What the analysis of the gesture reveals: tennis forehand vs bandeja padel

The forehand in tennis is a "ground-to-racket" movement, where the legs and torso generate most of the power, whereas the bandeja in padel is a "shoulder" movement, more localized, more energy-efficient but which exposes this joint more to wear — two almost opposite biomechanical logics, revealed by filmed studies and muscle analysis.

From a distance, a forehand in tennis and a bandeja in padel look similar: a ball arrives, a player cocks their arm, a strike. But as soon as the image is slowed down — which is what researchers in sports biomechanics do using 3D video and electromyography (the measurement of electrical muscle activity during exertion) — the two movements tell two completely different stories.

On one hand, a forehand that draws its power from the entire body, from the feet to the tip of the racket. On the other, a more compact, defensive stroke, where the shoulder is involved in a very specific way. Understanding this difference isn't just an academic exercise: it also explains why the two sports don't wear down the body in the same way.

1. The forehand in tennis: a stroke that starts from the ground

The key concept: the kinetic chain

Researchers in tennis biomechanics (notably the work of Caroline Martin, PhD in sports biomechanics, and Cyril Genevois, specialist in tennis movement analysis) describe the forehand through the concept of kinetic chain : the idea that the power of the strike does not come from a single segment of the body, but from a transmission of energy that gradually rises, like a wave, from the feet to the racket.

The movement follows a precise sequence, where each step must be completed before the next so that energy is not lost along the way:

Ground anchoring : the supports become fixed, the legs bend, creating a stable base.
Propulsion : the legs relax, generating an initial upward and forward impulse.
Trunk rotation : the pelvis and then the shoulders pivot, in that order, creating a whipping effect.
The acceleration of the arm : the elbow and then the wrist accelerate last, at the moment when all the energy accumulated lower in the body reaches them.

This principle explains a phenomenon that often surprises beginners: it's not the players who "pull" the arm the hardest who hit the hardest, but those who best synchronize the entire chain of motion. Measurements taken on the serve (the most studied stroke in tennis, where the data is most precise) show that The legs and torso alone generate more than half of the total energy transmitted to the racket (approximately 51 to 55%), compared to only 13% for the shoulder. which functions more like a relay than a motor.

What muscle analysis reveals: less effort, more efficiency

A particularly interesting result from recent studies in electromyography (measuring the electrical activity of muscles): More advanced players generally activate their muscles less during the forehand than beginners, while producing higher ball speeds. In other words, a good forehand isn't about a more muscular stroke, but about a stroke that's better transmitted through the body—a form of neuromotor efficiency rather than a matter of brute force. It's a bit like the difference between pushing a door with all your weight and pivoting it precisely on its hinges: the result may be the same, but the effort required is radically different.

The price to pay: repeated strain on the elbow and shoulder

This kinetic chain, however efficient, still places repeated stress on certain joints, particularly when the synchronization of the movement is imperfect—which is very common among amateur players, who often compensate for a lack of trunk rotation by increasing the effort of the arm. It is precisely this compensatory mechanism that is identified as one of the main factors in lateral epicondylitis, better known as “tennis elbow”: an overuse of the elbow tendons linked to a movement where the arm alone must provide some of the energy that the kinetic chain should have supplied.

2. The bandeja in padel: a shoulder movement, designed for control rather than power

A move born from a tactical constraint

The bandeja (literally “the tray” in Spanish, referring to the gesture of a server carrying a tray of glasses) is a unique shot in padel, with no real equivalent in tennis. It comes into play in a very specific situation: a player at the net receives a lob, a high ball that goes over their head. Rather than attempting a risky smash (which leaves them vulnerable to a counter-attack if the ball comes back), the player chooses a more controlled, intermediate shot that allows them to maintain their offensive position at the net without taking unnecessary risks.

A fundamentally different striking mechanism

Unlike the forehand in tennis, the bandeja is not constructed as a chain extending from the ground to the racket. Its structure is more localized:

The preparation is done high, elbow raised, racket at head height — the famous image of the “plateau” held high.
The impact takes place on the side of the body, at shoulder height, never above the head as for a smash.
The striking gesture is a horizontal movement, where the edge of the racket “brushes” the ball from top to bottom and forward, producing a slice effect that slows the bounce of the ball on the opponent's side.
The movement of the legs , often in side steps towards the rear rather than in classic reverse, serves above all to position oneself correctly in relation to the ball — more a work of adjustment than propulsion.

The difference is therefore clear: where the forehand in tennis aims to transfer maximum energy from the ground to the racket, the bandeja aims for the opposite—a deliberately controlled stroke, where raw power is sacrificed for control and placement. It's no coincidence that padel coaches explicitly recommend reducing the power of the stroke by about 30% compared to a smash, to prioritize precision.

The shoulder, alone on the front line

This structural difference has a direct physical consequence: the bandeja relies much more heavily on the shoulder joint, without the efficient support provided by the complete kinetic chain of tennis. The shoulder is a particularly mobile joint—and it is precisely this mobility that makes it more unstable and more vulnerable to repetitive stress. Sports professionals identify the aerial movements in padel (bandeja, smash, high volleys) as a frequent cause of shoulder instability and tendinopathies in regular players, especially when the movement is poorly executed—typically when the ball is struck too far back on the body rather than slightly in front, a common technical error that further increases the stress on the joint.

3. Direct comparison: two kinetic chains, two risk profiles

Criterion	Forehand (tennis)	Bandeja (padel)
Origin of power	Legs and torso (complete kinetic chain)	Shoulder and arm (localized movement)
Role of the legs	They generate most of the impulse	They are mainly used for positioning, not much for propulsion
Role of the shoulder	Transmission relay (~13% of total energy in service)	main driver of the movement
Objective of the gesture	Maximize ball speed	Control the trajectory, intentionally slow down the ball
Type of muscular effort	Large coordinated chain, distributed effort	Localized effort, repeated at high frequency
Joint most exposed to wear and tear	Elbow (tennis elbow), shoulder (serve)	Shoulder (tendinopathies, instability)
Most documented cause of injury	Compensation by the arm of a poorly synchronized kinetic chain	Repetitive aerial movements, striking too far back on the body

4. What this actually changes for the player's health

This biomechanical difference is not just a laboratory curiosity: it has direct implications for physical preparation and injury prevention in both sports.

Tennis The priority for limiting wear and tear on the elbow and shoulder is to work on the quality of the entire kinetic chain—leg mobility and strength, trunk rotation—rather than focusing solely on the arm. A forehand that puts too much strain on the arm, due to poor energy transfer from the lower body, is identified as a classic risk factor for elbow tendons.

At the padel The logic is different: since the bandeja (and other aerial gestures in the sport) engages the shoulder more directly and more repeatedly, specific strengthening of the rotator cuff and shoulder stabilizing muscles is regularly recommended by sports physical trainers, with a weekly routine of a few minutes with a resistance band, in addition to a technical correction of the placement of the strike (in front of the body rather than behind).

Biomechanical analysis of the forehand in tennis and the bandeja in padel reveals two almost opposing movement philosophies: one builds power through the entire body, in a sequence that originates from the ground; the other concentrates effort on a shorter, more controlled shoulder movement, designed for precision rather than speed. This structural difference largely explains why the two sports do not expose the body to the same types of injuries: the elbow in tennis, the shoulder in padel—two well-defined risk profiles that call for different prevention strategies.

F.A.Q

Why do we say that the forehand starts "from the legs" when it's the arm that touches the ball? Because the power of the shot is generated primarily by the legs and torso rotation, then transmitted to the arm and racket at the last moment. The arm acts as the final link in a chain, not as the main engine.

Is the bandeja a dangerous move for the shoulder? It's not dangerous in itself, but it puts more strain on the shoulder than most tennis strokes, especially if executed incorrectly (the ball is hit too far back). Specific shoulder strengthening exercises are generally recommended for regular padel players.

Does it take a lot of strength to hit a forehand or bandeja well? No, quite the opposite: studies show that advanced tennis players often use fewer muscles than beginners to produce a faster ball, thanks to better coordination. In padel, the bandeja is explicitly a shot where brute force is discouraged, in favor of control.

Do tennis elbow and shoulder pain in padel have the same origin? No. Tennis elbow usually results from the arm compensating for a poorly synchronized kinetic chain. Shoulder pain in padel is more related to the repetition of aerial movements (bandeja, smash, high volleys) on a joint that is inherently mobile and therefore more unstable.

Sources and methodology

Martin, C. (2018). Chapter 7. Biomechanical and muscular analysis of the forehandin Tennis: Performance OptimizationDe Boeck Supérieur.
Genevois, C. Determinants of forehand performance: implications for trainingFrench Tennis Federation.
Elliott, B., Kotara, T., Noffal, G. (1997). The influence of grip position on upper limb contribution to racket head velocity in a tennis forehand. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 13, 182-196.
Landlinger, J. et al. (2010). Data on the kinetic chain and racket speed in the forehand, cited in the synthesis work of C. Genevois for the FFT.
Data on the relative contribution of body segments to the energy transmitted to the racket during the serve (Kinetic Chain Concepts, 2014; Aspetar Sports Medicine Journal, 2014).
Electromyography study (2025) comparing muscle activation of advanced and novice tennis players during the forehand.
Technical descriptions of the bandeja taken from educational content by specialist padel coaches, cross-referenced between several independent sources.
Data on the prevalence of tendinopathies and shoulder instability related to repeated aerial movements in padel, taken from physical preparation content specialized in this sport.

This article was written using publicly available scientific and technical sources as of August 2026. The prevention recommendations mentioned do not replace the advice of a healthcare professional or physical trainer in case of persistent pain.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.