Drive or reverse? On which side should you play paddle tennis?
Are you starting to play paddle tennis and don't know which side you should stand on? For all of you who are wondering this, we bring you this article prepared by our friend Pedro Pérez Allica of Padelzoom which will be very useful for you to make a great decision when laying the foundations for your game:
On which side should I play paddle tennis?
Choosing the correct side in padel can become a frequent "problem" when playing with friends, or even worse when we sign up for a match organized by the club or with people we don't know. This situation can generate different clashes, the most frequent and main one is that the majority (especially at low levels) want to play on the backhand side because it is usually the right side. where theoretically it is most attacked. However, if the physical condition and the technical and tactical level of play do not match, it can end in disaster. This will become evident if there is a very noticeable difference in level between the members of the couple. Another problem is that once the sides are assigned, the drive player (with the spirit or desire to play on the backhand) covers a lot of the middle, taking balls from his backhand partner, which most likely end in precipitation or direct failure.
All this, of course, is always easier to elucidate if we are honest with ourselves and our level, but it is true that this is something difficult to quantify. So, if you are still not clear about your playing style, you do not feel comfortable in a specific position, or you are a versatile player, We give you some keys to know how to choose which side of the court to play on.
The lefty always on the right
This is an inescapable maxim, and it also makes our lives easier when choosing a side to play. Left-handers always play to the right, and there are several compelling reasons to support this claim. The area of the court where the most play is generated and shipments received is the center. Our best shot, due to physiognomy and technical ease, are forehand shots. Therefore, if both backhands are close to the wall (where we will receive fewer balls) the center of the court will be covered by the best hit of both players. Without forgetting the clear aerial game, since, just as happens from below, lobs will always be more frequent in the center, with both players being a threat from above. It is for these reasons that lefties are always so coveted, as happens in so many sports, since they carry a natural offensive addition, by reversing the idea we have of a skilled rival, posing a new challenge for our game.
The aerial game rules
The player with the best aerial game should always play on the backhand. This is because naturally the movement and the body when executing blows from above are much easier and natural on this side. Let's imagine, for example, an easy ball to the left of the drive player. If the player on the right attacks it (we remember that the ball is on his side of the court) he has to make a high backhand volley, a shot that is very difficult to execute and is more of a resource than an offensive weapon, or move backwards until the ball is left on his right, which will leave his entire side of the court free. As we see, neither of the two options is very convenient, and that is because that blow corresponds to the backhand player, which is in charge of covering the middle of the court and a little more, especially in deliveries from above.
The backhand volley
In this case we are going to talk about the drive player, since He will be the one destined to occupy this place on the court if he is the one with the best backhand volley of the pair. As in the previous points, this is also determined by the center of the court. Although many balls will be from the backhand partner who will attack with his forehand volley, the majority of deliveries that come to us playing the drive will have to be defended, blocked and attacked with a backhand shot.
Who subtracts better?
We must start by saying that This factor is not so determining since the implementation of the golden point, which is not only carried out by professionals, but has won in most amateur and federated competitions. But if you play “the old way”, the backhand player will receive the most advantages, that is, the most decisive points. That is why we will look for our safest rest to be placed the other way around, to ensure that he returns the ball with guarantees. Furthermore, it would be ideal for him to be a player capable of supporting and handling the pressure that these points entail.
Identifying the "weakest" player
This point is controversial, because We do not want to explicitly say that the best player of the pair must always be reversed., but the one of the two who has the most characteristics to play on the backhand side should occupy that position. And this will benefit the couple. Because in competition, rivals often isolate the best rival player, taking away his playing volume and attacking his weaker or lower-level teammate (what is known as a refrigerator). In this case, the backhand player can always help him by entering through the middle, or by covering his back in the lobs that pass him. If the positions were changed, and the good guy was on the forehand, it would be much more difficult (if not impossible) for him to help his partner on the backhand, since he would have to run almost on the wrong foot, and with his high backhand volley (almost the only shot he could make) he would hardly be able to win any point.
Consider physical fitness
As we have been explaining, the player who occupies the backhand position has greater deployment and physical wear, since he monopolizes more of the field and therefore greater volume of play. It is important to have a physical shape that allows us to reach all those balls that correspond to us, being able to occupy the middle and even helping the drive player with some lobs that go over his left shoulder. Therefore, The player who is more athletic and has greater physical abilities should be the one who occupies the backhand position in the pair.
You can always change
Remember that, if things are not going well due to results, fatigue or simply sensations, you can always exchange positions. To do this you have to know the regulations and know when these changes can be carried out, and this is at the beginning of each set. But between sets you can make or break the Australian, since the regulations only specify which side you must subtract on, so on your serve you can also exchange positions.
