Certainly The shot to do to do game of top players, petite became unavoidable at professional. At the lovers it is also used but attention Asked errors…we tell you everything.

La petite is a shot made from the back of the court, played at slow speed, which forces opponents in attacking position to make a low volley. It can also be realized in a confrontation with 4 at the net. Thanks to this move, players at the bottom of the lane can put pressure on their opponents by coming forward.

On paper or in front of the television, it seems quite simple, but in reality, it is much more complicated because an ill-fitting chiquita can pay cash.

When to play my chiquita?

On this point do not immediately copy the pros who have an exceptional technique and are able to launch the offensive from a large number of positions on the track.

The advice would be to first try the chiquita from your comfort zone, your house, because it is here that you have the most control and above all, in the event that your chiquita is badly affected, you will be able to defend better.

With time, experience and better technique, you will gradually be able to attempt this shot from other areas.

In a direct way

It is possible to try the chiquita directly or out of the window. In a direct way it must be understood that, for most players, the forehand is not the easiest shot for the chiquita. For what ? Because it needs to be cut to be effective. Playing it flat is complicated because there are few curves, and the lifter is interesting for finding the angles, the grids, but not totally for this pressure that we are trying to put.

On the reverse, on the other hand, it is more natural. We, again, generally find it easier to cut the ball coming straight from the backhand than from the forehand, so we can use that to try the chiquita and go forward.

In summary, for players who want to get into the chiquita; in a direct way it is easier to play it in backhand than in forehand.

Out of the window

Coming out of the window it's different because if the ball approaches the side windows, we will have the track behind us, which will make it more difficult for us to follow correctly forwards. On the other hand, everything that comes in the middle allows us, following the rebound of course, to leave with enough control and support towards the net. We can even have time to inform our partner of the chiquita that we are going to make so that he can accompany us.

Where to play?

Good question. It's up to you to see what you want, but tell yourself that the more you open the track – that is to say in the direction of the gates – the more control you will need to avoid being punished. So to start, the advice would be to look for an area from the right player's body to the left player's body. Which isn't so bad, right?

Jesus Moya backhand volley WPT 2022

Where should I be next?

This is both the question everyone asks and the big mistake most players make.

A chiquita is a pressurization, it is not a come to the net. So depending on the quality of your ball, you can come more or less close to the net, but to know exactly where to go, it takes hours of practice. Finally, the quality of the opponents' volley will make you either go back to defense or come closer.

Really take your time, when you're new to the chiquita, to understand what damage it does or doesn't do to opponents. Simply by crossing the line you are already putting the pressure on. Why go headlong into the net? Go with patience, precision, control, and over time you can achieve devastating chiquitas, followed not only by you, but also by your partner. Let's go!

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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