La  recovery of support  where the " split-step ” is an important movement in  paddle  especially when the pace picks up. When should it be done for it to be effective?

It is a movement that is easier to inculcate in beginner children than in adults. The split step or the resumption of support is a small jump that we perform with both feet touching the ground at the same time, on the tip, which will allow us to improve our reaction time and thus be able to negotiate the ball with more control.

Beginners

So, for children, in padel school, the waiting position would be with the pala held with both hands in front of the body, and as soon as we see the opponent touch the ball, we carry out the recovery of support to finally release our shot. Here we are not really talking about a specific moment because the important thing is to create an automatism.

In adult beginners, it is more complicated because the recovery of support is not one of the priorities, the important thing being first to pass the ball to the other side of the net.

Finally, as soon as the speed of the game increases, that we understand the need to attack by getting closer to the net and to defend using the windows, we also understand the importance of the recovery of support. But this resumption of support cannot be done at any time.

You are already placed

At the back of the lane or at the net, you are already in place. You will carry out the resumption of support on the tip of your feet, that is to say with the weight of the body on the front, when the opponents will impact the ball. Neither before nor after. The fact of touching the ground at the moment the ball is impacted will make it possible to respond as quickly as possible to the sending of the opponents.

You move towards the net

After a serve, a bandeja, a smash, or even after a chiquita, in short you get the idea, you hit a ball and then you move forward, there will be two possibilities: either you act like a bulldozer that breaks everything, that doesn't stop, you forget about the recovery of support, and come and slap the ball with the possibility of making a mistake, or you will organize this return to the net in an orderly fashion.

Imagine you are serving. Your idea is to reach the net, except the opponent hit the ball before it bounced off the side window. You will have less time to reach this position. If you are in the habit of doing your support from your position at the net, in this case, it will not be possible, so you will be late and quickly put under pressure. But if during this climb, you stop before the opponent hits, when he touches the ball you can carry out the recovery of support and continue forward to reach your position at the net.

The resumption of support must become a reflex. It takes time to automate it, but as soon as the game speeds up, it becomes essential or else it will be late. What will make you a better player will be this ability to carry out the recovery of supports at the best moment to have more time to manage the next ball, and to know how to stop in time during your runs so as not to be unbalanced at the time of the strike. Let's go!

The explanation in pictures in this tutorial.

Julien Bondia

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

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