No Need to Slice Every Ball

Hitting a good slice can be really effective, but if you're trying to do it on every single ball, you are making a mistake. In this video, we're going to show you what you should be doing with your slice and on which balls, and which ones you shouldn't be trying to hit slice on. Most players know that slice keeps the ball low at the other end, and yes, it can be really effective and satisfying when you hit one of those slice balls and it dies off the glass. But what you need to look at is the ball that you are receiving. If the ball is fast or low into the corner on your side and you're in a defensive position, trying to play a slice on that ball will a) either pop the ball up or b) make a mistake on that shot. So you can't use it on all of these balls. So let's have a think about this. If you are playing a slice from the back of the court, where are your opponents? They are most likely at net, and one of the most effective reasons for using a slice is the low bounce off the ground. So if you hit a slice, it's because you want to keep the ball low off the rebound. So when you're at the back of the court, if you hit this slice, they're in there, you're not going to see the bounce, they're most likely going to volley this ball. So you going for slice is taking unnecessary risks. And if you try and float the ball with a slice, often your face opens, it floats to the net players and they can kill it. Or you try and play a faster slice on a difficult ball and you've got no margin for error because you have to hit so low over the net to be effective. So a good time time to use slice from the back of the court is when the ball is about chest or shoulder height or above. This is when you can really hit down through the ball, you can make the angle, the trajectory of your shot going down at an angle so that if the ball does bounce, it stays low. As an example, a bajada might be a good opportunity to play with a bit of slice, and that way it's more difficult to defend. Or maybe there's a bouncy ball and it's easier in the court and you have a space down the middle to hit through. For example, you can actually come down that ball on the slice. You also play slice on your serve when the ball is about waist height. This is a much more horizontal shot, but remember, they're not at net in this scenario, so you can keep the ball low off the rebound. When you're at net, you have more opportunities to hit with slice. Any volley that is above the net height that you can actually brush down on the ball, you can create slice and you can be more aggressive. Remember, your opponents are at the back of the court, so if you can force them to play with a low rebound, this can be really effective. Or if they've hit a shot and it's bounced in front of you and it comes above the net height, this is a great opportunity to hit slice and finish the point. Very often, if your opponents are in their normal positions, slice down the middle is a great way to go. But not every ball at net can be sliced. If you're playing below the net height, you can get maybe a little bit of underspin, but generally you would almost push that ball up trying to find space on the court and neutralize the shot, because unlike a tennis, for example, very often you can be at net but still defending. So if that ball is lower than the net, push it into a good position and wait for the next one where you might be able to hit with more slice. A great way to help you with the decision-making is to say to yourself, not 'Can I slice this ball?' but 'Will it bring me benefit to do so?' And I think that if you can ask yourself that within the situation, it means you will hopefully choose the times with less risk and where the shot can be more effective. Your slice will be most effective when you have good ball control and racket contact, and that's exactly why at thepadelschool.com, as part of our membership, when people sign up, they immediately get our ball control course for free. And these are all exercises they can do at home to improve their grip, improve their coordination and racket skills, and you can build muscle memory off the court so when you step on the court you don't have to think about it and you can focus on the tactics and winning your match.