We often talk about how to act when we move on to the attack, but you also need to know defend, and avoid jeopardize our team with ill-chosen blows. Let's see what we can do after a lob of our opponents.

This is a situation that all players of padel know. You're at the net and you get lobbed. Bad luck, this lob is hit well enough to prevent you from playing a smash or a bandeja. You must therefore return to the bottom of the field.

And now, what to do?

The ball comes to the corner

Several options are possible. 

Either the ball bounces off the bottom glass first and then goes to the side glass, leaving you little room to negotiate it. In this case, you will have to look for a defensive blow, upwards, which will allow you to calmly replace yourself and make your partner breathe.

Either the ball will first bounce off the side window and then die on the back window. It is also a difficult situation which will be negotiated, if we seek simplicity, by a high ball which will give you time.

Finally, and here it gets nice, the ball will bounce off the back window but will stay far enough from the side window, which will allow you to be aggressive. Accelerate the ball towards an easy-to-hit area but stay deep waiting for the next shot.

In short, everything that comes from the angle does not allow, in the first place, to go on the attack. Play and stay at the bottom.

The ball comes to the center

Here it is different because a ball in the center offers more game options. So let your ideas run wild but remember to follow most balls forward.

The ball bounces high off the bottom glass and allows you to speed it up with a bajada. Go ahead looking, after impact, to come forward, or at least cross the line.

Sofia Araujo bajada de pared Cascais 2022

The ball bounces but not high enough for you to be aggressive. You have enough space to find yourself between the ball and the glass, but the rebound is not high. It will be a low ball that you can follow. A chiquita to the center, to the grid, a deep ball to the center or even a lob will be the best options, at slow speed, but followed.

The super difficult

These are the perfect lobs that stick to the bottom pane. You have no room to stand between the ball and the glass. Don't look for a complicated move. Open the pala to the sky, raise as high as you can, reposition yourself and analyze the situation.

The important thing is above all to understand which moves are the most suitable for each situation. Lobs to the angles, play and get back into the maison. Lobs in the center, try to follow them. And the super complicated lobs, try to lift the ball as high as possible to give yourself time to reorganize the game. Vamos!

Julien Bondia

Julien Bondia is a teacher of padel in Tenerife (Spain). Columnist and advisor, he helps you play better through his tutorials and tactical/technical articles padel.

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