Return of serve: handling balls into the glass
Key takeaway from our Guru
How do I return a serve that goes into the side glass?
You must identify the ball's trajectory early. If it hits the first glass, let it come off the wall, but if it is heading toward the second glass, step back with your left leg and take the ball early to maintain control.
What this lesson covers
This lesson details a structured approach to improving the return of serve by using match footage to identify specific technical and tactical gaps. The coaching process begins with situational observation, where the player learns to distinguish between balls hitting the first glass and those heading toward the second. A core rule is established: always let the ball hit the first glass, while balls heading for the second glass must be taken early to prevent the opponent from gaining an advantage.
Technical execution focuses on starting with a low ready position to avoid unnecessary racket movement. The player practices an immediate upper body turn combined with stepping the left leg back to create space. This sideways orientation ensures the racket path remains level through contact, preventing the common mistake of swinging high to low. The final progression involves hitting the return low to the feet of the incoming server, forcing them to volley from below the net height. This session is designed for competitive players who struggle with indecision when reading serve trajectories into the glass.
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Original video
Added on Sep 19, 2026
How to Turn a Real Match Into a Better Padel Lesson
Description
Welcome back to The Coach Station. In this episode, I work with Marc Hughes, an ITF seniors tennis player making the transition into padel and aiming to progress on the competition scene. This is a longer-form coaching video where I take you through the full process: watching him in a real match, analysing the footage, discussing strengths and areas to improve over a coffee, setting the goal for the session, and then getting on court to work through it live. The main focus in this lesson is the return of serve, especially dealing with low balls into the glass, along with tactical decision-making, preparation, body turn. I also include how I feedback, communication, and the principles of practice. If you are a tennis player moving into padel, a padel coach, or someone interested in how to build a lesson from real match evidence, this video will give you a clear look at how I coach from observation through to intervention. In this video: * Match observation and charting * Goal setting from real performance * Situational observation on court * Varied and blocked practice * Return of serve against glass one * Tactical and technical coaching cues * Communication and feedback during a live session * How to turn match problems into lesson content Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 0:35 Meet Marc Hughes 0:49 Match analysis and first observations 1:25 Reviewing the footage over coffee 2:42 Identifying the return of serve problem 4:30 Live points and situational observation 5:52 Moving into demonstration 6:01 Return of serve: glass one vs glass two 8:02 Key technical cues and teaching points 11:56 Building the movement and racket path 13:01 Playing down to the feet 14:44 Decision-making and reading the line 16:50 Wrap up If you enjoy this type of in-depth coaching content, subscribe to The Coach Station for more videos on padel coaching, technique, tactics, skill acquisition and coach development. #Padel #PadelCoaching #TennisToPadel
Good for
Skill level
Intermediate, High Intermediate, High Advanced
Play style
Tactical
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