The most difficult return of service for me to learn in padel was the return after the ball has come off the side glass. It is a type of return of service that I had never encountered in any prior racket sport that I had played. It is a truly unique skill.
To return a padel service after it comes off the side glass, be far enough from the glass that the ball can come to you. Keep your racket low as the ball will be dropping quickly as it rebounds off the side glass. Get your racket a bit under the ball so that you can play your shot up over the net.
Let’s look at a few key elements of how the padel ball bounces off the glass and some tips that you can incorporate today to improve your return of service in your very next game.
The Basic Rule Of When To Allow The Padel Ball To Hit The Glass
Most padel courts have two glass panels on each side-wall. The back panel extends out from the corner and the second overlaps the service line. The normal place to stand on the court is in line with the join between these panels.
Therefore if it is clear that the ball will impact the side glass behind the join then it will be better to step forward and play your return of service before the ball gets to the glass. Allowing the ball to impact the glass behind the join means playing your return of service while moving backward and it will leave you in a cramped position deep into the corner.
Similarly, if the service is played softly and it is doubtful that the ball will make it as far as the side glass then stepping forward to play your return of service, will be your only viable option.
Make A Decision About How You Will Return The Padel Service
The biggest cause of the errors that beginner players make when returning service is hesitation. They are too afraid of making the wrong decision so end up frozen in place watching the ball go past.
When you are new to the game of padel the chances are that you will make more bad decisions than good decisions when it comes to playing a return against a good service.
So rather than hesitating and doing nothing, make a decision and play the shot. If it was the wrong decision and you make an error with the shot, you will have learned from the process to be able to make progressively better decisions when playing the return of service.
Don’t Step Too Close To The Glass When The Padel Ball Is Going To Rebound
Unless your opponent has played a lot of slice spin on their service, the chances are likely that the ball will bounce back off the side glass.
Therefore if you step too close to the glass, the ball will rebound back towards your body making it near impossible to play the return.
A better option will be to be slightly further from the glass and let the ball come to you so that you can play a much more controlled shot.
Have Your Racket Head Low In Position Before The Ball Bounces
The moment you see that the service is coming towards the side glass, get your racket back into position for your return of service before the ball has even bounced. That way you only have to play the forward part of your shot and not contend with a backswing.
Remember that a service that comes to you with a bit of slice spin will tend to stay lower when it comes off the glass. Anticipate this by bending your knees more so that your racket position is nearer the ground.
If the rebound is slightly higher than you anticipated then you can easily adjust by straightening your legs as you play your return of service. The act of straightening your legs slightly as you play the return will help to generate more power in your shot.
If you are holding the racket too high and have to lunge down to get at the ball, your racket movement will be mostly downward. This makes it more likely that your return of service will land up in the net.
Use Little Steps To Adjust Your Position Before The Service Reaches You
It is easier to get out of position with a big lunging step because you can’t adjust quickly.
If you adjust your position using little steps you will be able to keep your center of mass over the balls of your feet and be in better balance to play your return of service.
Don’t Stand Too Close To The Glass When Waiting For A Service
Another typical beginner error is standing way too close to the glass in anticipation of the service. This is a mistake for two reasons.
The first of these is that when the ball does come to the glass where you are standing, you are so cramped up against the side glass that you haven’t got the space to get your racket back into position to play your return.
The other reason that this is a mistake is that you have left such a wide gap down the center of the court that there is no way you can reach a service down the center line in time.
Go For A Simple Return Against A Good Service
If your opponent has played a good service to the side glass with a fair amount of slice spin that will keep the ball low then your best option will be to keep your return of service as simple as possible.
Trying a more fancy shot like playing aggressively cross-court shot down to the fence or squeezing something down the line will most likely result in an error.
Your best option in this situation will be to block the ball back and at least keep it in play.
Keep The Racket Head Near The Anticipated Ball-Contact Height
Part of having your knees bent and having your racket low is that you will be able to have your racket head near the anticipated height of the ball.
If the ball does rebound off the glass lower than you anticipated you will be able to make that small adjustment to the height of your racket head with a shift of wrist position as you play the shot.