Le right hit is one of the basic shots of the padel. If it is effective it will allow you to gain the advantage on the point. The service can help you in this progression.

When we take our first steps at padel, we very often start with a basic stroke which is the forehand from the ground floor. This forehand, depending on the person, assimilates more or less quickly. In order to help you better assimilate the forehand, it is interesting to combine learning with serve.

Why the service?

The serve is a shot taken from the back of the track, which must be performed with safety and precision for beginners in order to put the ball into play. A wrong serve will not allow the point to be played ...

This service must be performed below belt level, with at least 1 foot on the ground, towards the service square diagonally across the track, and towards the windows.

In order to help you understand the similarities between baseline forehand and serve, here is our analysis.

Rebound

When serving, the rebound is very important. You have to learn to manage your rebound to hit the ball at the best possible height. If you hit the ball while it is on the upswing, you will have less control than when you hit it on the downswing. Same thing with the forehand. Learn to read the rebound, you will hit the ball more safely.

The preparation

At the service there are several heights of preparation. It's up to you to find the best preparation (s) for your service. But one thing is certain: the sooner you have the pala positioned to the rear, the better your strike will be. Then, a pala placed above the belt will favor an attacking serve while a pala placed below the belt will favor a control service. So don't hesitate to position your pala even before you let your ball bounce.

Think about it during your forehand: high attack pala, low defense pala. Early preparation increases the effectiveness of the forehand.

The point of impact

First, let's consider how far the ball is from you, ie either close to or far from the body. A service provided too close or too far from the body will be less effective because you will have to adjust your arm at the last moment. Tip: let go of your ball with an outstretched arm so that you will always be the same distance from the ball and you will develop this habit with the forehand.

The second place of impact to take into account is either in front of you, at height or slightly behind. This will allow you to find different areas like very crossed, towards the center or long line. Trying and changing these impact locations will make you aware of the direction of play when it comes to making a forehand.

Weight transfer

Leaning your body forward or backward will give your serve more or less power. A body with the weight forward will promote a powerful serve, while the body weight backwards will promote a “defensive” serve. It is therefore best, for beginners, to leave the weight of the body in the center, both feet firmly on the ground, for a perfect balance and a precise stroke.

In the game it's exactly the same. If you hit your forehand with the bodyweight forward, you will deliver an aggressive hit to your opponents, bodyweight back, a lob-type defensive hit, and both feet firmly planted in the ground. , waiting shots, control.

The end of gesture

After having impacted the ball, it remains to accompany it in the direction of the place you want to reach. If you want to play short, precise, taking the time to come to the net, your end of movement will be rather short. On the other hand, if you want to give rhythm to the ball, come quickly to the net and play a deep ball with a bounce close to the side window, you will have to finish with a wider movement.

The same goes for your forehand. A short end of gesture will give you more precision and control compared to a wide end of gesture that ends above the opposite shoulder which will rather favor power.

So you have trouble understanding the technique of the forehand from the ground floor? Take a little time in your training and do dozens of serves. You will learn a lot of things… Get to work!

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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