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Your partner has hit a good return lob. What do you do?
Good return lob: both advance to the service line as it travels, split as they hit. The court is yours to take.
You are the receiver's partner. Your partner hits a deep, good return lob over the server. What is your move?
Good return lob: both advance to the service line as it travels, split as they hit. The court is yours to take.
Why
The return lob is a pair shot even though one player hits it. When it is good and deep, both returners advance together as it travels, arriving around the service line as the opponent plays their overhead, and split-stepping there. If the overhead is a short bandeja, they take the net; if it is deep, they hold or ease back. The partner who stays at the back while the returner advances, or the reverse, leaves the pair split at exactly the moment they should be taking the net together. The lob buys the court; the movement takes it.
What this means at your level
Beginner
When your partner's return goes high and deep, walk forward with them. Stop when the other player hits.
Intermediate
The partner moves first. You can see the lob's quality before the returner has recovered from hitting it; lead the advance.
Advanced
Read the overhead they are about to hit. A full bandeja setup: hold at the service line. A rushed, off-balance one: keep coming, the ball will be short.
Common questions
You are the receiver's partner. Your partner hits a deep, good return lob over the server. What is your move?
Advance together to the service line, split as they hit. Good return lob: both advance to the service line as it travels, split as they hit. The court is yours to take. The return lob is a pair shot even though one player hits it. When it is good and deep, both returners advance together as it travels, arriving around the service line as the opponent plays their overhead, and split-stepping there. If the overhead is a short bandeja, they take the net; if it is deep, they hold or ease back. The partner who stays at the back while the returner advances, or the reverse, leaves the pair split at exactly the moment they should be taking the net together. The lob buys the court; the movement takes it.
Why not stay where you are and see what happens?
By the time you see what happens, the moment to advance has gone. Move with the lob.
What should a beginner do here?
When your partner's return goes high and deep, walk forward with them. Stop when the other player hits.
How does this change for an advanced player?
Read the overhead they are about to hit. A full bandeja setup: hold at the service line. A rushed, off-balance one: keep coming, the ball will be short.
Puzzles like this one
Your partner got pulled wide. Where do you stand?
The pair moves like one body. When your partner is pulled wide, you take the middle.
beginnerYou have served. Where do you go?
In padel you serve in order to get to the net. Serve, then go.
intermediateWhat do you do with the return of serve?
The return lob is how the receiving pair steals the net. Aim over the player who is still moving.