Padel shots to learn first when you're a beginner
By the Poteau Team · updated
IN SHORT
Five shots are enough for your first months: the serve, the volley, the wall exit, the lob and the bandeja. The smash comes later. To know which games to join, the Poteau level quiz rates your padel from 1 to 10, to one decimal. And every player-run game shows the expected level.
What to work on first
Not by how good it looks. By how often it helps you win a point.
Shot | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
Serve | Back of the court | Starts the point without a fault |
Volley | At the net | Keeps your spot |
Wall exit | Back of the court | Returns what comes off the glass |
Lob | Anywhere | Gets you out of trouble |
Bandeja | At the net | Replaces the smash |
The serve
It's the one shot you hit with no pressure. Underhand, at waist height, after one bounce, crosscourt. Details are in the padel rules.
Aim for the middle of the box, not the line. A ball that goes in beats one that clips the line.
The volley
At the net, the ball comes fast. No big swing. Racket in front, wrist firm, you block and follow through. Like a pass with the inside of your foot.
The goal isn't to score. It's to send the ball low, at an opponent's feet.
The wall exit
The ball hits the glass behind you and comes back. The reflex is to rush it. Let it pass, hit it as it drops.
You don't need power. The wall is working for you. Aim deep, down the middle, and move up to the net.
The lob and the bandeja
The lob is a high ball over the opponent at the net. It buys you time. And it gives you the net back.
The bandeja is hit from above, at shoulder height, with slice and no effort to hit hard. The ball stays low, bounces short and comes off the glass awkwardly. It's the smash for people who don't want to lose the point (at first, everyone).
The smash can wait. It needs timing, and a miss costs you the point.
Practice without overthinking it
Volleys with a partner: both at the net, twenty exchanges in a row before you stop.
Back glass: hit the ball off the wall, let it come back, play it again.
Lobs: ten in a row, each one over your partner at the net.
Ten minutes at the start of a session is enough. You learn the rest by playing. Unsure about gear? We wrote a racket guide.
Which game to join
On Poteau, the padel level quiz gives you a level from 1 to 10, with one decimal. It shows on your profile.
Every padel game set up by a player shows the expected level, and most welcome levels 1 to 4. With 2 players signed up, a game is played 8 times in 10. Pick a level close to yours, or a bit below. You can see who has signed up before you go. For your first game, everything is here.
The Poteau Team