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Their pair volleys poorly but smashes well. Where do you want the rallies?
Play the weakness, not the textbook. Feed the volley they cannot hit, starve the smash they can.
Against a pair that mis-hits volleys but has a huge smash, your usual approach is to lob and take the net. Should you change it?
Play the weakness, not the textbook. Feed the volley they cannot hit, starve the smash they can.
Why
The default padel plan, lob, take the net, finish, assumes the opponents' overhead is the weak point. Against a pair with a strong smash and poor volleys, it is backwards: your lobs become their winners. The adjustment is to keep the ball low and slow, at their feet, so they have to play the volley they dislike, and to hold your ground rather than rushing forward behind every ball. You may still take the net, but you take it behind a weak volley rather than behind a lob. Good pairs read this in the first three games and change; average pairs keep lobbing into the smash.
What this means at your level
Beginner
If they keep smashing your lobs for winners, stop lobbing so much. Try a slow ball at their feet instead.
Intermediate
Watch the first two games as a scout. Which shot do they miss? Then give them that shot as often as you can.
Advanced
A pair that only smashes will over-hit when starved. Give them nothing to smash for a game and their patience goes before yours does.
Common questions
Against a pair that mis-hits volleys but has a huge smash, your usual approach is to lob and take the net. Should you change it?
Yes: hit low, slow balls to their feet and make them volley. Play the weakness, not the textbook. Feed the volley they cannot hit, starve the smash they can. The default padel plan, lob, take the net, finish, assumes the opponents' overhead is the weak point. Against a pair with a strong smash and poor volleys, it is backwards: your lobs become their winners. The adjustment is to keep the ball low and slow, at their feet, so they have to play the volley they dislike, and to hold your ground rather than rushing forward behind every ball. You may still take the net, but you take it behind a weak volley rather than behind a lob. Good pairs read this in the first three games and change; average pairs keep lobbing into the smash.
Why not yes: stay back and hit hard drives past them?
Hard drives at a net pair produce reflex volleys, and reflex volleys are easier than low ones. Slow and low is the point.
What should a beginner do here?
If they keep smashing your lobs for winners, stop lobbing so much. Try a slow ball at their feet instead.
How does this change for an advanced player?
A pair that only smashes will over-hit when starved. Give them nothing to smash for a game and their patience goes before yours does.
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.