Sometimes it seems that in Padel we tend to train the serve less than in other sports. This is because it is easy, to a certain extent, to get a serve into the opponent's court.
However, improving the serve in Padel is a matter of training. This shot determines from the first moment who is better positioned to get the point: you or your opponent.
Therefore, it is essential to introduce serving exercises in our training . Only in this way will we be able to place the ball in the place that interests us to start the points in which we have the service on the right foot.
In general, we can divide the Padel serve into two large areas: tactics and technique.
Tips to improve the serve in Padel
Technique
If you have never introduced specific serve exercises into your training, or you are a beginner in the world of Padel, we recommend that you start by preparing the technique for this type of shot. This is because only then will you have the tools to make a precise blow and, later, be able to use it within a more elaborate tactic.
The first thing we should know is the regulations for this type of beating. As you probably know, the Padel serve is done diagonally and always hitting at maximum hip height. In this sense, there are male and female players who serve by hitting the ball at a lower height. Although this is totally legal according to the regulations, it is not advisable, since we will get an angle that does not allow us to give the ball as much speed as would be recommended. For this reason, we recommend that you technically take advantage, as far as possible, of the limits of the regulation. Hit the ball as close to hip height as you can. In this way the angle of the shot will be flatter, which will benefit us and give the opponent less time than if we hit with more parabola.
Another key point is the position of our feet. In this sense, one of the most common mistakes is to place the feet at the same height, parallel to the service line. This type of hitting will not allow us to apply enough force to our shot, since we will not take advantage of the weight of our body for the serve. Therefore, it is advisable to put the non-dominant foot in a more advanced position. In this way, when hitting we must make a hip movement with our dominant foot that, starting the movement from behind, generates inertia towards the net that we can take advantage of to hit with greater force and go up to the net before the opponent can even subtract our serve.
Finally, we have to mention the position of the elbow and theblade . This should hit the ball slightly backwards, which will allow us to give the ball some spin, cutting it so that it rises as little as possible after bouncing off the opponent's field and making it difficult for it to be easily subtracted. To do this, a trick is to look at the movement of the elbow. If we start with a 90 degree angle at the elbow and in a high but comfortable position, we will achieve that when starting the movement in the form of a pendulum towards the ball we will generate power with a descending line . This allows you to increase the difficulty of the rest and therefore will increase the chances that we will get the point.
Tactic
Once you have trained enough, you will see how you have mechanized and improved the serve in Padel. If this is so, congratulations! Now you can focus on tactics.
In this sense, we can only give you little advice, since it will depend to a large extent on your rival on the track. It will also influence your ability to read the court and the point you are playing.
As a first piece of advice, we can recommend changing the type of serve on a recurring basis . If you always serve at the same point, you will see how your rivals get used to it and return the rest better each time. For this reason, try to vary between short and long serves, to the center, to the wall or to the opponent's feet.
In the same way, we encourage you to go up to the net as soon as you take the serve, even before the opponent has had time to subtract. In this way, we will be able to win the net as soon as we start, which increases our chances of winning the point.
Another tactical point that we recommend to improve the serve in Padel and that is basic: communicate with your partner or partner. Remember that it is a team sport, the serve has to catch the opponent off guard, not your partner. If you have a spoken tactic, it is more likely that he will anticipate what type of return he may receive, and thus give you a certain advantage over your opponent.
Finally, we have a piece of advice for both technique and tactics: train, train and train! Only by practicing will you be able to hit the ball exactly where you want, direct it to where it makes tactical sense at that moment of the point and put your rivals in trouble. Train and increase your chances of winning serve points exponentially.
