improver · ~5 min read
Key shots: the order to learn them
Lob → volley → bandeja → smash. The shots that win club points, in the order worth learning — and what to skip for now.
Last reviewed June 2026
In one minute
Padel has a big vocabulary of shots, but you don't learn them all at once. The order that actually wins club points: serve & return → lob (the most important shot — it takes the net) → volley (hold the net) → bandeja (keep the net when they lob you) → smash (finish, only when it's on). Underneath all of it sits one rule: placement beats power. The walls send hard shots straight back, so control, height and depth win far more than pace.
This is coaching guidance, not rules — and a learning order, not a technique manual. For stroke mechanics, follow a coach or the videos linked at the end.
The master rule: placement over power
Power matters less in padel than in almost any other racket sport. The glass walls keep balls in play, so a hard shot just comes back to you at speed — and hitting too hard is one of the most common club errors. Trade pace for placement, height and control and your level jumps. Keep this in mind for every shot below.
The order to learn
1. Serve & return — start the rally
You can't play without these, so they come first. The serve is a rally-starter, not a weapon; the return just needs to get back in safely. Full rules and tips: serve & return.
2. The lob — your most important shot
Practise the lob more than any other shot — it wins more points than anything else at club level.
The lob is how you take the net, the dominant position in padel. A good lob is played from a stable position (not a panic), aimed high and deep — ideally over your opponents' backhand and landing near the back glass, where it's very hard to attack.
- Depth is everything. A lob landing inside the service box is a gift to the net pair. One that clears them into the back third is a weapon — even if it looks unspectacular.
- As soon as your lob pushes them back, walk to the net with your partner — before the ball even bounces off their back wall. (See move as a pair.)
3. The volley — hold the net you won
Once you're at the net, the volley keeps you there. It's a short, controlled punch (a block) — racket up at chest height, prepared before the ball arrives. Aim for depth to keep opponents pinned, not winners. You finish later.
4. The bandeja — keep the net when they lob you
The bandeja ("the tray") is the most important shot to learn after the basics. It's a controlled, slice overhead that lands deep and stays low — so when opponents lob you, you can answer without giving up the net. Full technique deep dive: the bandeja.
| Bandeja (the tray) | Víbora (the viper) | |
|---|---|---|
| Job | Control — keep the net | Pressure — force a weak reply |
| When | Moving back, lower contact, deep lob | Set, high contact, you can go wide |
| Risk | Lower | Medium |
Quick check: Set? High contact? Time? → víbora. Moving back? Low contact? Late? → bandeja. Learn the bandeja solidly first.
5. The smash — the finisher, used sparingly
The smash is your finishing weapon — only when the ball is high enough to hit down with power, and even then placement beats power: aim the side glass (so it flies out of reach) or between opponents. Don't treat every overhead as a smash — most should be a bandeja to keep the net.
What to skip for now
- Víbora as a default. It needs high precision; used as your go-to overhead it just leaks unforced errors. Master the bandeja first.
- Chiquita, bajada, trick shots. Real shots, but later — they're not first-year priorities.
- Hitting harder. It's the second most common club mistake. Slow it down.
Try this next time
- Lob practice. Spend a whole session lobbing for height and depth over power — aim to land it in the back third.
- Block, don't swing, at the net. Volley with a short punch and aim deep, not for winners.
- Bandeja over smash. Next time you're lobbed, hit a controlled bandeja and recover to the net instead of going for the big smash.
Common mix-ups
- "I'll win points by smashing." At club level the lob and placement win far more — the glass eats your smashes.
- "The víbora looks cool, I'll learn that first." Bandeja first; the víbora punishes imprecision.
- "Lob only when I'm in trouble." A tactical lob from a stable position is your best route to the net — not just a bailout.
Go deeper
For stroke technique, see The Padel School and Padel Underground — we curate the what and when; they cover the how.