The smash, for some, rhymes with power et end of stitch. But beware, this is not always the case. Let's talk about this tactic and no technical.

Unlike our cousin tennis, where the smash means end of the point, the padel might compare more to badminton or beach tennis, which require some control over the ball to find areas rather than panache.

What types of smashes?

It doesn't matter how you hit the ball, the most important thing is that it's in.

There would be three types of smashes; the flat smash impacted in front of you, the bell-type flat smash impacted either behind you or when you are waiting for the ball with the pala pointing towards the sky, and the technician's smash, the one that will have effects (especially the topspin).

To play padel, you don't first need to know how to hit the ball like the greatest spikers of all time, the important thing is to win the point and above all to put your opponents in an uncomfortable position.

The basis is the impact

First and foremost, you need to hit the ball correctly for best results. You are certainly aware that your pala has a “sweet spot”, a perfect point of impact which will give the ball maximum spin, power and control. If you are unable to hit there, your smash will not be effective and will allow opponents to defend. Look at the professionals; they often impact the ball very well but sometimes the ball squirts less, takes less spin. This means that the impact was not perfect.

coello smash mendoza

So to learn how to impact well, you have to go through the “slow” box in training, which will make you understand how to better find the sweet spot. The pala will make you understand it with a rounder, duller sound. To practice, you can practice alone against a wall. You impact towards the ground, the ball bounces off the wall, then you start again. The longer you hold the ball, the more control you will have and the better you will find the sweet spot.

Find the area

This is the second step. Once you hit correctly, you need to look for an area on the track. This can be a rebound in the middle of the service box, the bottom 2 window, it's up to you to set an achievable goal.

Then comes the simple basic tactics.

We talked about it in a previous article, although we can search all areas with our smash (this is the case for experienced players), it is still easier to impose an area on ourselves according to our position on the track.

– smash to play close to the grid: look for the opposite grid.

– smash from the middle of the service square: look for the side window or the back window 1-2 in the diagonal at slow speed.

– smash from the center: look for the slow center, the fast center or the par 3 by touching the joint between glass 1 and 2 from the bottom diagonally.

Tactics are the basis

Before embarking on extraordinary rides, consider finding areas with slow to moderate speeds. This controlled speed will allow you to gain confidence with the smash, to avoid playing too often bandejas, and above all to force opponents to play always different shots in different areas at different speeds. You have the control, the mastery, and tell yourself that the day will come when you will detect this ball which will allow you to let go of everything.

The smash is not easy. It's a shot that's very impressive, allowing you to shine on the court, but when left unchecked can end up out of bounds, or allow opponents to take over the attack.

Work, master, take the time and little by little, everything will fall into place, regardless of your technique or level. Let's go! 

Find HERE all the chronicles of Julien Bondia

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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