Today we talk about bandsja padel, one of those shots that any player must know how to make and try to score during a match.
This is because, when executed with the right timing and technique, it can really deliver an easy point to the player.
Utilizzando questa giocata, si riesce davvero a mettere in difficoltà l’avversario, al punto da rendergli spesso impossibile la risposta.
Obviously the more you level up the more the bandeja and the response to it will be of a high level but, especially for beginners or intermediate players, it can give you a lot of points.
Cos’è la Bandeja
The bandeja shot, as the sound has probably already suggested to you, has a Spanish name that means tray.
In the eyes of a beginner, this play it might look rather like one smash classic, in quanto la posizione del corpo e la velocità d’uscita della pallina sono simili.
La verità è che ci sono delle sottili differenze tra le due, a cominciare dall’altezza alla quale si va a impattare la ball.
In the smash, you try to hit it when it is as high as possible, to generate a strong descent speed and a high rebound.
Nella bandeja invece, l’impatto avviene più vicino al corpo e non si punta a generare un forte rimbalzo, quanto più un preciso risultato.
We will go into detail about this in the next chapter but, for now, we can say that the bandeja aims to give a very specific direction, while the smash can be done anywhere.
Non hai capito? Non temere, è perfettamente normale essere un po’ spaesati, ma riuscirai ad avere le idee più chiare molto presto.
Nello smash l’importante è colpire duro e rapido, mettendo in difficoltà l’avversario a causa della velocità di palla mentre, nella bandeja, ci sono delle regole da rispettare per definirla tale.
How to do the Bandeja Padel?
So what the hell is special about this bandeja? Simple, the ball must impact 3 precise points during its run to be called such.
Once hit, the ball must go towards the farthest area of the rectangle adjacent to the net present in field opponent.
From here, it must then go to impact on side glass ma in un punto vicinissimo all’angolo, in modo tale che rimbalzi subito dopo anche sul bottom glass.
If executed well, the ball will eventually run out near the center of the opponent's field, segnando un punto per il giocatore che l’ha eseguita o venendo colpita da uno degli opponenti.
As you can see, this blow has many elements that can put the pair of players who suffer it in serious difficulty.
The first shot is dry and fast, then followed by the double bounce on the back wall (very difficult for beginners to follow) and the return towards the center of the field which, if you don't have a good position and understanding with your partner, you tend to leave unguarded.
In short, a whole series of elements that can really upset the players beginners, intermediate and even the professionals if done right.
When to use the Bandeja?
So, sta bandeja, when should I use it to score points? Well, obviously we can't give you a definitive answer that will allow you to always score, but at least we can tell you when to use it.
The precise point of the field when a bandeja is needed is between the half and the net, but not so close that it is already the zone smash.
In particular, la bandeja deve essere fatta quando l’avversario risponde con un pallonetto che cade precisamente in questa parte del campo.
If he's attached to the net then a smash is the right response, if he steps over you then you'll need to hit from the back (which depends on the case).
In short, there are specific settings that will lead you to have to play bandeja, but that doesn't mean it's always the right solution.
We want to create a guide but not a law, therefore ricordati che il gioco del padel resta comunque un fattore d’istinto oltre che di tecnica.
Se ritieni che l’avversario sia in buona posizione per rispondere alla tua bandeja, se vedi che non riesci a eseguirla a un livello abbastanza buono o se non crea alcun disagio al tuo opponente, allora don't use it!
The technique and the various strokes are an important factor to know, but creating a robot of the padel would not make sense.
Il successo lo si raggiunge solo associando l’imprevedibilità e l’astuzia al proprio padel, altrimenti è tutto inutile.
If you are looking for the best padel rackets ever, you can find them here.
Conclusions
The bandeja is one of the most useful and effective shots in padel, so train to take it up to a level that is high enough for you to score some points.
You will never win a tournament playing only bandeja nor will you be able to dominate opponents if you can only do this stroke but, put in a wider context, it will be very useful for you.
If you then become a true master of this technique, we will be happy to know that we have given you the right starting point to perfect it.