Beginner
Serve
The padel serve is an underarm delivery: the ball must be bounced once and struck at or below waist height into the diagonal service box. Power matters far less than placement and net advancement.
Because the serve is underarm and the server follows it to the net, it is a setup shot rather than a weapon. Good servers aim for the side glass so the ball dies in the corner, and they advance to the net behind it. Unlike tennis, an ace is rare; the serve’s job is to win the net, not the point.
Example
The server bounces the ball, strikes it below the waist into the corner so it kicks off the side glass, and moves up to the net.
Related terms
- 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.
- Wall PlayWall play is using the glass walls that enclose a padel court — letting a ball rebound off the back or side glass and playing it on the bounce, which keeps points alive far longer than in tennis.
Related guides & benchmarks
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