The 5 Most Important Padel Shots for Beginners

1. The serve

The padel serve is the only shot you hit without pressure from your opponent, which makes it the perfect place to build confidence. Bounce the ball behind the service line, let it drop to waist height or below, and swing through with a smooth, controlled motion. Aim for the opponent's body or the corner of the service box — you're not trying to hit an ace, you're trying to start the point on your terms.

The biggest beginner mistake on the serve is trying to hit too hard. A consistent, well-placed serve that lands deep in the service box is far more effective than a rocket that goes into the net or flies long. Keep it simple: continental grip, smooth swing, consistent toss.

Practice tip: hit 20 serves to each box before every session. Within a week, your serve will be reliable enough that you never give away free points.

2. The forehand and backhand groundstroke

Groundstrokes in padel are flatter and more controlled than in tennis. You're not trying to rip winners from the baseline — you're trying to keep the ball in play, move your opponents around, and set up opportunities to take the net.

For both forehand and backhand, use the continental grip, prepare early by turning your shoulders, and swing through the ball with a compact motion. Follow through toward your target, not upward. In padel, a low, flat trajectory is usually more effective than heavy topspin.

The key difference from tennis: you rarely need to generate your own pace. The court is smaller, the ball comes back off the walls, and rallies are built on consistency rather than power. A controlled groundstroke that lands deep and stays low will win you more points than a hard, wild swing.

3. The volley

The volley is the most important shot in padel. Whoever controls the net controls the point — and volleys are how you hold that position. A good volley is firm, compact, and punched rather than swung. Hold the racket in front of your body at chest height, keep your wrist locked, and redirect the ball with a short, decisive motion.

Beginners tend to swing at volleys like groundstrokes — big backswing, big follow-through. Resist this. The volley should feel like a block or a punch: short, sharp, and controlled. Aim deep into the opponent's court to keep them pinned at the back.

Practice tip: stand at the net with a partner and volley back and forth continuously. Start slow and increase the pace. Ten minutes of this drill will teach you more about volley technique than hours of theory.

4. The lob

The lob is padel's great equaliser. When you're stuck at the back of the court with both opponents at the net, a well-placed lob sails over their heads, lands deep, and bounces off the back wall — buying you time to recover and potentially forcing them off the net.

Hit the lob with an open racket face and a gentle, upward swing. Aim high enough to clear the net player's reach but not so high that the ball hits the mesh (which ends the point on your opponent's side). The ideal lob lands within the last two metres of the court and bounces into the back wall.

The lob is also an offensive weapon. A well-disguised lob that catches the net team flat-footed can win the point outright. Disguise it by preparing as if you're about to hit a groundstroke, then opening the racket face at the last moment.

5. The chiquita (dipping shot)

The chiquita is a soft, low shot played from the back of the court that dips at the feet of the net player. It's hit with a gentle, slightly open-faced swing and lands just past the service line, forcing the net player to volley upward — which is difficult and often results in a weak return you can attack.

The chiquita is the beginner's secret weapon against aggressive net players. Instead of trying to blast the ball past them (risky) or lob over them (predictable if overdone), the chiquita makes them uncomfortable at the net and creates openings.

Practice tip: from the back of the court, aim soft shots that land between the service line and the net. Vary the pace and direction. Once you can place chiquitas consistently, you'll find it much easier to take the net position for yourself.

Putting it all together

These five shots — serve, groundstroke, volley, lob, and chiquita — are the building blocks of every padel match. Master the basics before worrying about bandejas, viboras, or trick shots. At Padel Tropical, our beginner coaching sessions focus exclusively on these fundamentals because they're what actually win points.

The pattern of a typical padel rally for beginners: serve deep, rally from the back with groundstrokes, use a lob or chiquita to work your way forward, then hold the net with solid volleys. Do this consistently and you'll beat players who hit harder but smarter.