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Your partner is receiving. Where do you stand?
Beside the returner, near the service line on your half. You move with the quality of the return.
Your partner is about to return serve. Where should you wait?
Beside the returner, near the service line on your half. You move with the quality of the return.
Why
The receiver's partner cannot touch the serve, so their job is to be in the right place for the second ball. Standing level with the returner, a little inside the service line on the other half, keeps the pair side by side and lets the partner move forward if the return is a good lob or a chiquita, and back if the return is weak and the volley is coming hard. Standing at the net splits the pair; standing deep wastes the good returns.
What this means at your level
Beginner
Watch your partner's return and move with it: good lob, come forward; anything else, get back and get ready.
Intermediate
Stand a step inside the service line, not on it. The volley from the server's partner comes fast and you want to be in balance, not moving back.
Advanced
Some pairs put the receiver's partner forward to pressure the server's first volley. It works against nervous servers and fails against good ones; know which you are facing.
Common questions
Your partner is about to return serve. Where should you wait?
Level with the returner, near the service line on your half. Beside the returner, near the service line on your half. You move with the quality of the return. The receiver's partner cannot touch the serve, so their job is to be in the right place for the second ball. Standing level with the returner, a little inside the service line on the other half, keeps the pair side by side and lets the partner move forward if the return is a good lob or a chiquita, and back if the return is weak and the volley is coming hard. Standing at the net splits the pair; standing deep wastes the good returns.
Why not standing behind your partner?
You cover nothing from there. Stay on your own half, level with them.
What should a beginner do here?
Watch your partner's return and move with it: good lob, come forward; anything else, get back and get ready.
How does this change for an advanced player?
Some pairs put the receiver's partner forward to pressure the server's first volley. It works against nervous servers and fails against good ones; know which you are facing.
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.