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Their smash is coming hard into your back glass. How do you play the rebound?
Hard smash into the glass: give it room, let it come out, lob it high. The wall takes the sting.
The opponent smashes hard and flat toward your back glass. You are in position. How do you play the rebound?
Hard smash into the glass: give it room, let it come out, lob it high. The wall takes the sting.
Why
A hard smash that reaches the back glass rebounds a long way, often past the service line, and the defender's job is to get out of its way and let it come to them. Stand well back from the rebound path, let the ball drop to a comfortable height as it comes out, and reset with a high, deep lob. Trying to hit it hard, or to take it early off the wall, is how points that were still alive are lost. The smash into the glass is the ball the wall was built to defend; the defender who trusts the rebound gets the point back to neutral.
What this means at your level
Beginner
When they smash hard, get out of the way and let the ball hit the wall. It will come back to you. Then lob it.
Intermediate
Watch where the ball hits the glass: high on the glass rebounds far, low rebounds short. Position yourself accordingly.
Advanced
A smash that rebounds high and slow off the glass is a lob you can hit deep to either corner. It is the defender's chance to take the net back: choose the corner the smasher is not covering.
Common questions
The opponent smashes hard and flat toward your back glass. You are in position. How do you play the rebound?
Stay back, let it come well out, and lob it high. Hard smash into the glass: give it room, let it come out, lob it high. The wall takes the sting. A hard smash that reaches the back glass rebounds a long way, often past the service line, and the defender's job is to get out of its way and let it come to them. Stand well back from the rebound path, let the ball drop to a comfortable height as it comes out, and reset with a high, deep lob. Trying to hit it hard, or to take it early off the wall, is how points that were still alive are lost. The smash into the glass is the ball the wall was built to defend; the defender who trusts the rebound gets the point back to neutral.
Why not take it as it comes off the wall, hard?
A ball coming off the glass at pace is hard to time and hitting it hard sends it long. Give it room and reset with a lob.
What should a beginner do here?
When they smash hard, get out of the way and let the ball hit the wall. It will come back to you. Then lob it.
How does this change for an advanced player?
A smash that rebounds high and slow off the glass is a lob you can hit deep to either corner. It is the defender's chance to take the net back: choose the corner the smasher is not covering.
Puzzles like this one
The ball is at your feet at the net. What now?
A ball below the net cannot be attacked. Block it deep and wait for one above the tape.
beginnerThe ball is coming off the back glass. When do you hit it?
Move back with the ball, let it pass you, hit it in front of your body.
intermediateShort, high and yours. Bandeja or smash?
Deep ball, bandeja. Short ball with your weight going forward, smash.