WRIST ACTION for Padel Serve

What should you be doing with your wrist during the serve action? How can you create the right amount of slice and sidespin?
The SERVE is one of the free videos we give in our PLAYER PACKAGE, along with 4 more important areas of the game! Check out this special package: thepadelschool...
Here is a group of videos to help improve your serve: • The Padel School Serve...
For many players the serve can win them points and so having an accurate, consistent 1st serve is really important - so understanding your technique is really important.
Experiment with the amount of speed/spin on your serve so you know what works for you!
It can really help to PRACTICE the serve! Take a basket or bag of balls and work on your precision!

[@ThePadelSchool]

Are you making these really obvious SERVE MISTAKES? kzbin.info/www/bejne/pmO8qZ2LadGpb6c

[@hannukka4416]

Thank you so much for including slow motion clips into this video!! It makes it so much easier to understand and even copy the movement. Great tutorial!!

[@ThePadelSchool]

Glad it was helpful!

[@anipi100]

great video, one of your best imho

[@ThePadelSchool]

Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the support!

[@MMM18092]

I am a big fan of statistics and disecting the game and I think one of the most obvious mistakes in padel is to play it too safe on the first serve. The cost of missing the first serve is simply not that high as it's easy to hit a half decent 2nd serve anyway and most players don't return very aggressively. Let's assume a player double faults 1 in 30 2nd serves and a 2nd serve will lead to a neutral rally (if the returner is a very strong returner, he might of course get a small edge on the 2nd serve). If you make 50% of 1st serves and win 75% of those serves and you win 47% on 2nd serve (after deducting those double faults), you will win 61% on serve. However, if you play safer 1st serves and and make 75% of them but you then only win 60% of those points, you will only win 57% on serve. Also, if you miss a lot of 1st serves, your 2nd serve becomes very strong because you practice it so much. Players who make a lot of 1st serves have much shakier 2nd serves in my experience. In summary, players who go for 90% 1st serves haven't thought this through.

[@ThePadelSchool]

Nice anaylsis 👍

[@stonebox1972]

As usual, a good video. I do miss one thing, where to stand when you serve? Some (amateur)players start almost touching the side glass while others start in the middle of the court. I start slightly off centre but maybe you can comment on this.

[@ThePadelSchool]

Does this video help? kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJWum4t9o85ql9k

[@ruggerosale]

Good video with excellent footage and really good explanation on the role of the wrist. Is the wrist used the same way on a normal forehand volley or would you firm up the wrist?

[@ThePadelSchool]

Yes, similar for all shots. The wrist mobility dictates the angle of the racket face and forms up on contact 👍

[@FlyFoxAir]

Can you do a video on trick serves for paddle? That video doesn’t exist on KZbin yet. Im talking about drop serve, lob serve, weird spin serve etc I’m not saying they have to be competitive, maybe just against a lower level player or just to throw off opponent. Example Nick Kyrgios or Mansour Bahrami in tennis Thanks!

[@ThePadelSchool]

thanks for the feedback, we will take this on board for future 👍

[@roberthunt4128]

Hi Sandy, I was wondering if you could do a video of things to do when in a rut. My pádel partner and I are solid intermediate players but have had a few matches recently where we've been a set up or maybe 1-1 and then gone through a terrible spell that we've never recovered from. During that we end up making poor shot choices and misjudging a lot of shots. Thanks!

[@ThePadelSchool]

Thanks for the reccomendation, we'll see what we can do. Keep it up though Robert!

[@joeyboy69]

Why slice instead of topspin?

[@MetalGamer666]

Topspin will give the ball a higher bounce off the back wall because of its spin and usually higher speed. So the receiver can just allow the ball to hit the back wall before returning it if it is fast. If it is not fast, the receiver can just hit the ball early. With slice the ball will have a lower bounce and will be more difficult to hit after the wall as it will die off the wall.

[@MMM18092]

Topspin works fine at beginner's level because they are not good at taking the ball after the back glass. As soon as you play better opponents, topspin will backfire because of the reason Metal Gamer gave you.

[@ThePadelSchool]

That’s a great question, and a frequent one we are asked in the community page. If you are a member, please feel free to ask this in there, and if you’re not a member, please feel free to join so you can see all the answers! thepadelschool.com/the-padel-school-plus/?Organic&+stories&TPS%2B

[@madsvernegaard9848]

Hi Sandy Could you maybe make a video or respond to my comment? My question is, what do your think about a racket with a sand paper Like surface? Do you recomment to pretty good player, that they buy a racket with that surface?

[@ThePadelSchool]

Thanks for the reccomendation Mads! That’s a great question, and a frequent one we are asked in the community page. If you are a member, please feel free to ask this in there as we have a dedicated board on our membership committee that is specifically for racket reviews and suggestions. If you’re not a member, please feel free to join so you can see all the answers! thepadelschool.com/the-padel-school-plus/?Organic&+stories&TPS%2B

[@ntnnot]

Can you tell me how to defend a heavy top spin serve? I've seen it often said that people should avoid this because you can simply allow it to bounce of the two walls and then hit it back with ease. But I've also come across an aggressive top spin serve that already dips closer to the net and thus is already falling way down when it's about to hit the side wall and won't bounce up anymore that much and won't reach the back wall either. Sort of when you think about tennis players going for shorter angles or countering people coming at the net - they hit a ball with heavy top spin that is supposed to dip and bounce closer to the net instead of a shot intended to penetrate deep through the baseline. Problem is the serve is hit also fast with heavy top spin so I'm also stuggling to take it before the glass. On top of that when you notice the opponent gearing up for a top spin serve you also need to anticipate for that other kind of fast and heavy top spin serve that will hit the ground later and will then bounce from the side wall to the back wall (and from there towards the center line). The one that's normally mentioned and used as an example why not to go for a top spin serve. Struggling to find the best position to be ready to deal with both, and the best way to counter/best return shot against that shorter dipping top spin serve (that is still also hit aggressively with a lot of pace). To take it before the glass or quickly after. I reiterate it is coming in fast and hits the glass very low off the ground. You see this discussed rarely because the top spin serve is not used at the pro level. Any ideas/tips?

[@stijnpennings993]

Just step into the ball?

[@ntnnot]

@@stijnpennings993 Hmm... Will try playing the return more aggressively and moving quicker into the ball next time. The problem is the serve is essentially taken like we'd be playing tennis, i.e. the person is outright looking for an ace or an unreturnable; contrary to what is being taught in padel, that you shouldn't serve really fast balls because then you don't have time to get to the net. But this person is launching the ball as fast as he can, as said in hopes for an ace or an unreturnable. So then the problem is to try to quickly see whether he's going for the short top spin one that dips early or the long top spin one that bounces off the two walls where you then need to move out of the way. That's basically the problem I'm having. If all would be of the short type, it would be much easier to camp more inside the court and step into the ball before it even hits the glass. But if you do that/position yourself there, he may choose to send the longer version and then you're scrambling to get out the way.

[@griffra11]

I have exactly the same problem when playing against a very good level tennis player who has converted to padel. His top spin fast serves stay very low off the wall and are so fast moving forward to take them before the glass is also a challenge. Sadly at this point I have no answer other than empathy with you on this hahaha

[@ThePadelSchool]

That’s a great question, and a frequent one we are asked in the community page. If you are a member, please feel free to ask this in there, and if you’re not a member, please feel free to join so you can see all the answers! thepadelschool.com/the-padel-school-plus/?Organic&+stories&TPS%2B