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A sharp angle volley beats them, but the glass brings it back. What now?
The side glass rescues the over-angled volley. Aim to bounce twice before the wall, or to die on it: soft.
Your sharp cross-court angle volley bounces wide, hits the side glass and comes back into the court to an opponent who has time. What went wrong?
The side glass rescues the over-angled volley. Aim to bounce twice before the wall, or to die on it: soft.
Why
Angle volleys that would be winners on a tennis court are often the wrong shot in padel: the side glass returns anything that would go wide, and the rebound arrives at an opponent who has had time to set up. A good angle in padel is either soft enough to bounce twice before it reaches the glass, or hit to die low against it. The pace and the angle work against each other: the sharper the angle, the softer the ball has to be. Otherwise, the higher-percentage version is the volley to the feet with a little angle, which gives the wall nothing to work with.
What this means at your level
Beginner
If your angled volleys keep coming back off the wall, hit them softer. Or hit them at the feet instead.
Intermediate
Think of the side glass as an extra opponent. Any ball that reaches it with pace is a ball they get to play.
Advanced
The angle that dies low on the glass, hit soft, with slice, aimed at the base of the wall, is a winner. It takes touch and a ball above the net. Practise it before you use it.
Common questions
Your sharp cross-court angle volley bounces wide, hits the side glass and comes back into the court to an opponent who has time. What went wrong?
Too much angle: the side glass returns the wide ball. The side glass rescues the over-angled volley. Aim to bounce twice before the wall, or to die on it: soft. Angle volleys that would be winners on a tennis court are often the wrong shot in padel: the side glass returns anything that would go wide, and the rebound arrives at an opponent who has had time to set up. A good angle in padel is either soft enough to bounce twice before it reaches the glass, or hit to die low against it. The pace and the angle work against each other: the sharper the angle, the softer the ball has to be. Otherwise, the higher-percentage version is the volley to the feet with a little angle, which gives the wall nothing to work with.
Why not not enough pace. It should have been hit harder?
More pace off the glass is more rebound. A harder angled ball comes back further.
What should a beginner do here?
If your angled volleys keep coming back off the wall, hit them softer. Or hit them at the feet instead.
How does this change for an advanced player?
The angle that dies low on the glass, hit soft, with slice, aimed at the base of the wall, is a winner. It takes touch and a ball above the net. Practise it before you use it.
Puzzles like this one
They lobbed you deep. Smash it or play the bandeja?
Deep ball, high hands: bandeja. The shot exists to keep you at the net, not to win the point.
beginnerThe ball is at your feet at the net. What now?
A ball below the net cannot be attacked. Block it deep and wait for one above the tape.
beginnerThe ball is coming off the back glass. When do you hit it?
Move back with the ball, let it pass you, hit it in front of your body.