Intermediate
Chiquita
Also known as: low ball to the feet(term used as-is across languages)
A chiquita — Spanish for "little one" — is a soft, low ball played from the back of the court to the net players’ feet, forcing them to hit up and surrender their attack.
Rather than lobbing, the chiquita is the other way to neutralize a net pair: a controlled, dipping ball that lands low at their feet so they cannot volley down. It buys the defending pair time and often a chance to move up. It is a patient, percentage shot central to high-level tactics.
Example
Pinned at the back, the pair plays a chiquita at the net player’s feet; the forced low volley pops up and the defenders advance.
Related terms
- LobA lob is a high, deep shot hit over the opponents at the net to push them back off their attacking position — one of the most important tactical shots in padel.
- Net ControlNet control is occupying the net as a team — the dominant attacking position in padel. The pair at the net dictates points; the pair at the back defends and tries to lob them off it.
Related guides & benchmarks
Put this into your swing
SwingVantage can spot this in your own swing — free to start.