Etiquette - Hitting the ball at players at the net

More than ok. Apologize for hitting them and don't get affected by their complains

Part of the game, if you’re not quick enough to get out of the way or block it then it’s your own fault

I am a massive net rusher. Im very new to it. But i love it. Get smashed in the face all the time. And you will still see me rushing the net lol

Absolutely ok. Legitimate part of the game. Smashing it at someone’s head point blank is a bit ott, but getting hit with a ball happens. It’s a racket sport.

Totally ok as long as you apologize afterwards. There's even an official padel rule that implies you can target your opponent's body to win a point. Just don't do it every point and use it only to punish bad positioning or transitions.

I think motivation matters as well. If you are hitting it at them because it's the best way to win the point/match then fair enough; just raise your hand as a gesture of goodwill. If you are hitting it at them out of frustration with the motivation to hit them then that is slightly different. But that doesn't sound like what you were up to.

Ofc its ok. Your job is to make every shot as difficult for the opponent as possible. What are you supposed to aim at their racquet so they have an easy return?  If they are scarred of a little green ball maybe don't play. 

This is actually something I need to start doing more. I never got hit once and blamed the other player. Only thing thats annoying is people whose smash have been off all day that continue to attempt it and send balls straight at your head

If it’s a competitive match I think it’s fine if you weren’t actively trying to hit them but only playing body shots to make it more difficult for them, and in turn get easy balls to return. If you’re playing with friends unless it gets really competitive I don’t think there’s any need for it.

Sorry bro I'll hit your face next time

Just scream 'Vamos !!!' everytime you do and it's ok.

If you're substantially better than your opponents or their mobility is limited/handicapped, then maybe dial down the body targeting. But in a normal game amongst relatively equal players? Na bro, if you're going to push the net on a crappy shot you need to be prepared to block a ball or wear it on your body. Totally legitimate shot

They should expect to have balls hit at them at the net . When we do training and are practicing at the net our coach tells us to hit it as hard as you can at he people at the net. It is the only way to learn how to block or volley those types of shots and also protect yourself or get out of the way and not to be afraid . It a a tennis ball anyway not a hockey puck.

Say "Sorry for not being Sorry" and go on.

Aiming the ball at a player with intent to make defence more difficult is a valid padel strategy as long as the ball would have hit the court of the player wasn’t there. Hitting people with balls that would otherwise obviously be out is indeed quite rude. That includes and even mostly consists of people attempting shots above their paygrade, hitting someone on purpose is surprisingly difficult.

What nonsense. If they can’t handle the heat at the net they should stay in the backcourt.

I play a couple of times a week and I’m a left handed, right sided player with a not brilliant, but improving backhand. I play with the same people and there’s a guy who always stands directly at the net when his partner is serving to me. I’ve done a mix of returning diagonally, putting it down the side (to his backhand) and lobbing, but I’ve found that the best method to win points from that position is to aim directly at him. Stand close to the net and don’t give yourself time to react, don’t complain if you get hit

When the game counts and not just a friendly game, always go for it when it is beneficial. But at the company event having fun with your colleagues, maybe not 😂

In a game my opponent was always standing like way too close to the net, like way too close all the time. I bodyshot him a few times and on break i told him am not trying to hit you but you are way too close to the net so you dont have time to react. He still does it but he is completely ok with it as if yeah he gets it but he is used to doing it so he knows the risks. Now thats in beginner lvl i guess a 3.5 should know better and adjust. Isnt 3.5 almost advanced lvl?

Aim for the head as hard as you can they will think twice about rushing to the net it is their choice to come or stay back

If it’s done within shot control at players good enough to understand their position it’s fine

If you constantly play hard, probably your opponent may figure out and let you play out by escaping the shot. Probably better off switching balls.

Sign of a good shot. Whenever I’m the “victim” of this sort of shot i usually just congratulate them and say “good shot”. It looks a bit different to someone just twatting the ball at me deliberately.

Lol, what you did is 100% part of the game and a good strategy everyone use, however there is worse also and it’s legal ! Check this there’re some examples from the pros : https://youtu.be/bRQADi7rK7A?si=6BsoiZnn4xgjWna4

I’m relatively new to padel (but advanced at pickleball) and I don’t understand why is this a problem? In my experience it’s much easier to block a shot when it’s hit directly at you if you’re at the net.

If they're at the net? Then it's fair game, assuming the defenders are actually trying to hit the ball in and not trying to hit the body of the attackers. If the ball would be a little bit out then sure, but hitting a ball full power and aiming it at their body is bad etiquette imo. Let's stay classy. Same thing with smashes. Any smash that goes into the court is fair game. Hitting a ball straight into the glass or even the net with full power? If that happens too often, then I wouldn't want to play with them anymore since they clearly can't control their technique with that amount of power.

Yes, you didn’t invite them to the net

Omg this game is so hot right now

I look at the net as a privilege in padel, since the net is a huge advantage. If you don't hit a good lob, chiquita, or ground stroke, you don't deserve to be up there. Blaming your opponents for your poor positioning doesn't make sense, regardless of where your opponent hits it.

This is a huge strategy in pickleball, I think it’s pretty acceptable in Padel too but I don’t know all the etiquette yet. I will tell you that tennis players get really in their feels about being targeted with a ball but tennis players are the thinnest skinned racquet sport players on earth so 🤷‍♂️