What Is a Bandeja in Padel? The Tray Shot, Explained

The bandeja in padel is the overhead you play when someone lobs you at the net and you would quite like to stay there. It will never look as good on video as a smash. It is, however, the shot that decides whether you spend the next rally at the net or running backwards apologising.

What does bandeja mean?

Bandeja is Spanish for "tray". The name comes from the shape of the stroke: at the moment of preparation the racket face sits open above your shoulder, flat enough that, in theory, a waiter could rest a drink on it. The LTA's padel coaching advice uses a similar picture, telling players to hold the racket as if it were a plate they were trying to catch food on.

In practice, the bandeja is a controlled overhead hit with slice. It sits somewhere between a smash and a forehand volley, and coaches tend to describe it as a defensive overhead: its job is to neutralise a lob, not to finish the rally.

If you would like the definition on your chest rather than in your browser history, The Padel Dictionary Bandeja T-Shirt spells it out in dictionary format, for the benefit of anyone at the bar who still thinks padel is "basically tennis".

What the bandeja in padel is actually for

In padel, the team at the net usually has the upper hand, so the standard way to dislodge them is the lob. The bandeja is the reply. When a lob is deep enough that you cannot smash it comfortably, but not so deep that you have to let it go and play it off the back glass, the bandeja lets you take the ball in the air, send it back with control, and keep your place at the net.

The Padel School puts the objective neatly: make sure you are not attacked on the next ball and, if possible, turn a defensive position into an attacking one. That is the whole brief. A bandeja that lands softly in a good spot is a success. A bandeja hit at full power that gives your opponents an easy ball back is not, however satisfying it felt.

How to hit a bandeja: the basics

Coaching sources agree on a handful of fundamentals. None of them are glamorous, which is probably why they get skipped.

Turn sideways early

As soon as you see the lob, turn so your non-dominant shoulder points towards the net. Moving backwards side-on, with crossover steps, is much quicker than shuffling back while still facing the net. The aim is to arrive under the ball early and wait for it, rather than still drifting backwards as you swing.

Use a continental grip

The same grip you use for volleys. It lets you open the racket face and slice the ball without having to rearrange your hand mid-panic.

Contact in front, around eye level

This is where tennis players come unstuck. A tennis smash is hit high above the head; the bandeja is taken lower, with the ball out in front of you. The LTA suggests hitting it when it would be in line with a pair of glasses, if you were wearing them. Letting the ball drift behind you is one of the most common errors, and it tends to produce the kind of bandeja that ends up in the net.

Slice, do not smash

The swing brushes across and slightly under the ball, from high to low. That path puts backspin, often with some sidespin, on the ball, which keeps the bounce low and gives you control. The LTA is explicit that you should not play the bandeja with a lot of pace and power, because it will not give you time to get back into position.

Recover to the net

The shot is only half done when the ball leaves your racket. Use the forward momentum of the swing to move back towards the net. A lovely bandeja followed by standing still admiring it is just a lob waiting to happen.

Players who have genuinely put the hours into all of the above may consider the Bandeja Boss T-Shirt earned. Players who have watched one video about it may wish to wait a few more weeks.

Where to aim your bandeja

Placement matters far more than speed. The two standard targets are:

• The corners. A ball that hits the side and back glass slows down and pushes your opponents into an awkward defensive shot, giving you time to close the net again.
• Down the middle. A bandeja between the two opponents, especially towards their feet, can cause hesitation over who takes it and makes it harder for them to find an angle.

A good bandeja travels deep, stays low after the bounce and dies into the back glass. A bad one sits up in the middle of the court at a comfortable height, which is how you learn about counter-attacks. Land a proper one, flat and low, and you might even hear the rarest compliment in amateur padel, which is exactly what the Nice Bandeja T-Shirt is about.

Bandeja vs vibora vs smash

These three overheads get confused constantly, usually by the person hitting them.

• Bandeja: controlled, sliced, placement over power. The priority is keeping the net.
• Vibora: more aggressive, hit with heavier sidespin and more risk. Coaches often compare it to a slice serve. It is meant to put pressure on, not just to reset the rally.
• Smash: the traditional attacking overhead, hit flat with plenty of pace, aiming to finish the point. It is best saved for short, high, slow lobs, where you have time and position.

The Padel Dictionary Vibora T-Shirt covers the bandeja's more aggressive relative, and the Smash Happens T-Shirt covers the moments when you ignored all of the above and went for it anyway.

Common bandeja mistakes

• Swinging too hard. The shot is about control, not speed.
• Staying square to the net instead of turning sideways.
• Letting the ball get behind you, so the contact ends up late and high.
• Hitting over the top of the ball instead of slicing underneath it.
• Not recovering to the net after the shot, which defeats the purpose of hitting it.

Most club players will recognise at least three of these, usually from their partner. The Padel School describes the bandeja as one of the most difficult shots for players to learn, partly because the technique, contact point and objective are so different from a tennis smash. So if yours is still a work in progress, you are in good company.

For the rest of the vocabulary, The Padel Dictionary T-Shirt is the original in the series. And if you would like to browse more designs for players who care a little too much about shot names, have a look at the full collection of Padel Problems t-shirts.