Every so often in a rally, the ball gets behind you and there is no way to play it towards the net. It has already bounced, it is heading for the corner and it is too low or too close to the glass to let it rebound. In tennis, the point would be over. In padel, you have one more option: hit it into your own wall and let the glass send it back over the net. That is the contra-pared.

What the contra-pared is

Contra-pared means "against the wall" in Spanish. In English it is often called the wall boast or back wall boast. You play the ball after it has bounced on your side, but instead of hitting towards the net, you hit it into your own back or side glass. The ball rebounds off the wall, travels forward and crosses the net.

It is legal. After you strike the ball, it may hit any of the walls on your side before crossing the net, as long as it does not touch the ground on your side again. What you cannot do is hit the ball so that it rebounds off your wall and then lands in your own court, or hit it into the fence or wire mesh before it crosses.

When to use it

The contra-pared is a rescue shot. Use it when:

The ball has passed you and is moving towards the back corner.
It is too low to let it come off the glass.
You are facing the back wall and cannot turn in time to play forward.

It should not be part of your regular game. If you find yourself using it often, the problem is your positioning or your reading of the ball, not your boast.

The technique

1. Accept the situation early. As soon as you see the ball will pass you, decide to play a contra-pared. Hesitation is fatal.

2. Face the wall. Turn towards the back glass. You do not need to be sideways, but you need a clear swing towards the wall.

3. Choose your angle. Aim to hit the wall at a slight upward angle. Higher on the glass gives the ball more time and height to cross the net. Hitting the back glass slightly towards the side helps it come off at an angle.

4. Swing up and through. Use a short, firm swing with an open racket face, lifting the ball towards the wall. Think of a lob played backwards.

5. Turn and recover. As soon as you have hit, turn back to face the net and move into a defensive position. The opponents will usually have time to attack.

Common mistakes

Hitting too low. The ball rebounds weakly and does not reach the net.

Hitting too hard. A powerful boast often rebounds too far and flies out of the court, or comes back fast and low, straight into the net.

Hitting the side glass first. On the back corner it is tempting to hit the side wall. The rebound angle is harder to control. Aim mostly at the back glass.

Forgetting to recover. Watching the ball after the boast leaves you out of position for the next shot.

A drill to learn it

Stand two metres from the back glass, facing it. A partner standing beside you drops a ball so that it bounces and moves towards the wall. Play a contra-pared into the back glass, aiming for the ball to cross the net and land near the service line. Start with easy drops, then gradually make them faster and closer to the corner.

Once you are comfortable, start facing the net. Your partner hits a ball past you, and you turn, play the boast and recover.

Why it matters

Most of the time the contra-pared will only keep you in the rally. Sometimes that is enough. The opponents expect the point to be over, relax for a moment and miss the next ball. And knowing that you have a last resort makes you calmer in defence, which is worth more than the shot itself.

The contra-pared: playing the ball into your own wall