It becomes a fundamental part of the game of Padel , knowing how to put the ball back into play after the opponent's service. But how should we position ourselves? In what way should we respond? Is it better to use a lob or go straight forehand? Here are some simple tips for being able to put the ball back into play after the service, without losing field and stability.
The return of service becomes essential to enter the game when the opponents have the serve. There is no perfect shot to be able to return at best, but it always depends on the situation, the variations are many and are also linked to the level of play of the match. We will give you some advice to be as effective as possible in response.
- POSITION
You should not position yourself too far forward or too far back, trying to avoid the position closest to the glass, whether it is lateral or baseline. The ideal positioning is with the foot facing outwards from the court, about a meter from the baseline and at the same distance from the side glass. All this allows us to be ready for any type of movement, therefore being able to anticipate the ball or wait if the service arrives on our backhand/forehand, or even move towards the center.
- ANTICIPATE OR WAIT
The serve, in most cases, especially at amateur level, will be aimed as much as possible towards the glass, so the returner must understand if he can anticipate the ball or wait for it to hit the glass and then hit it. If the evaluation allows to understand that it is possible to reach the ball comfortably, then it is better to anticipate, but if the ball bounces on the first side glass it would be a good idea to wait, moving back with a lateral movement and making a more comfortable return.
- MAKE AS FEW ERRORS AS POSSIBLE
Making a wrong answer doesn't even allow you to play the point, so the first goal is to not make gratuitous errors by passing the "hot potato" back to our opponent.
- HOW TO ANSWER
The response also changes based on the level. In amateur matches it is very common to respond with a lob, since it is unlikely that there will be players on the other side capable of responding with a smash. If it is a high-level match, however, there are many options. If with a difficult serve to manage, it is useful to play low ball , trying to put the opponents in difficulty, with a more comfortable ball, perhaps slow and readable, the lob can be the best solution.
- WHERE TO PLAY THE ANSWER
Here too, the evaluation must be made based on who we are facing. If our opponent is not too agile, we will look for a medium-low speed shot, which can die near the net. Or, hitting back trying to aim towards the opponent's feet, could make his counter response more complicated. The important thing is to try not to load the shot too much, as it could transform the game from offensive to defensive, because the opponent would be helped by the glass in the reception phase. What if, instead, the opponent is close to the net? The best thing is to look for a lob, to send him back, gaining as much court as possible.
We can therefore conclude by saying that it is important to train the response, perhaps to the detriment of more common shots such as the vibora , or the bandeja or even the smash . Without knowing how to respond well to a service, it is impossible to build a valid strategy during a match. Varying the trajectories, speed or effects, creating slow ball situations or ball on glass, will allow us to be more ready for match situations.
