💡 Tactics and Technique 💡

A little tip for your Vibora

If you are an intermediate player like me and still improving shots like the vibora, pay attention to this cue that has helped me. 1. You prepare differently than the bandeja, bending the arm more and it being more on the back of the head during the preparation. 2. Don't forget to turn sideways to use rotation later. 3. You hit at the right of your body and around shoulder height or a bit higher. 4. And this is the cue that helped me: before hitting, have some weight on your back leg, but just before hitting, as you rotate your body, transfer weight to the left leg, move the body forward in that fraction of second too if possible (not always because sometimes you will not have your feet on the ground). This will print more weight and power into the shot without adding more risk. This is another key difference in regards to the Bandeja which is less offensive. This shot needs practice of course and each lob/execution is different. Watch some examples on youtube in slow motion: [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wzJP9SfqjEQ](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wzJP9SfqjEQ)

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Comments (12)

u/seekinghelp144615w ago

I’ve watched all these videos and tried these techniques. And they make only a marginal difference (if any) to the game of an intermediate level player. What I can tell you from my experience is that what truly makes a difference is if your opponent cannot tell how fast or where you are going to hit based on your preparation. Here is the explanation from Gustavo Pratto (Coello’s coach): https://youtu.be/Oy_4s6bvTT8?feature=shared

u/StageNo22905w ago

Will watch this and try it out next game and let you know :) Thank you

u/ItsAmon5w ago

Whut, about shoulder height? My trainer taught me the bandeja should be hit at eye height and that the hitting point of the víbora should be higher than the bandeja

u/former_farmerOP5w ago

This is a good question. Some bandejas will be hit high, some others lower. The bandeja is just a "desperate" defensive shot in which you are trying not to lose the net because the lob of your opponent was good. And in real life the vibora will also not always be the same since you will execute this shot when the lob is good enough not to be smashed, but not THAT good so that it forces you to play a bandeja. Vibora is faster, and bounces lower. And like I said there are different lobs and situations depending on how close you are to the net, etc. I don't think your trainer is right to be honest. Bela was known for having the best bandeja 5-10 years ago, and it was a pretty high flat fast bandeja that went straight to the opponents feet. So these shots are not always the same. The main thing to understand is the difference in their nature. Bandeja is a more defensive/desperate shot done when the lob is good, vibora is a more offensive shot used when the lob is not that good. If you are Bela maybe your bandeja can be quite special and be hard to defend as well and be kind of offensive. But the main goal of the bandeja is to not lose the net and executions may vary. You hit the bandeja from around the line, and you run back to the net to volley / block the next shot. Edit: even Bela himself here says "bandeja should be hit at shoulder height" and then proceeds to do some bandejas and look how high he is hitting. Like a meter above his shoulder hehe. So, take with a grain of salt these things they say. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGaxCwnIOq0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGaxCwnIOq0) https://preview.redd.it/7fxmpwzgk41h1.png?width=1816&format=png&auto=webp&s=51472bb97335256072198e553709a8445c7ce116 Now here, Lebron hitting a bandeja. [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MCkeXOevlCM](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MCkeXOevlCM) Again, half a meter above the head...

u/zemvpferreira5w ago

I think those clips might be causing you some unnecessary complexity. Neither of those is truly a bandeja despite their titles. Bela is hitting a gancho to the fence from a disguised preparation, probably to surprise opponents who are tempted to come up and volley his actual bandeja. Lebron is doing something similar, but he's actually disguising an amago to the middle with a fake a gancho to the fence from a disguised vibora preparation that's just obvious enough to draw his opponent to the left side of the net. Levels of mind games that are far beyond what any of us needs, and impact technique in what look like non-optimal ways.

u/Turbulent_Host_14365w ago

i desperately need help on my vibroas will try this thanks

u/zemvpferreira5w ago

I appreciate the sentiment/commitment to improvement but with summer coming up I think most intermediates would be better-served by working on their smashes and bajadas. With modern padel balls being so fast, if temperatures are above 20C and you have all that time to set up for an overhead, it should be some sort of point-ending acceleration. The vibora you can use to good effect this season is much more of a containing shot played mostly from the wrist when your opponents come to the net preemptively. My opinion only of course, to each their own style.

u/osmancik835w ago

So I can't play a Vibora if I am left-handed?

-2

u/HuevosRancheros_5w ago

illegal.