Coach Sandy Farquharson teaches 3.0-level Austin how to return serves off the glass wall at Padel 9 in San Diego. They work on three things: the "flashlight" cue to raise the racket early, footwork with the right foot forward, and reading ball depth to decide whether to play in front of or step back from the glass.
Chapters
The return is a really tricky shot to get this ball off the glass and get consistent with the shot. We're going to work with a 3.0 Playtomic level player here at Padel 9 in San Diego, and we're going to get them consistent and accurate with that shot. So Austin, I'm going to go back, I'm going to serve into that corner. Let's play where I serve, I'll come in and I'll hit the first volley, and we'll play the first couple of shots of the point, and then I'll go back and serve again.
Yeah? Sure.
Yeah, that's a good serve.
Just seeing how he's a little bit open stance on a lot of these balls away. Steps across, steps across actually In front of the glass. Really, the first thing is that preparation.
Oops.
I think the first thing is going to be split step and preparation with the racket, getting turning the body, getting the racket back nice and quickly, and then lighter feet into position. That's going to be our focus. At the moment, I think probably from squash, you've got quite nice, like, sense of rebound.
Right.
In terms of, like, I don't feel like a lot of players, they, they come up here and they panic, and I don't feel like there's a panic. But what I do feel like is that at the moment, there's, there's a couple of areas of focus. One is, like, the footwork. Like, the footwork is a little bit heel down, like a squash player, like, sometimes would play, where they step and they, they play like this. And then the other is, like, the early preparation with the racket. And, and so what we're looking for is when that ball goes in Towards the glass. We're looking to open the racket, and now we're in the US, I'm calling it a flashlight instead of a torch, but it's like you want to shine your racket like it's a flashlight on the server. And we're going into that position nice and early, and then it's almost like lightness of foot to go here. Your ball striking is good, but because the heels are down and the preparation is a bit late, it ends up being like a late contact, and therefore you're losing control on the ball a little bit. So what I'd like to do is Actually get you in the, like, in the take-back position early, so flashlight position earlier, and semi-stance with a semi-open stance with the feet so that you're—
Okay.
Yeah, you're in that, like, that kind of position, slightly open. So start in that position. I'm going to throw the ball in and all you're going to do is adjust and hit to me. Yeah, nice and easy. I'm going to throw it in off the side, so racket flashlight on me, like nice and low with the racket, knee height. There we go. And then, and that's where the adjustment comes in. So you're adjusting. So flashlight on me, like knee height. There we go, because it's going to go in low.
Good.
This is a squash thing of bringing this up here to hit down, right? Almost put it like knee height there. Yeah, there we go. Little steps. Flashlight on me, remember.
Yep, good, good.
Low. There we go. Nice. Good steps. Good. That's the one, right? Solid hit to me. Good, flashlight on me. Good, good, little steps. Good, nice, perfect. Now we're going to go from a ready position to that position. Yeah, so your ready position here, and I want you to imagine that it's like a barrier. So, so, so go to ready position for me, and, and there's a barrier here. Okay, so this racket is coming below the barrier. Okay, so it's not coming up.
Got you.
Good, and I want to— like, for both forehand and backhand, it's really important that as we go back, we keep like semi-open. If you step across, you're going to be— you're going to find it very difficult in terms of rotation. So we want to almost keep like this shuffle like, like, like not too closed with the left foot going across. It's another squash habit for you there.
Absolutely.
Okay, so here we go, splash light. Okay, after this one, I want you to hold your position. Freeze when you hit to me, and we'll see where your feet are.
Stop!
Can you see, like, that left foot? You shuffle the right across still, but that left foot's in front. We want the right foot to be in front. Yes, like that. Flashlight with the hand. Yes, better.
Good.
I'm trying to think of a good way to explain this to you. What I think might work is, So ready position like this. This now with the hand, you're doing good. I'm not concerned about this. What I am trying to fix is this.
Right, right.
Okay, so what I want you to do is, as we go, when the ball goes into the glass, I want you to intentionally plant this somewhere like back in a position here.
Got it.
Because I feel like it's— poor right leg, it's being forgotten, right? Because you're kind of stepping a bit here and then you're stepping across. But I think if we set it in this position, then I think we're gonna remember it. So just show me with— yeah, like that, but not too far behind you. Yes, there, there. Flashlight.
Good.
Remember, open with the flashlight still and set the leg.
Good.
One more.
Good.
Nice. Those are solid hits. I'm going to feed in now.
Good.
Flashlight to me. Nice, that was good, that was perfect. You feel it, right? Solid.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yes, good. 3 in a row, perfect. Yeah, again.
Good. Good. Good.
Really nice.
Yeah, feels better.
Yeah, I mean, they're solid now. Okay, I'm gonna do this with the serve.
Good, good.
Nice. Really simple. Yeah, the only thing left to think about now— like, all of those are fine— the only thing left to think about now is where this rebound will go on the glass and when to play in front and when to play after. If it comes in here and it's going in towards glass, it's obvious you play that in front, right?
Right.
Because it comes away, you can see that the line of the ball, it gives you space. The problem is when it comes further back here, and this line is a good indication, if it goes back there, then you're going to get stuck at the back, right? So what we need to do is, a bit like with all of the glass shots, is make an early decision And commit to that decision. So if you see that my serve is going with angle and you think it's going to hit this part of the glass, give it space. Do exactly what you just did to, to play this. If you think it's going to go back here, like, don't hesitate. Step in front.
Move forward.
Move forward from your flashlight position because your flashlight should be there before my ball bounces anyway, and you're going to step in and play. Yeah, if you are wrong It's okay. Do you know what I mean? Like, that's the thing.
I'm often wrong.
Yeah, if you're wrong, that's fine. It just means on the next time you have a reference. Next time that ball, you choose the other option.
Got it.
Yeah. So now I'm gonna mix up the depths a little bit. Okay, so same thing for you is light on the feet, go to this flashlight that you're doing a really good job of, and now if it's deeper, you play in front of the glass.
Nice, good.
Like, that looks comfortable now, like that, that front one, like consistent, consistent off there. How's that feeling?
Yeah, yeah, better. I feel like I have more control too where I'm putting it.
What are you, what are you thinking about? Like, what, what are your, your kind of takeaways on that as a return?
Trying not to think, just react.
Just trying not to think.
Yeah, that's when I get in trouble is when I think too much.
Yeah, but yeah, I think for me, like, that idea of the early and low preparation is Yeah. It's setting you in a good position on that. Yeah, if I put more slice on the ball, the only thing that changes is that this flashlight goes from this position like lower. Yeah, so you're going to just bring the racket down and you close the gap. Good.
Nice.
That was the one to get a little bit lower, lower with the racket. Good, you're in a good position there though. Good, nice, really nice, looking solid. Like that, that looks much, much more solid than the, than the start.
Hopefully I'll start beating some people.
Yeah, yeah, well, when you get the return in and the, and the rally starts, like, that's the Like, that's, that's the start of the point there. If you miss the return, it's like a, it's like a free present.
