Mastering the Padel Smash – Fundamentals Guide

The smash is one of the most difficult shots for the following reasons.

It requires

– Good biomechanics due to the force needed to be produced

– Great timing

– Proper footwork and anticipation to setup for the shot

Lets start with some fundamentals that even many advanced players don’t fully get right sometimes.

1. The Grip: At a minimum, a continental grip is recommended. Some pro players open the racket even further to generate more spin. Not all players do this and it’s not necessary, if you are not advanced, it’s not recommended and in all cases one should be careful not to overdo it.
2. Racket head facing position: The most common mistake for tennis players. If you look at all the players on the pro tour with great smashes you will notice that on preperation, they all have their racket head facing the net. Most tennis player prepare with the face of the racket facing the fence. This bio mechanically makes it more difficult to generate upward force.
3. Contact point: For a flat smash you generally want to hit it at around 12o,clock and very slightly infront. For a kick smash around 11clock with the ball above your head. A very important element is keeping the non-hitting hand up right above your head, *keep it right until acceleration begins*, too many times players lower this hand too early, disrupting the entire movement.
4. Short swing & Timing: Having a simple preparation is a prerequisite for reliable and consistent timing.
5. Rotation: As soon as you anticipate a smash you should rotate and face the fence.
6. Setup & Footwork (Advanced): Crossover and reverse-crossover steps are essential to get in position early, side steps aren’t enough. When in position both legs should be close to each other, back arching back.
7. Physical preparation: Pronation of the wrist, elbow acceleration, shoulder mobility, all these elements need to be trained, it comes easier for tennis players, if you don’t have that background you need to train specifically for these movements.

If all these elements come together, your gonna have an amazing smash.

Remember, as all things difficult, it takes time, be patient with yourself, be kind to yourself, day by day, step by step, It will come…