In padel, the two sides of the court are not equal. The player on the left, known as the revés side, has a different role from the player on the right, the drive side. For two right-handed players, the revés player usually covers the middle with their forehand and takes most of the overheads. Returning serve from that side asks its own questions, and answering them well sets up your team for the whole point.

How the serve arrives

On the revés side, the server stands on their left half of the court and serves diagonally into your box. The serve often comes towards the side glass or into your body. It has typically been hit with slice, so it skids and stays low after the bounce, and it may come off the side glass towards you.

The two most common serves you will face:

Wide to the side glass, forcing you to play the ball after it comes off the side wall.
Into the body or towards the middle, cramping your swing and testing your forehand.

Where to stand

Stand roughly a metre behind the service line, in line with the middle of your service box. That gives you time to play the ball before or after the side glass and keeps your forehand available for serves towards the middle.

Watch where the server stands. A server standing wide is likely to aim at the side glass. A server close to the centre often goes for the body.

Choosing your return

The return has one job: to stop the serving team from settling at the net. In practice that means three options.

1. The low return to the feet. A soft, low ball aimed at the feet of the net player arriving from the serve. They have to volley up, and your team can attack. This is the most useful return at every level.

2. The lob. A deep lob over the net player, especially if they rush forward. It pushes the serving team back and gives you time to take the net.

3. The return through the middle. A firm ball between the two opponents, creating confusion. It works well when the serving team is not yet in position.

Avoid hitting hard and flat at the net player, which usually comes straight back.

Using the side glass

Many serves on the revés side will come off the side glass. If the ball comes off the wall towards you, let it come, turn your shoulders and play a controlled shot. If you try to take it before the wall, you will often be cramped. Patience gives you a cleaner contact and more options.

The left-handed partner

If your partner is left-handed and plays on the drive side, both your forehands are in the middle. Agree who takes balls in the middle on the return, and practise that combination before the match.

A drill for returning

Have a partner serve repeatedly to your revés side. For the first ten serves, play only low returns to the feet of a third player at the net. For the next ten, play only lobs. For the final ten, choose freely, and ask your partner to tell you after each one whether it was the right choice.

Then play points where the returning team scores a bonus point if the server never gets to volley comfortably from the net.

Setting up the point

The return on the revés side is not about winning points. It is about stopping the opponents from controlling them. A good return lets your team move forward, take the net and start the point on equal terms. Practise it, and you will notice that the matches you used to lose on the serving team's terms become far more even.

Returning serve on the revés side