Padel has a vocabulary of its own, mostly in Spanish. You don't need every shot to enjoy a game, but knowing what each one is for tells you why you're losing points. Here they are in the order most players learn them.
From the back of the court
- Groundstroke
- Forehand or backhand after the ball bounces. Keep it low and controlled. Hitting hard from the back mostly helps the team at the net.
- Off the back wall (salida de pared)
- Let the ball bounce, pass you and come off the glass, then play it. The first real padel skill to learn, and the one that keeps beginners in rallies.
- Lob (globo)
- A high ball over the players at the net. The most important shot in padel: a good lob sends the other team back and gives your team the net.
- Contrapared
- Hitting the ball into your own back wall so it flies over the net. A rescue shot for when you are stuck in the corner. Legal, and rarely pretty.
At the net
- Volley
- Hitting the ball before it bounces. In padel you aim deep and low, towards the feet or the back corners, more than for a winner.
- Chiquita
- A soft, low ball dropped at the feet of opponents who are moving to the net. It forces them to hit up, which gives your team the attack.
- Bandeja
- A sliced overhead hit at around shoulder height, used when a lob is too good to smash. It keeps you at the net. If you learn one advanced shot, make it this one.
- Víbora
- A faster, more aggressive bandeja with side spin. It makes the ball skid low off the side glass. Harder to control.
- Smash (remate)
- The full overhead. Fun, and overused. A smash that doesn't win the point often bounces high off the back glass and hands your opponents an easy ball. Players usually split it into the flat smash, hit hard and straight to go through the court, and the kick smash, hit with heavy topspin so the ball bounces high off the back glass.
- Por tres (x3)
- A kick smash hit so hard and steep that the ball bounces, hits the back glass and flies out of the court over the side fence. Unless the club allows players to run out and play it, the point is over. A shot for advanced players with a heavy racket and good timing.
Return of serve and slice
The return is the first shot after the serve, and you must let the ball bounce before you hit it. Aim low at the server's feet as they come to the net, or deep into a corner; an occasional lob stops the serving team from settling at the net. Most of these shots work better with slice: backspin keeps the ball low after the bounce and makes it come off the glass slower, which is exactly what you want against players at the net.
Where to start
If you are in your first months, practise three things: the serve, playing off the back wall and the lob. They win more points at club level than any smash. Add the bandeja once you can volley without thinking about your grip.