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From the back, against two net players: how often do you drive?
From the back, mostly lobs. Drive rarely, when the geometry offers it, so they cannot camp deep.
You are at the back rallying against two players at the net. Roughly what proportion of your balls should be drives rather than lobs?
From the back, mostly lobs. Drive rarely, when the geometry offers it, so they cannot camp deep.
Why
A drive from the back of a padel court at two net players in position is, most of the time, a volley for them. The lob is the shot that changes the point; the drive is the shot that stops them from standing deeper to handle lobs. So the proportion is lopsided: most balls from the back go up, and the drive appears when a net player has crept too close, or one of them is caught in no man's land, or you have a ball at a good height off the glass and they are not expecting it. Beginners who drive too much lose points quickly; players who never drive let the net pair settle.
What this means at your level
Beginner
Lob, lob, lob. When you see one of them standing almost on the net, hit one firm ball at their feet. Then lob again.
Intermediate
Count in a set: if you have hit more drives than lobs from the back, you are giving them too many volleys.
Advanced
The proportion shifts with the opponents. Against a pair with poor volleys and great overheads, drive more; against a pair that volleys well, hardly at all.
Common questions
You are at the back rallying against two players at the net. Roughly what proportion of your balls should be drives rather than lobs?
A small minority. The drive is the occasional surprise. From the back, mostly lobs. Drive rarely, when the geometry offers it, so they cannot camp deep. A drive from the back of a padel court at two net players in position is, most of the time, a volley for them. The lob is the shot that changes the point; the drive is the shot that stops them from standing deeper to handle lobs. So the proportion is lopsided: most balls from the back go up, and the drive appears when a net player has crept too close, or one of them is caught in no man's land, or you have a ball at a good height off the glass and they are not expecting it. Beginners who drive too much lose points quickly; players who never drive let the net pair settle.
Why not about half?
Half your balls as drives means half your balls as volleys for them. The lob has to be the default.
What should a beginner do here?
Lob, lob, lob. When you see one of them standing almost on the net, hit one firm ball at their feet. Then lob again.
How does this change for an advanced player?
The proportion shifts with the opponents. Against a pair with poor volleys and great overheads, drive more; against a pair that volleys well, hardly at all.
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.
beginnerBoth of them are at the net. What is the highest-percentage ball?
Only the lob moves a net pair backwards. Everything else invites them forward.
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.