Basic paddle strokes【essential】

The passions are the voice of the body. Approaching paddle tennis corresponds then to listening to oneself and knowing one's own. Moving correctly during a match and directing your energy in the right direction can make the difference between victory and defeat. However, nothing is as important as the shots to be executed.

What are the keys to play a paddle tennis match, how should they be executed and how should they come out of the racket? The first rule is not to improvise or proceed from hearsay. A neophyte must necessarily start with the basics, learning the principles of the discipline.

Play paddle tennis: basic background shots

Groundstrokes and net shots. To play paddle tennis it is useful to know the differences between these strokes. The basic shots to execute from the bottom are:

• Take out : it is the blow that starts the game. It must necessarily be done diagonally, from right to right or from left to left and with both feet behind the white line. To be fair, the ball must bounce and, when hit, cannot exceed the height of the player's hips. Open the trade and at medium-high level it is unlikely to lead to an ace
• Forehand blow : it is the blow that is made from the dominant part of our body. If our strong hand is the right hand, the forehand is executed to the right of the body and is placed next to or in front of the ball. Considering the racket as a natural extension of the hand, it is like using the palm to hit.
• Backhand : It is the opposite blow to the forehand blow. If you are right-handed you do it to the left, if you are left-handed to the right. In this case it is as if you used the back of your hand to hit the ball.
• Forehand : blow that is made by placing the ball on its side. To do this, you wait for the ball to bounce off the glass. When the ball returns in front of the player, the player volleys it
• Backhand wall : the principle is the same as that of the right wall, but the shot to be made is the backhand
• Backhand volley : A shot used to evade the opponent and can be hit with either the forehand or the backhand. It serves both to defend and to "send" the opponent backwards and gain position in the net.

The basic strokes of paddle tennis on the net

Once familiar with the shots to be made on the net, all that remains is to get closer to it. It is from this position where most of the points are scored in a paddle tennis match, so knowing the tricks to better hit the ball is essential. The most important shots to perform at the net are:

• Forehand volley : It is executed at a distance of 2 - 2.5 meters from the net and with a movement very similar to that of the forehand. The racket moves to the right side of the body and the ball is volleyed trying to go over the net, before the glass. The objective is to take control of the exchange and induce the opponent to make a mistake
• Backhand volley : same rules as the volley just described, but the shot is hit with the back of the hand
• Smash : the closing blow par excellence and the most spectacular. It is performed on the net when a player suffers a balloon that does not pass over him. At that moment, the volley ball is hit trying to close it, shooting as hard as possible with the aim of rebounding as far as possible from the opponent and returning to the striker's half of the court.
• Tray : blow made to avoid the balloons at medium height. It is executed in the center of the court and diagonally, causing the ball to bounce off both walls. After executing it, it is essential to return to the net immediately to reach the attacking teammate and try to close the point.

Sources :

1.EFF

2.Orven Sport