How to play off the back glass in padel
If you’re new to padel, one of the hardest skills to master is playing off the back glass.
There are a few different factors you need to think about – your positioning, the speed and bounce of the ball, and of course, your racket swing.
While the back glass might not feel like your friend at the moment, it can be used to your advantage to give you more time, make certain shots easier, defend powerful shots from your opponent and keep the rally going.
Here’s our expert guide on everything you need to know about playing off the back glass in padel.
When to hit off the back glass in padel
There are two reasons why you would look to use the glass in padel:
- To defend a ball we'd otherwise be unable to. e.g. a fast volley or a smash
- To attack a ball we'd otherwise be unable to e.g. a bajada
As a beginner starting out, we'd recommend using the glass as much as possible to get comfortable with it. The quicker you can get used to playing the ball off the glass, the easier it will be going forward.
How to hit the ball off the back glass in padel
Start in the ready position with your racket up so you can quickly react and move into position This will help give you time to decide whether to take the next shot on or leave it to play off the back glass.
When playing the shot off the back wall, turn side on and take your racket back early. Use quick little steps to get into position.
Get your body down low so you can swing from low to high and hit the ball before it bounces on the court again.
Remember, after thge ball rebounds it will be travelling in the direction you want it to go - back towards the net. Often you don't need to add much pace to the ball, just try to touch it over the net.
These are our top four tips for playing off the back glass:
- Give yourself space – make sure your ready position is in the correct place on the court to allow you to change direction if needed
- Preparation – make sure your racket is prepared early before moving to the ball
- Read the incoming ball – see how fast the ball is travelling from your opponents – if it is slower you will need to move much closer to the glass
- Control over power – these shots are naturally more difficult to hit, so give yourself more chance of getting it in by taking off some pace and controlling it back over the net
How to practice hitting off the back glass in padel
Here’s a quick drill you can practice with a partner to start playing off the back glass:
- Start in the ready position with your partner standing just in front of you on your side of the court
- Your partner will feed you slow, deep shots that land past the service line so it hits the back glass
- Your job is to react to the ball and hit it back to the feeder
- To start, practice with an extra bounce on the court after it hits the glass. Once you're comfortable with that you can remove the second bound and hit the ball straight after it comes off the glass
- Make sure your partner feeds to both your forehand and backhand, and mix it up so you don’t know what shot is coming next