adaptability, strategy adjustment, inclusive practice.

The stronger pair starts every game at 0-30 down (or 0-40 for a bigger handicap). Play a normal set. The weaker pair gets a head start in every game, levelling the competition.

Key focus: The stronger pair must play smarter — they cannot afford mistakes because they start behind. The weaker pair builds confidence by winning more games. This is the best drill for mixed-ability groups, which is common in UK social padel where Playtomic open matches bring together players of different levels.

How Often Should You Practise?

The minimum effective dose is one 20-minute solo session per week alongside your normal matches. That is enough to see improvement within a month. If you can add a partner drill session, you will progress even faster.

Do not over-practise at the expense of playing. Padel is a game sport — you need match experience to learn positioning, communication, and decision-making. Drills build the technical foundation. Matches build the tactical intelligence. You need both.

Sources & Further Reading

• LTA — Padel coaching and training resources — Official LTA padel training guidance
• EverythingPadel — Training drills and exercises — Drill ideas and coaching content
• Playtomic — UK padel court booking — Book courts for practice sessions
• LTA — Over 400,000 UK padel players — UK participation data

Related Articles

• Padel Strategy for Beginners: Win More Points
• Padel Grip: How to Hold a Padel Racket
• Padel Serve: How to Serve in Padel
• Padel Volley Techniques: Net Play Masterclass
• Bandeja Shot in Padel: The Complete Guide
• Padel Lob: Defensive and Offensive Techniques

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I practise padel on my own?

Yes. Solo wall drills are one of the most effective ways to improve. Stand 3-4 metres from the back glass and rally with yourself, alternating forehand and backhand. Twenty minutes of wall rallies builds racket control faster than a full match. You can also practise serves alone by placing targets in the service box.

How often should I practise padel drills?

One dedicated drill session per week alongside your normal matches is the minimum to see improvement. Twenty minutes of solo wall drills counts. If you can add a partner drill session, even better. The key is consistency — one short session every week beats a long session once a month.

What is the best drill for padel beginners?

Wall rallies. Stand close to the back glass and hit the ball against it repeatedly, counting consecutive hits. Start with a target of 20 and build to 100. This drill teaches racket control, ball feel, and the continental grip — the three foundations every beginner needs before worrying about tactics.

Do I need to book a court for drills?

For wall drills and serve practice, yes — you need access to a padel court. Most UK venues allow practice bookings during off-peak hours (weekday mornings and early afternoons) at reduced rates. Some venues offer free wall practice slots if courts are not in use. Check with your local venue.

How long should a drill session last?

Twenty to thirty minutes is plenty for a solo session. Forty-five minutes to an hour for partner drills. Beyond an hour, fatigue reduces the quality of your reps, and bad reps are worse than no reps. Quality over quantity.

What equipment do I need for drills?

Your racket, padel balls, and non-marking court shoes. For target drills, bring cones or water bottles. A bag of 12-20 padel balls saves time collecting between serves. A reaction ball (around £5 online) is useful for reflex drills but not essential.

Can drills replace coaching?

Drills complement coaching — they do not replace it. A coach identifies what you need to fix. Drills give you the repetition to fix it. If you take one coaching session per month and practise the specific drills your coach recommends between sessions, you will improve faster than weekly coaching without practice.

Which drill improves net play the fastest?

The cross-court volley drill. Two players at the net, volleying back and forth. Aim for 20 consecutive volleys with soft hands and an open paddle face. This drill builds the touch and reflexes you need to dominate the net position, which is where most padel points are won.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Equipment recommendations are based on research and testing — individual preferences may vary. Always consult venue staff about court-specific requirements. Prices and availability are subject to change.