Smash Your Way to the Top — Padel Smash Explained!
With great power comes great responsibility. A smash can be both your strongest move or your kryptonite, here’s why:
In the heat of the moment, it’s very tempting to unleash the strongest move in your arsenal. But there’s more to show-stopping smash than just hitting head-on.
Before you hit the full power smash, there are a few things you should think about. If you hit it near the net, apply maximum force and attempt to get the ball to bounce high off the back wall and back into your side of the court.
But oops, don’t get too cocky.
A smash may be the wrong move if you don’t believe you can get the ball back or out of the park.
When striking the smash, it is more effective to hit a slower underspin shot termed a “tray-smash” (also known as “bandeja”) if you are closer to the service line. The goal here is to put pressure on your opponents and retain your position at the net. After the ball bounces off the back wall, this kind of smash keeps the ball low.
Should you choose a flashy power move, the ball may bounce high off the back wall and into the net area. This is like giving the point to your enemy on a silver platter. A powerful move can easily be your demise if you’re not careful enough.
If you notice your opponent preparing for a smash, begin moving up to the net to anticipate a big bounce from the back wall.
Face-off with a Full-Power Smash
From the back wall, a smash will likely bounce extremely high towards the net. Your partner should move up towards the net as soon as you’ve struck the ball and notice that the opponent is loading up for a full-power smash. When a smash is faked, the opposing player should move towards the center to cover the back of the court.
Who should move up?
In most cases, the player that faces the smash diagonally should run-up to the net. However, game circumstances may dictate differently. To avoid being struck by the smash, he should move up towards the side net and be ready to sprint down the net after the smash to attempt to intercept the ball as it returns from the wall.
Remember that your shovel can cross the net. Take advantage of this rule in padel.
When should you switch with your partner?
In most cases, you are responsible for all shots on your side of the court.
Let’s suppose, on the other hand. Your partner has gone behind you to recover a lob that has gone over your head. It would be best if you now went to the other side of the court, where your partner was before he moved behind you.
Don’t forget to yell “Switch!”, communication is key. Yes, you read that right, not only in relationships but in this social game too.
This informs your partner that you will cover for them. Note that the player who called the changeover has now gone to the other side of the court. Doubles play aims to move in harmony with your partner. Learn their behavior and travel up and down the court like you’re both connected by a string.
Suppose the opponents have gained control of the net. Now it’s up to the player who swapped sides to tell you what to do while retrieving the lob.
But what happens when you have to deal with another lob or a “forehand off the wall”?
If the lob goes over and rebounds off the surface, your opponents are more likely to go up to the net. When the ball bounces high off the end wall, you may choose to hit a lob in cases like these. This is usually highly successful.
If the ball bounces below your waist, a lob is generally the best option. If the ball rebounds higher than your waist, you may use the “forehand off the wall” technique to assault your opponents at the net.
Make sure you’re turned sideways with your padel up and your front foot pointed forward as much as possible towards the service line.
Set up your racket in a smash position early in the game with at least an arm’s length between you and the ball. This will prevent you from crowding the ball, which may cause you to miss it entirely. The contact point on the ball should be in front. Then, hit the ball low over the net with underspin. To keep the ball higher than the net, finish your swing near your shoulder.
