Padel is a racket sport played in doubles indoors or outdoors, but it is only played professionally on a padel court. Players use a wide variety of padel terms. In this article, we will explain what pedal terms are and what words you should know. 

Terms That You Should Know When Playing Padel Tennis

Forehand

A forehand is a groundstroke that is performed in a panel court by swinging the padel racket all around one’s body while moving the hand palm-first. This is done utilising the forehand stroke. There are two distinct varieties of the forehand: the topspin forehand and the flat forehand. 

Backhand

In this type of shot, the palm is positioned such that it is facing the body, and the rear of the hand is moved in the direction that the shot is being targeted. There is a type of backhand that is played with two hands, and that is called the two-hand backhand.

Down-the-line

A shot that goes in a direction that is more or less parallel to and combined with the shape of the glass should be considered. A shot that involves transferring the ball to the side of the opponent and sending the projectile in a direction parallel to the sideline of the court is featured in this shot. 

Drive

It is a challenging, straight shot that is typically played from mid-court to mid-court. It is a rapid, flat, and strong counter-attacking stroke. When played correctly, the drive can be a shot that is taken with either the backhand or the forehand, and it can force an opponent to hit an upward return.

Drop shot

The technique and approach that was used to play this shot are excellent. The player hits the ball with a light touch just over the nets, causing the opposing player to miss the ball since they are unable to reach it. 

Bandeja

The phrase “Bandeja” comes from the Spanish word for “tray,” which is the reason why the method of the shot appears to be as if you have been carrying just a few glasses on your racket. While this is a challenging shot, you may learn how to play Bandeja by watching tutorials that are available on the internet.  

Floor stroke

Padel is played with a stroke, which occurs after the ball has bounced and made contact with the court.

Half-volley

A shot made only because the ball bounced. It is a skillfully placed shot on the padel court with a very low bounce. 

Smash

In Padel, an overhead shot is one that is hit above the hitter’s head. This stroke can be executed with a lot of force. 

Lob

In this shot, the player hits the ball high and deep into the opposing court. A Lob shot can be used as both an offensive and defensive shot.

Padel Rules and Terms for Scoring

Fault

A mistake during the serve, such as hitting the net or serving outside of the correct area, results in a point for the opposite team.

Let

If the padel ball strikes the net during a serve but still lands within the proper service area, the serve is repeated.

Deuce

A deuce is a tie score of 40-40. The point that comes after the deuce is known as an advantage.

Advantage

When one team scores a point after a deuce, they get an advantage. If they win the next point, they will have won the game. If they lose the point, it goes back to deuce.

Advantage-Server

When the serving team has an advantage in a game, it is known as “Advantage-Server.”

Love

In padel’s scoring system, “love” equals 0 points. For example, “15-love” indicates that one player has 15 points and the other has none.

Golden Point

In certain situations, a game can be decided by a golden point, with the winner taking the following point.

Tie-Break

If a set is tied after a certain number of games, a tie-break is used to determine who wins the set.

Smash-out

When a player smashes the ball out of the court, he or she misses the target and loses the point.

Foot Fault

When a player’s foot touches or crosses the service line during a serve, it results in a fault.

Cuatro

“Cuatro” is Spanish for “four.” It refers to the event in when a team scores four points in a game, often known as “40-love” or “4-0.”

Two Bounce Rule

If the ball has not contacted a wall or the net, some padel regulations require a player to let it bounce twice before hitting it.

Umpire

The referee of the game. Typically seated on an elevated platform to get a better view of the match.

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