Where to hit the padel return? - Padel Tactics! - YouTube

hi guys in this video today we're going to  talk about the return and ways you should be  

hitting that return but to begin with the primary  objective is to make the return if you missed a  

return going for a good shot then it doesn't  matter your opponents have got a freebie and  

that really is the opposite objective to pattern  now like a low shot simple you want to really  

weigh up the ratio of risk and being safe so for  example you don't want to take a huge risk trying  

to put your opponents under pressure if there's a  good chance that you'll miss it on the other hand  

you don't want to play so safe that you give your  opponents an easy ball that they can attack and  

therefore be in a dominant position in the point  to give you a practical example if your opponents  

hit a very good serve with slice into that glass  and you can't get there before to block it back so  

you have to play a difficult return off the glass  the best thing you can do is just to block it back  

to the server you don't need to be complicated  with the shot you have a nice short backswing  

you let it come off the glass slightly and just  block it back to the server because if you try to  

go for a lob and you make a mistake then it'll be  a waste of that point so if it's difficult block  

back to the server if it's easy it comes off the  glass and you are able all your ability level is  

higher and you can be a little bit more aggressive  and hit down to their feet then that's fine but if  

it's difficult block it back down to the feet of  the server or just to the server if you can now if  

you watch the world paddle tour you'll see that  they serve against the glass and these guys are  

able to lob from any position that's because their  level of paddle is so good that they're not under  

pressure from even the good serves and that's  often why you see that servers they serve either  

into the middle of the box and you might think wow  that's not a very aggressive serve but because the  

defending at the returners is so good they don't  see the need to go for a risk of an aggressive  

first serve they play that ball in and the world  panel tour players can hit almost wherever they  

like and get the point started like that here  you can see a good return down the line to the  

server can actually set you up to be aggressive  in the point it is a little risky coming forward  

when they're both at net but if you're sensible  with your shots you can get away with it when  

it comes to serve down there's a couple of other  things that you need to consider you also need to  

consider where your opponents are whether they're  playing Australian formation or whether they're  

playing normal formation on their side so if they  serve down the tea and you want to hit hard down  

to them you realize that you're completely out  of position for your own side so if you want to  

play card and flat they're able to block wholly  into the corner and then you're really struggling  

that's why is often a good shot to hit a lob  from that ball down the tee and if you're at  

a higher level if they get an aggressive serve  that law will buy you time and even if it is a  

little bit more of a risk I know often we say to  go for the LOB on the easier pool but even though  

it is a risk it will buy you time to get back  in to your position and to continue the point  

from a good position here you can see there's a  very good serve down the middle and the returner  

even those off-balance he plays a nice high lob to  give himself time to get back in that point you'll  

notice that he uses that lob four times in the  whole point when it's stretched down the middle  

in order to buy himself time to get back into  that point a good lob from that center position  

can also allow your partner to come forward  especially when a rally is often cross-court  

and it's routine to players here a good lob can  allow your partners come forward and hopefully get  

involved in that point in this example you can see  that the pair this and end up winning the point  

even though they're defending for the majority  of the time if you watch the professionals you  

see another type of return they hear and that's  often tied to the back and body of the net player  

and that's something that is a very difficult shot  to attack as a volley er so they use that shot a  

lot in the game is to hit if you're a good level  to hit nice and highs that backhand ball ready so  

they can't really do much and then would have  to hit a neutral volley and then continue the  

point but generally to recap if it's an easy  ball all you're a good enough level to hit a  

lob straightaway or down to the feet of the server  either way attacking and putting them under a lot  

of pressure then I would do that straight away if  they hit a good serve and it comes in to slice up  

the glass or you don't feel like you're capable  but hitting a good lot immediately then the best  

thing you can do is block back to the server  ideally by hop below shoulder level so they  

can't attack that ball and therefore you're in  a good neutral position to start that point and  

hopefully force them back later in the point here  you can see that a decent return down to the feet  

of the server really starts that point off in a  neutral position so that we can log on that next  

ball and then gradually make our way forward  to the net when we get the opportunity like  

most good paddle points there's a bit of back and  forth from attacking to defending but eventually  

the team this end get to the net and we're  able to hold that and therefore win the point