Taking the net in padel: earn the move and arrive as a pair

Before this lesson

Use these movements first so you can focus on the new decision.

At the court: quick reference

Go on a forced retreat, not on the word lob.
Settle before the opponent hits, wherever you have reached.
First volley under control; recover or retreat together.

Read, move, settle: one shared approach

1. Read the reply: the opponents turn or retreat. Call go only when your ball really creates time.

2. Both advance on their own sides. Keep rackets ready and preserve space between you.

3. Settle before opposing contact, even at midcourt. Play a low first volley up over the net, then reassess.

Blue dashed arrows show player movement. Advance only while the opponents are forced back or into an awkward contact. Settle before their reply, even if you have only reached midcourt.

A transition is a decision, not a race to the tape

This lesson follows the lob, volley and basic positioning guides. Your pair starts defending and tries to take a net position that lets both players meet the next ball in front while retaining room for a lob. Moving forward is useful only if the ball you have played gives you time or creates an awkward reply. The space between back court and net is legal and you must cross it. The avoidable mistake is running through that space while an opponent has a comfortable attacking contact, then being unable to react to a ball at your feet.

Use three visible cues before calling go

First read your own shot: did the lob actually pass the comfortable overhead reach, or did a controlled groundstroke reach an opponent who stayed deep? Then read their body and likely contact: are they retreating, turning to the glass or able to hit down from a settled position? Finally locate your partner. Call go when the pair has time to move, hold when the opponents still have an easy attack. A lob landing behind the service line is not enough on its own; an opponent may still take it comfortably overhead. A high flight that lands out has not created a legal transition at all.

See the action, then try it

How to TAKE BACK THE NET After Being LOBBED! | ThePadelSchool.com

The Padel School · from 4:28

Watch for: Follow the warning against an automatic run forward after a glass attack when opponents remain at net; read the success of the shot first.

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Watch on YouTube from 4:28 ↗

Then practise: Read, move, settle, first volley

HELP Your Partner - Padel Tactics!

The Padel School · from 2:17

Watch for: Listen for approaching together when opponents have stayed back, then the warning that a position call halfway through a swing is too late.

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Watch on YouTube from 2:17 ↗

Then practise: Read, move, settle, first volley

Move with your partner, then stop for contact

On a genuine opportunity, both move forward with rackets ready, covering their own sides and the middle between them rather than converging on the centre. As the opponent prepares to strike, shorten your steps and make a small balanced settling action so that you can push toward the next ball. This is the purpose of a split step; it is not a high jump. If you have only reached midcourt, play from that balanced position instead of sprinting through contact to reach an imaginary perfect spot. After handling the reply, advance again if the new ball permits it.

Make the first volley preserve the approach

You may receive the first reply below net height while still moving into position. Lower the body, support the racket face and guide the ball up over the net with a compact action. Do not try to punch a low volley straight down or swing as if it were an easy high finish. Use a generous target and recover for the next contact. On a comfortable higher reply, you can direct the volley with more intention while keeping control. You have taken useful ground only if the pair is ready for the next exchange, not merely because one player reached the net.

Retake the net after the opponents lob you

When a deep lob has forced both players back, first rebuild a playable contact. The Padel School’s retaking-the-net video discusses attacking a favourable high glass rebound, but it also warns against hitting and automatically running forward. Do not import an attacking bajada into every beginner rebound: a low or crowded ball may need a simple reset or a balanced lob instead. Your partner calls where opponents are. If they stayed back, a controlled shot toward a deep opponent may let you approach. If both are at net and can volley comfortably, remain organised behind the ball and create another opportunity.

Respond to a failed approach without splitting the pair

If your lob is short and the opponent settles for an overhead, call hold or back early. Do not have the deep player sprint into an attacking smash just to stand level with a partner who advanced too soon. The forward player needs to turn and retreat as the ball permits, tracking space and avoiding the partner’s path. If the next shot comes before you can retreat fully, settle and defend where you are. Review the initial cue after the point: was the lob too short, the call late or the partner unaware? Fix that cause instead of demanding that both run faster.

Keep training constraints out of match rules

The drill below starts with cooperative feeds and stops after a short sequence so that both pairs can review the transition. Those pauses and role rotations are training arrangements, not a match scoring system. If you start a practice sequence with a real serve, the receiver must let it bounce; the serving pair may volley the return. For the initial drill, begin with a neutral rally feed instead so that the task stays on the shared decision. Never count a second floor bounce or a direct-to-enclosure shot as a successful match return merely because the movement looked good.

Take it to the court

These are suggested practice doses and targets for comparing your own sessions, not coach quotations, match rules or a level qualification.

Read, move, settle, first volley

Players: 4 players, two pairs rotating attack and defence

Equipment and space: Rackets with wrist cords; 8 padel balls; Flat markers; Booked court cleared of loose balls

Setup: Defenders start behind the service line. Opponents begin in net positions with retreat room. Use a broad deep lob zone and a broad central volley target, not narrow winner lines. Agree go, hold and back calls before feeding.

Begin with two walked demonstrations: a lob that passes the net players and one they can take comfortably overhead. Agree the visible cue in each case.
Start a gentle rally feed to the defenders. They choose a controlled lob only on a balanced ball. Opponents respond normally at cooperative pace.
Defenders call go if opponents must retreat; both move and settle their feet before the next opposing contact. Call hold if the lob leaves an easy overhead and organise defence.
Play the first reply and one further exchange. A low first volley needs lift and control, not a downward finish. Stop after the sequence to prevent a long rally hiding the transition.
Record decision, shared movement, balance at opposing contact and first-reply control separately. Rotate roles after each four sequences.
In the second block, let one opponent sometimes stay back. Use early position information and the actual reply rather than assuming both have moved.

Dose: 2 blocks of 8 sequences per pair, reviewing after each four. Collect balls fully between blocks.
Look for: Both partners recognise the same opportunity, settle for contact and handle the first reply without one being stranded.
If it breaks down: Automatic charge after any lob, an unbalanced running first volley, or ignoring a partner’s hold call.
Make it easier: Walk the sequence with the opponents letting the lob land, then add one predictable cooperative reply.
Make it harder: Play out the point after the first volley while preserving normal rules and the same calls. Vary response before increasing speed.
In your next match: In one normal service or return game, assess a real approach: what made you go, where did you stop and were both ready for the first reply?

Decide your next session

If the call is right but the first reply is rushed, slow the rally and practise settling in midcourt. If calls disagree, walk short versus effective lobs again before adding live points.

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