When I started playing padel I tried to use my experience at playing other racket sports to shortcut my learning process. As a result, I nearly always played my backhand with either slice or topspin. It took a long time to realize that I needed to play more flat backhands to have greater control of the ball.
A flat backhand in padel is the shot where you play the backhand with neither a slice spin nor topspin. It is played from near the back of the court when the ball is low to the ground. Using a flat backhand allows you to play with more power and control.
Let’s take a closer look at why a flat backhand will help you play better and win more points. Then we will break down the mechanics of how to consistently play a good flat backhand.
Why Many Players Struggle With The Flat Backhand In Padel
Long before I knew about the existence of padel I used to play both tennis and squash. In tennis I’d mostly use a double-handed topspin backhand, and occasionally slice. When I played squash I would always use a slice backhand as it kept the ball lower as it came back off the front wall so I could hit the ball harder.
I never found a reason to use a flat backhand in either tennis or squash and hence never learned to play it properly.
Coming to padel, learning to play the flat backhand was a completely new skill for me. Now it is one of my preferred shots to play as I find it gives me more control.
When To Use The Flat Backhand In Padel
From a strategic perspective there are certain instances when it is more effective to use a flat backhand in padel. The most common is when you are near the back of the court and are trying to deal with a low ball.
If my opponent is moving in toward the net I will use my flat backhand to play a Chiquita down to their feet.
A flat backhand is a way to play the ball fast, either to the body of your opponent, or into open spaces while maintaining control of the shot.
However, the flat backhand is not a one-size-fits-all kind of shot. If the ball is high on your backhand side then it will be better to play your backhand with a slice spin.
I have found that a flat backhand is always a better idea when dealing with a low ball near the back of the court.
How To Play The Flat Backhand In Padel
The starting point for the flat backhand in padel is the standard back court ready position. By this I mean that you are facing straight at the net with your racket in front of you, ready for either a forehand or backhand shot. Hold the racket lower than you would if you were at the net. Your hands should be at about hip-height and your racket-head will be slightly higher than hands. Even though you are holding your racket lower, don’t let the racket-head hang as it leads to the bad habit of playing weak, lazy shots.
When you see that the ball is coming to your backhand, take your racket back and turn your shoulders. Think of doing the shoulder turn in the same way that you would twist your upper body to take something from your left pants pocket with your right hand.
I accidentally stumbled on a way for me to practice this shoulder turn just about daily. I have the habit of putting my keys in my left pants pocket when I go out. If I arrive home with groceries, I always have my shopping slung over my left shoulder so that my right hand is free. However, this means that I struggle my keys out of my left pocket using my right hand without dropping groceries in the process.
The reason is this shoulder turn is important is that you are twisting your torso back like a spring. Releasing this coiled spring will help you generate more power on your backhand.
Once you have taken the racket back and done the shoulder twist, then move your feet into position. Ideally you want your weight balanced between your feet, with your feet/knees/hips in line and pointing in the direction you intend to hit the ball. This content was originally posted on worldpadelinsider.com. If it appears on padel-central.com, it is a violation of the copyright owned by Worldpadelinsider.com. There might be a time when you need to lunge forward with your right foot (in the case of right handed players) to reach the ball. However this shouldn’t be your default foot position as you compromise both power and control over your shot.
Remember to keep your racket position low, but without your racket-head hanging down. If you start with a high racket you will need to change your wrist position mid-shot to dip your racket head down to the ball. This will compromise the control you have over your backhand and lead to more unforced errors.
Keep a good bend in the knees and your weight over the balls of your feet so that you can move easily into a better position with small steps as the ball is coming to you. If the ball is quite low, use your knee-bend as much as possible to get your racket lower rather than dipping your racket head down to the ball.
I find that having a slight bend in my elbow allows me to have a more solid wrist and I can play my flat backhand with more power as my upper body uncoils from the shoulder twist. If my arm is straight I end up just jabbing at the ball with my racket and have little follow-through.
What Are The Common Errors When Playing The Flat Backhand In Padel
There are a few common errors that players make when trying a flat backhand in padel. Luckily they are all quite easy to remedy when you are aware of them.
Don’t bend your wrist down as a way to get flat contact with the ball. This results in a weaker shot as your racket-head will be hanging down. Your bent wrist absorbs most of the power generated by shoulders. It is also more difficult to get the timing of your shot right so that you contact the ball slightly ahead of you.
Keep body low through contact area and follow through. If you start straightening legs too soon it will be difficult to get consistent contact with the ball and can even create some unwanted top spin.
Don’t contact too far in front of you as in reaching for the ball. When you reach forward to reach the ball you will be uncoiling your shoulder twist before playing your flat backhand and lose most of the power available in your shoulders.
Don’t contact the ball behind you as there is no way of creating any power or control over your shot. Contacting the ball behind you will put you off balance as your weight will be tumbling back to get at the ball.
Don’t stand with a locked-in foot stance as the ball comes to you. Shuffle your feet to get into an optimal position so that you can contact the ball slightly in front of leading hip.
Don’t step too far with leading foot in a lunging manner. It puts you slightly put of balance and leaves no option for any last second position adjustment before playing the shot. This content was originally posted on worldpadelinsider.com. If it appears on padel-central.com, it is a violation of the copyright owned by Worldpadelinsider.com. I know that sometimes a big reaching step is unavoidable in order to get to a ball that would otherwise be completely out of reach, but it is not ideal. The better choice is a neutral side-on stance with bent knees.
Keep Things Simple When Learning The Flat Backhand In Padel
When you are still learning the shot, start by just blocking the ball back with a flat backhand rather than trying to use too much power. Get the basic mechanics right before adding power to your flat backhand.
This was a tricky shot for me to learn when I started playing padel as it was different to my muscle memory from my days of tennis and squash. Don’t give up on the flat backhand too soon as it is an effective shot when you start getting it right. Expect to make some errors at the beginning as it is part of the learning process. Keep persevering rather than giving up on a shot that can win you many points in padel.