Tactics

Gain and keep the net

The pair at the net wins most padel points, so the game is largely a fight over who gets there and who stays. These drills cover the approaches that work, following your serve, moving on a chiquita, reading when a lob has actually earned you the net, and the volley depth and net positioning that stop you being pushed straight back again.

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Learn the tactics

Walkthroughs on gain and keep the net, showing what to play and why it works.

Who to Play to in Padel: Pick the Opponent Further From the NetWhen one opponent is at the net and the other is behind, play at the one further back. It buys you the time you need to take the net yourself.
Volley Deep, Not Short: Where to Place Your Volley in PadelA short volley lands in the transition zone and invites them forward. A deep sliced volley near the back glass pins them at the back and keeps you the net.
Net Positioning in Padel: You Can Only Cover Two of Three AreasAt the net you cannot cover everything. Protect the middle and the parallel, deliberately leave the crosscourt, and make their only opening the riskiest shot on the court.
When to Rush the Net After a Lob in Padel (and When Not To)A lob is not automatically a ticket forward. Go when they turn their backs, hold when they are still facing you, and go to block when your lob is good but short.
What to Play After a Good Volley in PadelA deep sliced volley forces a low reply. Step in and finish it: crosscourt to the fence off your backhand side, or a short drop shot off your forehand.
Where to Run After Your Serve in Padel: Follow the Ball's PathDo not run straight up the middle after serving. Follow the line your serve travelled, and you arrive standing inside the returner's angles instead of beside them.
The Net Cord in Padel: The Free Point Most Beginners WasteWhen the ball clips the net it drops short and slow on their side. Do not stand and watch. Move in immediately and the weak reply is a free winner.
The Serve Is a One-Way Ticket to the Net in PadelServing and staying back wastes the one free approach padel gives you, and it strands your partner alone at the net. Serve, then go up together.
Step In or Hold at the Net in Padel: How to Read the BallDo not step in because you feel aggressive. Step in when their ball is genuinely tough, hold when it is comfortable, because a comfortable opponent can still lob you.
The Chiquita Is Not the Weapon in Padel: Moving With It IsGo while the chiquita is still in the air. Once it bounces you are too late, and you arrive in mid-court just in time to have the ball played at your feet.
Poaching in Padel Is Not Stealing: Take It, but Play It CrosscourtPoach when you are genuinely closer to the ball. Just do not go parallel: your side is now open and your partner is too far away to cover it. Go crosscourt instead.
Move Up Together in Padel: Why One Player Forward Loses the NetAfter a good lob, go forward as a pair. One player advancing alone leaves open space behind them, and the ball goes straight into it.
Where to Stand After You Lob in Padel: Get Into the Net ZoneA good lob buys you the front of the court, but only if you actually occupy it. Move into the net zone rather than stopping in mid-court, where you can neither attack nor defend.