New players fear the back glass. The ball goes past them, hits the wall, comes back towards them at an unfamiliar angle and somehow ends up in the net or on the fence. Yet the walls are what make padel padel, and learning to use them is the moment the sport becomes genuinely enjoyable. The technique has a name in Spanish, salida de pared, which means "coming off the wall", and it is simpler than it looks.

The golden rule: wait

The single most important thing to learn is patience. Most mistakes come from rushing towards the ball or trying to hit it too early. The ball will come back off the glass, slow down and drop. Your job is to be in the right place when it does.

The footwork

1. Read the ball early. As soon as you see the ball heading deep, turn your body sideways. Do not back-pedal facing the net.

2. Move with the ball. Step back towards the glass with your side facing it, keeping some distance. You want to be about one and a half to two metres from the glass when the ball bounces, so that the rebound comes to you rather than past you.

3. Let the ball pass you. Allow the ball to bounce and hit the glass. Track it with your eyes as it comes off the wall.

4. Move forward with the ball. As the ball comes off the glass, step towards the net with it, keeping it to your side. This is the key move: you are following the ball, not waiting for it to reach you.

5. Hit it on the way down. Make contact when the ball has passed the top of its rebound and is falling, ideally at about waist height and slightly in front of your body.

The stroke

Keep the swing compact. You do not need much power, because the ball still has energy from the rebound. Use a slightly open racket face and a smooth swing from low to high, aiming either for a lob over the net players or a low ball to their feet.

For a forehand, your front foot should be the one nearest to the net. For a backhand, the same principle applies. Keep your eyes on the ball until after contact.

Different angles

Straight back. The easiest. The ball bounces, hits the back glass and comes straight back. Follow the steps above.

Back glass then side glass. The ball hits the back glass and then the side glass, changing direction twice. Wait longer and position yourself further from the corner, so that the ball comes out towards you rather than staying in the corner.

Side glass then back glass. Harder to read. Watch the first bounce and the first wall contact carefully, then move to where you expect the second rebound to go.

Common mistakes

Standing too close to the glass. If you are too close, the ball rebounds past you or forces you to hit it with a cramped swing.

Facing the glass. Turning your chest to the wall makes it almost impossible to hit forwards. Stay side-on.

Hitting too early. If you hit the ball as it rises off the glass, you will have less control and less time.

Not following the ball. Standing still and waiting for the ball to arrive means you will usually hit it too late or too low.

A drill for confidence

Stand two metres from the back glass. A partner at the net throws balls that bounce and hit the back glass. Let each ball come off the wall, move forward with it and catch it at waist height. Do twenty catches. Then repeat with your racket, hitting gentle returns to your partner. Most players find that the catching drill alone transforms their timing.

Give it a few weeks. The day you realise that a ball past you is not a lost point but a second chance is the day padel really begins.

Coming off the back glass: the salida de pared made simple