How to Play Padel: Shots, Strategy & Tips

Padel player in ready position on blue court

You Know the Rules — Now Learn How to Actually Play

Understanding the rules of padel is one thing. Playing well is another. The rules tell you what you can and cannot do. This guide tells you what you should do — the shots that win points, the positioning that controls rallies, and the strategy that turns beginners into genuinely competitive players.

Whether you have just picked up a racket for the first time or you have a few games under your belt and want to sharpen up, this is the stuff that makes the difference on court. We will cover every shot you need, from the basic serve through to the bandeja and vibora, explain how to use the walls to your advantage, and share the tactical thinking that separates smart players from those who just swing hard and hope for the best.

Let us get into it.

Court Positioning: Where You Stand Matters More Than How Hard You Hit

Padel is a doubles game, and the court is split into two halves — left and right. At any given moment, one of you should be covering the net and the other should be covering the back of the court. You rotate between these positions throughout each rally depending on how the point unfolds.

The net position is the dominant position. When you are at the net, you can hit volleys down at your opponents' feet, cut off angles, and put away easy points. When you are stuck at the back, you are defending and trying to create an opportunity to move forward again. This is the fundamental dynamic of padel.

When your team is defending — dealing with a strong shot or an overhead smash — both players should drop back behind the service line. Give yourselves time to react and get the ball back into play. When you are attacking and have your opponents pinned back, both of you should push forward to the net together. Moving as a unit is critical. If one of you is at the net and the other is at the back, you leave a massive gap in the middle of the court that good opponents will exploit every single time.

Think of it this way: you and your partner are connected by an invisible rope about three to four metres long. When one moves forward, the other moves forward. When one drops back, the other drops back. Always together, always covering each other.

Essential Shots for Beginners

The Serve

Padel serves are underarm. You bounce the ball on the ground, then strike it at or below waist height. It is not a weapon the way a tennis serve is — you will not be blasting aces past people. Instead, the serve is about starting the point on your terms.

Aim for depth and consistency. A deep serve that lands near the back glass forces your opponent to return from a difficult position. A short serve that bounces in the middle of the service box is a gift. Focus on getting the ball deep and into the corners, and keep the pace controlled. Consistency beats power here — a serve that goes in every time is infinitely more useful than a fast one that clips the net half the time.

Once you have the basics down, you can start adding slice to make the ball stay low, or aim for the side glass to create awkward bounces. But depth and reliability come first.

The Return of Serve

When returning serve, let the ball bounce — you have to, it is in the rules — and then play a controlled shot back deep into the court. The temptation for beginners is to try to smash the return for a winner. Resist that urge. A solid, deep return that lands near the back glass is far more effective than an ambitious shot that flies out or hits the net.

Your goal on the return is to neutralise the serving team's advantage and give yourself time to get into a good position. A deep return does exactly that. It pushes the server back and gives you and your partner space to move forward toward the net.

The Volley

When you are at the net, the volley is your bread and butter. Short, punchy movements — no big swings. You do not need power; you need placement and timing. Use a compact motion, keep your racket up in front of you, and redirect the ball rather than trying to hit through it.

Aim your volleys at your opponents' feet. A ball that lands at someone's feet is incredibly difficult to return cleanly. If you can consistently place volleys low and toward the middle of the court (between the two opponents), you will win a lot of points without needing to hit hard at all.

Keep your wrist firm, your grip relaxed, and your eyes on the ball. Anticipate rather than react. The best volleyers are already moving before the ball arrives because they have read the opponent's body language and racket angle.

The Lob

The lob might be the single most important shot in padel. It is your primary weapon for moving opponents away from the net and resetting the rally when you are under pressure.

Hit the ball high and deep over your opponents' heads. You want it to land near the back glass and bounce up into the corner, making it as difficult as possible to return. A good lob forces the net player to turn and chase, giving you and your partner time to move forward and take their position at the net.

Many beginners underestimate the lob because it feels passive — you are not hitting hard, you are not going for a winner. But in padel, the lob is anything but passive. It is the shot that shifts the balance of the rally. Use it often. Use it early. Use it whenever you are stuck at the back of the court and need to buy time or swap positions.

The Chiquita

The chiquita is a low, soft shot aimed at your opponents' feet when they are standing at the net. The name comes from the Spanish for "little one," and that is exactly what it is — a small, delicate shot that causes big problems.

Because the ball arrives low, the net player has to volley upward, which means they cannot hit down aggressively. This gives you the advantage. The chiquita is especially effective when played down the middle of the court, between the two opponents, because it creates confusion about who should take the ball.

To play it well, use a short backswing, open your racket face slightly, and guide the ball over the net with topspin so it dips quickly. You do not need pace — you need accuracy and a low trajectory. Think of it as threading a needle rather than throwing a dart.

Intermediate Shots: Taking Your Game Up a Level

The Bandeja

The bandeja is an overhead shot played with slice and sidespin. It is the shot you use to return lobs when you are at the net without giving up your position. Instead of smashing the ball full power (which often sends it flying out or gives your opponents an easy ball off the back glass), the bandeja lets you control the point.

Hit the ball at around shoulder height, not above your head. Use a slicing motion that imparts sidespin, sending the ball toward the side glass on your opponents' side. The spin keeps the ball low after it bounces, making it difficult to attack. The key is restraint — the bandeja is about placement and spin, not power.

Think of it as a controlled overhead. You are not trying to finish the point with this shot. You are trying to keep the pressure on while maintaining your dominant net position. It takes practice to get the wrist action right, but once you have it, the bandeja becomes one of the most reliable shots in your arsenal.

The Vibora

The vibora is the bandeja's more aggressive cousin. It is also an overhead shot with sidespin, but you hit it harder and with a sharper angle. The name means "viper" in Spanish, and the shot bites — the sidespin makes the ball stay low after bouncing and kick unpredictably off the side glass.

Use the vibora when you have a bit more time on the lob and want to put your opponents under real pressure. The ball should land in the middle of the court and then spin toward the side glass, ideally staying low enough that your opponent cannot get underneath it for a clean return.

The difference between a bandeja and a vibora is intent. The bandeja maintains the rally. The vibora tries to hurt. You need good timing and wrist strength to execute it well, and it carries more risk if you get it wrong. But when it lands, it is devastating.

The Bajada

The bajada is the full-power overhead smash. When your opponent sends up a short lob — one that does not push you back — you have the green light to let rip. Aim the ball hard and flat, directing it toward the side glass so that it bounces off at a sharp angle and flies out of the cage.

This is the one shot in padel where raw power is genuinely useful. A well-struck bajada is almost impossible to return because the ball changes direction so violently off the glass. But it is also the shot with the highest error rate. If you mistime it or aim poorly, you either send the ball into the net or give your opponents an easy ball off the back glass.

The rule of thumb: only go for the bajada when the lob is short and you have time to set yourself. If you are stretching or off-balance, play a bandeja or vibora instead. Patience is more important than power.

Playing the Walls: The Skill That Changes Everything

Padel is played in an enclosed court, and the walls are not just boundaries — they are part of the playing surface. Learning to read and use the walls is what separates padel from every other racket sport, and it is the skill that takes the longest to develop.

The basic principle: after the ball bounces on your side of the court, it can hit the back glass or the side glass and still be in play. You let it bounce, let it hit the wall, and then play it as it comes back off. This feels deeply unnatural at first because every instinct tells you to hit the ball before it reaches the wall. Resist that urge. Let the wall do the work.

The back glass is your best friend when you are defending. Shots that look like they are going to fly past you will bounce off the back glass and come right back to you, often at a very comfortable height and pace. The key is positioning — do not stand too close to the glass. Give yourself a metre or two of space so you have room to swing as the ball comes off the wall.

Side walls create angles. When a ball hits the side glass, it changes direction, and you need to read the angle quickly. With practice, you will start to anticipate where the ball will go before it even hits the glass. You will also learn to use the side walls offensively — hitting shots that bounce and then kick off the side glass at awkward angles for your opponents.

The corner where the back glass meets the side glass is the trickiest area on court. Balls that land in the corner can bounce in unexpected directions, and returning them requires quick feet and a short backswing. If you are new, do not worry too much about corner shots. Focus on the back glass first, then add the side walls, and let the corners come naturally as your court sense develops.

One more thing: the walls are there for you to use offensively too. You can hit the ball into the side glass on your own side to create an angle that goes over the net — a move that advanced players use to hit impossible-looking winners. That is a long way off for most beginners, but it is worth knowing that the walls open up possibilities that simply do not exist in any other sport.

Strategy Tips for Your First Game

If you are heading into your first few games, here is the tactical thinking that will make the biggest difference:

Keep the ball in play. Seriously. At beginner level, the vast majority of points are lost on errors, not won on brilliant shots. If you simply get the ball back over the net one more time than your opponent, you will win more points than you lose. Do not try to be a hero. Be consistent.

Use lobs to reset. Whenever you are in trouble — out of position, under pressure, not sure what to do — lob the ball high and deep. It buys you time, pushes your opponents back, and lets you regroup. There is no shame in lobbing. The best players in the world lob constantly.

Move together as a pair. Forward together, back together. If your partner moves to cover a shot on one side, shift across to cover the space they have left. Communication is everything — call "mine" or "yours" on every ball that is anywhere near the middle. It feels awkward at first, but it prevents collisions and confusion.

Do not smash everything. When a lob comes your way, your first instinct will be to smash it as hard as you can. More often than not, this results in an error or a ball that comes off the back glass perfectly for your opponents. Play a controlled bandeja or just let the ball drop and play it after the bounce. The smash is a weapon, but it is one you should use sparingly until your technique is solid.

Patience wins rallies. Padel rallies are longer than tennis rallies. Points are built, not grabbed. Work the ball around, move your opponents, and wait for the opening. Trying to finish points too early is the most common mistake at every level of the game.

The net position is king. Everything you do should be aimed at getting to the net and staying there. Serve and move forward. Return deep and move forward. Lob and move forward. The net is where points are won, and every shot you play should be working toward getting you there.

What You Will Need

If you are just getting started, you do not need much — a decent racket, a pair of court shoes with good grip, and a tube of balls. Here are three rackets that cover every budget and playing style:

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