A lot of padel players are basically throwing away free points because they’ve been taught to “play safe” on every forehand volley.
Not every ball should be reset.
Not every ball needs a soft, tidy volley.
Some balls are just begging to be hit through.
That’s why I think the **chancletazo** is massively underrated and underused.
A few reasons why:
* **Many players miss points by aiming too small on volleys.**
* If you’re close to the net and get a forehand ball around net-to-shoulder height, that is often not a neutral ball. It is an attack ball.
* **The shot is simple, which is exactly why people underestimate it.**
* Simple, flat forehand, mostly straight parallel.
* It’s not sexy like a smash. It doesn’t get talked about like the bajada. But it wins ugly, cheap points.
* **The mistake mostly isn’t being aggressive. The mistake is choosing the wrong ball.**
* Not safely above the net height? Reaching late to the ball? --> Don't play the chancletazo
* Ball in front? Weight forward? Defender off guard? --> That's the green light
* **Watch Coello and you see this constantly.**
* He attacks balls that most players still treat like “just another volley.” That early half-second is what wins points.
Overall, I think a lot of intermediate players would win more points by adding one good **chancletazo** decision per game than by chasing a better smash.
**Question for the sub:**
Do you think padel’s "play it safe" mindset has gone too far, to the point where even intermediate and advanced players leave easy points on the table at the net?
And if you use the chancletazo deliberately, what was the thing that made it click for you: better shot selection, earlier preparation, or just confidence to pull the trigger?
Haha, yea I agree with you. Coming from tennis, this seemed so unnecessary, like why not just call everything either a volley, a smash, or a ground stroke.
The naming has its pros and cons in my opinion. These really are different shots, and it’s good to have a distinction, but it also causes a lot of confusion. The most popular one being the beginners focusing on differences between a vibora and a bandeja.
Even some advanced people are a bit unclear on what a vibora vs faster bandeja is. And non-pros don’t seem to think too much about the amount of side spin etc.
That’s what you get when you let argentina develó a sport. I remember in the 92 World Cup when Argentina came doing the sliced defensive smash and when we asked they were like: oh you mean the bandeja. lol
And there are more names that have not leaked to English language yet.
We are at the point where we can use an AI tool to organize thoughts and possible other data to a coherent whole without using too much time writing and e.g. figuring out grammar of possibly not our native language for an audience that is highly judgemental and toxic. Oh, and this was not generated with the use of AI. Peace.
Basically when you’re at the net you smash the ball hard so that the opponent has no time to react or get it off the bounce, but you’re not trying to hit it out of the court at all
I don't think it is underrated. From what I've seen, this is because from intermediate to low advanced, people are finally learning to reduce unforced error% and playing less aggresive. So, shots like chancletazo are something you see mostly with beginner players and already highly skilled players aka the minority of players. So you just see less of it.
Edit: also, it is not as simple a shot or automatically a free point like you imply. At higher level, you still need to have a good angle and aim. I had experienced that if I hit it at opponent's range of defense, a lot of time, it is possible for opponent to just crouch low and block it. By its nature chancletazo is a fast shot with big movement. Just simple block can make the ball return fast and if it is back to your side, you might not have enough preparationtime to hit it back again. Hence, now I still prefers safe volleys and use chancletazo only when opponent is already out of position/balance.
You need to stand close to the net to do it, so in higher levels just to build the opportunity you need to work a lot. Why its missing in many players game is not because they choose a safer shot just out or risk management, its because if you stand a step further its not really an option. Almost like a x4 in my opinion
Only arturo does it on a daily basis. Isnt that prove enough that it is not an easy shot? It is not just a staright plain shot, you have to read the play to be in the exact spot and it is risky. Arturo coello is the N°1, my friend.
Ps: soft shots are underrated, they are easy and most people believe powerful shots are better all the time.
The fact that someone (even if its the number 1) can get free points using this shot on the Premier Padel level proves its efficiency.
On the intermediate club level, you can get a lot of free points using this shot. It’s more a matter of practice to catch opportunities to play it.
Then I wonder why we dont see more often chancletazos in premier padel... Look, I know if you nail it, it is a free point most likely.
But that is IF you nail it, that is the whole point, it is not an easy shot.
Pro players rather play strategically, moving the rival from one side to another till they cant throw a good ball to you, and then thats when you slam the ball.
Also, if you get alot of points with this shot, you should play against better opponents, cause it means you are playing against lower lever players that cant return a good ball to you.
Chancletazos are great, I'm a big fan. It's extremely satisfying for how easy it is to execute. The thing I think you're missing is that it requires a large smash to be maximally useful. Opponents need to be scared to play lobs so you can creep close to the net and swat away groundstrokes. That's a big reason why Coello gets away with them.
Yea that’s something I missed in the post, but I absolutely agree with you. And if they start avoiding your smash and you still win points with chancletazos, it can get really though for opponents to come up with a game plan.
Not an easy shot. If the ball is too soft, the ball probably doesnt have the correct height or angle to play a chancletazo. If the ball has some speed, you need to be able to decide and prepare super quickly and execute quickly. If you look at the pro players that perform them regularly like Coello or Galan, you see how little time they need to prepare and execute that shot.
Exactly this : the decision to make the shot when at the net waiting a volley, the short time to decide and the specific technique makes that shot a difficult one. It’s quite easy when practicing but very different in real conditions, at least at my level.
This looks a lot like an AI post but I’ll bite. The issue with the chancletazo is that, because it’s a very fast shot, there is no margin for error. Get it wrong and it’s glass or net. So sure, it’s a great shot if you’ve got yourself very close to the net and receive an easy ball around shoulder height. This doesn’t happen super often but of course it does occasionally. The other issue is that it has its own technique that needs to be practised in order to be accurate. Most good players invest their practice time on more common shots and techniques. But yeah, sure. It’s an effective shot like any other if used at the right time. Now get ChatGPT to write something about the rulo
Is it an AI post if all the ideas from the post are mine, but I used tools to help me organize it in a format well fit for Reddit? Then hand written the post as the final iteration?
I mean I’m all against AI slop, but expecting people to not use tools to help them organize their thoughts in 2026 is insane to me.
For me yes, it’s an AI post. There’s nothing personal about the writing, and you have outsourced your communication skills, to the point where it’s obviously gone through a LLM. I get the utility but this is Reddit - we could all just use LLMs to post, and reply, and add funny comments, voice opinions that seem like our own, etc. Respectfully if you can’t be bothered to write it out and take ownership of your communication then maybe consider not posting. If there isn’t any pushback then we just slide into hell all the quicker
Shot selection for me, 100%. Once I stopped thinking "I should volley this safely" and started asking "is this ball above the net and am I in front of it?" the chancletazo became almost automatic. The decision tree is actually pretty simple once you train yourself to read it early.
The "play it safe" reflex is real and I think it comes from early coaching that hammers reset, reset, reset. Good default for beginners but it becomes a ceiling. You end up with intermediate players who are technically solid but voluntarily give the net back on attackable balls.
The Coello point is spot on. He doesn't hit harder than everyone else, he just refuses to let good positions go to waste.
Op knows what he's talking about. Good height weight forward hit the ball at 10 o'clock. Not sure I agree on the full aggression aspect though. If you're at a high level, sure go for it. Lower levels you need to be a but more circumspect. Move the opponents from the back and be aggressive within your level at the net.
Net aggression will win you the point. Moving the opposition around will win you the match.
Great comment. It was aimed more at some intermediate/advanced players who could be using this technically, but aren’t.
I agree that beginners to intermediate should be focusing on placement and safer options.
Having tried play this shot so many times, it barely seems to work at all. Usually ends up with the ball cannoning off the glass and it comes back as quick or awkwardly.
Definitely more skilful than it looks to get the correct timing and bounce
This shot should be so quick that the bounce doesnt matter. It should be very hard for opponents to react and the only way they can return it is before the glass because you should play it when they are stuck behind the line.
I agree that it's an effective shot but I disagree that it is easy. It looks easy because a pro like Coello makes it look easy. Timing, angle and correct power are everything.
A proper chancletaso like coello and galan do require a huge amount of top spin to accelerate off the glass and go over the net after the rebound. If not, it’s just a fast flat smash
