Padel shots explained: bandeja, víbora and chiquita
Three shots come up constantly once you get past the beginner rallies. Here is what each one actually is, when to reach for it, and where most players get it wrong.
The bandeja and víbora are both sliced overheads hit from the net after a lob — the bandeja is the safe, controlled version that keeps your position, the víbora is the sharper, spin-heavy version played when you are already balanced and attacking. The chiquita is a different shot entirely: a soft, low ball played from deep in your own court to stop the opposing pair from smashing a ball you would otherwise hand them. Learn to choose between them on purpose, not by accident.
Key takeaways
- Bandeja: safe, sliced overhead at shoulder height — the default response to a lob at net.
- Víbora: a sharper, higher-contact version of the bandeja with heavy sidespin — save it for when you are set.
- Chiquita: a soft, low ball played from the back of the court, not the net.
- All three rely on slice, not pace — swinging flat is the most common way to miss them.
- Learn a reliable bandeja before adding the víbora and chiquita to your game.
The bandeja: your default answer to a lob at the net
If your pair is holding the net and the opponents lob one over you, the bandeja is the shot you reach for by default. It is hit at roughly shoulder height with a continental grip and a sideways stance, and the swing is a downward slice through the ball rather than a flat hit for pace. The aim is placement, not a winner: into a back corner off the glass, or down the middle to create hesitation between the two opponents about who takes it. Done well, a bandeja lets you absorb the lob and keep your net position instead of trading it for a low-percentage smash that you might miss.
This is exactly the shot referenced in padel doubles strategy as the preferred way to hold the net rather than gambling on a full overhead — it is a percentage shot, and club-level points are won disproportionately by the pair making fewer unforced errors, not the pair swinging hardest.
The víbora: the same idea, with more bite
The víbora looks similar to the bandeja from a distance — same net position, same general starting point — but the contact point and swing are different. You take the ball slightly higher and further out in front of your body, with a sharper, more diagonal swing and a more exaggerated slice. The result is heavier sidespin that makes the ball curve and dip once it comes off the side wall, which is genuinely awkward for an opponent tracking it for the first time. That extra bite is also why it carries more risk: the timing window is smaller, and a mistimed víbora is easier to spray wide than a bandeja is.
The practical rule most coaches teach is simple — use the bandeja as your default, and only reach for the víbora when you are already balanced, have time, and are looking to genuinely attack rather than just survive the point. Trying to force a víbora on a ball you are stretching for is one of the more common ways an intermediate player hands back the net position they were trying to hold.
| Shot | Played from | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Bandeja | Net, shoulder height | Safe, controlled reply to a lob — hold your position |
| Víbora | Net, slightly higher/further forward | Aggressive reply with sidespin — attack when you're set |
| Chiquita | Back of the court, knee-to-waist height | Defensive, low, soft shot to defuse an attacking opponent |
The chiquita: a defensive shot from the opposite end of the court
It is easy to lump the chiquita in with the other two since all three come up in the same conversations, but it is played from a completely different position. Where the bandeja and víbora are net shots, the chiquita is hit from deep in your own court, off a ball around knee to waist height. The goal is to send a soft, low, well-placed ball that drops just past the net — usually aimed at the opponents' feet — so that a pair standing at the net cannot simply step in and smash it away. It trades pace for placement and disguise, which is why it is often described as a touch shot rather than a power shot.
The chiquita is worth reaching for specifically when you are on the back foot: your pair is pinned deep, the opponents are camped at the net, and a normal drive would just hand them an easy put-away. Dropping the ball short and low buys your team time to recover court position instead.
All three shots depend on clean slice contact, which is easier with a racket and grip you can control rather than one built purely for power. See how to choose a padel racket and keep your overgrip fresh — a slick handle makes it much harder to feel the slice you are trying to put on the ball.
Common mistakes with all three shots
- Swinging flat instead of slicing. All three shots rely on slice for control; a flat swing on a bandeja or víbora is the most common reason it sails long.
- Forcing a víbora under pressure. If you are stretching or off balance, a bandeja is the higher-percentage choice — save the víbora for when you are set.
- Hitting a chiquita too hard. The whole point is a soft, low, disguised ball; extra pace just makes it easier for the opponents to read and step into.
- Rushing the contact. Waiting that extra half-second for the ball to drop to the right height changes all three shots from a lottery into a repeatable pattern.
Practicing these shots without a coach
You do not need formal lessons to build a working version of these shots, though a session or two will speed up the slice specifically, since it is hard to self-correct a swing path you cannot see. A simple feeding drill works well for the bandeja and víbora: have a partner feed lobs from the other side of the net while you stay in one spot at the net, focusing only on contact height and the downward slice — resist the urge to aim for winners while you are still grooving the motion. For the chiquita, practice from the back of the court against a partner standing at the net, aiming specifically to land the ball short and low rather than deep, since the instinct under time pressure is almost always to hit the ball too hard and too long.
Filming yourself, even on a phone propped against a fence, is a cheap way to check whether you are actually slicing through the ball or swinging flat — the two look similar in the moment but feel and sound completely different, and video removes the guesswork.
Where to start if you are new to these shots
None of this needs to be learned all at once, and trying to add all three before your basic overhead is solid usually backfires. A sensible order is a reliable, safe overhead first, then the bandeja once that overhead is consistent, and only then the víbora and chiquita as situational additions once you can already tell, mid-point, which shot the situation actually calls for. If your positioning and communication are still shaky, that is worth fixing first too — see common padel beginner mistakes and padel doubles strategy for the habits that make these shots useful in the first place, rather than just another way to lose the point faster.
FAQs
What is a bandeja in padel?
The bandeja is a controlled, sliced overhead hit at roughly shoulder height, used when your team is at the net and receiving a lob. Instead of swinging flat for a winner, you slice down and through the ball, aiming for a corner or down the middle, so you keep your net position instead of gambling it away.
What is the difference between a bandeja and a víbora?
Both are sliced overheads hit from a similar position, but the víbora is hit slightly higher and further in front of the body, with a sharper, more diagonal swing that puts heavier sidespin on the ball. That spin makes the ball curve and dip off the side wall, which makes it a more aggressive, higher-risk shot than the bandeja.
When should I use a chiquita instead of a bandeja?
The chiquita is played from a different position entirely — deep in your own court, not at the net. It is a soft, low shot hit around knee to waist height that drops just over the net, typically used to stop an opposing pair from attacking a ball they would otherwise smash. Use it when you are on the back foot and need to defuse the point, not when you already hold the net.
Why do my bandejas keep going out or into the net?
The two most common causes are swinging flat instead of slicing, and rushing the contact instead of letting the ball drop to shoulder height first. A bandeja is a slice, not a swing for pace — if you are missing long, you are likely hitting through the ball instead of down and across it.
Do I need to learn these shots as a beginner?
Not right away. Solid positioning and a reliable, safe overhead will take you further early on than an ambitious víbora you cannot control yet. Bandeja is worth introducing once your basic overhead is consistent; víbora and chiquita are better added after that, once you can already choose the safer shot on purpose rather than by accident.
Last updated September 6, 2026 · PadelAnywhere Editorial
Sources
Technique descriptions reflect conventions consistently taught across published padel coaching resources and technique guides, not a single formal source, and represent standard practice rather than a rule enforced by any governing body. Individual technique varies by player; a qualified coach is the best source for feedback on your own swing.
Compare control-focused rackets that make slice shots easier to feel and repeat.