Bandeja
The bandeja is padel’s signature defensive overhead - a controlled, sliced shot played from mid-court when an opponent lobs the net player. Instead of swinging full like a smash, you brush down and through the ball, sending it deep and low so it stays heavy. The bandeja is how good net players hold their position rather than retreating to the back of the court.
What is a bandeja?
Bandeja is Spanish for “tray”, named for the flat, plate-like motion of the racket through the ball. The shot was developed in Argentina as players looked for an overhead option that did not surrender position at the net.
A flat smash is hard to recover from; a slice keeps the ball deep and slow, giving the attacking team time to reset. The bandeja now sits alongside the vibora and the smash as padel’s three core overheads.
When do you use it?
Play a bandeja when an opponent lobs you while you are at the net. The ball is too high for a comfortable smash but still in court, so a full swing would risk an error. The bandeja keeps you on the attack: you stay forward, the ball lands deep, and your partner holds the net.
If the lob is too high or too deep to take in the air, switch to a globo instead.
How to play it
Turn sideways with your non-dominant shoulder pointing at the ball, then step under the flight path. Use a continental grip and a relaxed wrist. Make contact above head height and slightly in front, brushing down and through with an open face to create back-spin. Finish the follow-through across the body, not over the shoulder.
Aim for the back glass on the opponent’s backhand side so the ball dies low.
Coach tip: Keep the racket head higher than the ball at contact. If the ball is climbing past your shoulder, abandon the bandeja and play a globo to reset.
Common mistakes
Two errors trip beginners up. The first is hitting the bandeja flat like a tennis smash, which kills the slice and produces a short sit-up ball. The second is reaching off-balance instead of stepping back to set up - the racket arm overcompensates and the ball flies long or into the side glass.
