When to follow a chiquita to the net in padel

Follow a chiquita when the ball makes the opponent reach down for contact and you and your partner have time to move and get set before the reply. If the ball sits up, the opponent is already on top of it, or your partner is still stuck at the back, wait. You can play a good soft ball and stay back. Sometimes that is exactly what the point needs.

Imagine you've spent three shots behind the service line. You finally get a comfortable forehand and roll it low at the player in front of you. It feels like an invitation to run. Before you take the second step, look at the opponent's racket. Are they reaching down to find the ball, or have they stepped in and got the racket above it? The two shots can look almost identical from your end until that moment.

What the chiquita is trying to buy you

A chiquita is a soft shot towards the feet of a player who is up at the net or coming in. It can land before they reach it, or make them volley from low down. The useful part is what it takes away. With contact below the top of the net, they have to clear it before the ball can come down on your side. They can still find an angle or play deep. You are looking for a reply you can deal with from a step farther forwards, not a guaranteed ball at waist height.

The Padel School's chiquita lesson recommends trying it on a manageable ball and moving in when the opponent has to lift the reply. Give yourself room for contact and use a short swing you can repeat. Aim at a player's feet rather than a painted line. If a ball keeps hitting the net, give it a little more clearance in practice before trying to add spin. If it keeps floating high, start with an easier feed and see if you can send it lower without hitting harder. The guide to padel shots puts the shot in context alongside the lob, volley and wall return.

Look at where the opponent will meet the ball, too. Suppose they're almost leaning over the net. A soft shot you can normally drop at their feet may reach their racket before it has dropped. If they're a little farther back, that same pace may give the ball time to dip. Check what is in front of you rather than picking the shot by name in advance.

Read the contact before you commit

Start with a small move you can undo. After hitting, recover your balance and look at the opponent who will play the ball. If you advance, leave yourself a moment to get your feet under you as they hit. The table gives you and your partner a way to agree what that first move means. The calls are suggestions for practice; use words you both hear clearly.

The positions guide explains where to get set during an approach. Getting a step closer can be useful on its own. Suppose the first ball makes the opponent lift a volley, but it still reaches you at shin height as you move. A controlled ball back to their feet may give you another step. Trying to finish that first low volley may give them the ball they wanted all along.

If your partner is digging themselves out of a corner, stay connected even when your own shot is good. Neither of you needs to make a speech while the ball is travelling. A short agreed call, or a step you both recognise, will do. Try the call-and-explain exercise if one of you thinks “go” means one step and the other thinks it means a sprint.

A chiquita, a lob or one more ball

Suppose the other pair have stepped back after chasing two lobs. You have space to play the ball in front of you, and your partner is ready. Try the chiquita towards the player you can reach without forcing a tight angle. Watch whether they can get to it early. If the ball makes them bend and the two of you are already set to move, use the space. If they step into it high, stay ready for their next volley.

Now suppose you are jammed against the back glass with the ball close to your body. Keep the rally going with a return you can control. A rebound that comes far enough off the glass may give you room on the next ball. There is no need to manufacture a delicate shot while you are still trying to get the racket past your hip.

Or imagine you're returning serve. You get a comfortable bounce and the server is still coming in. The Padel School's return lesson suggests the feet as a target when that shot is on. If the server and their partner are already close to the net and you have time and balance, the guide to a useful lob offers a different way to move them. On a difficult serve, give the return a margin you can make. You won't get to use your lovely plan for the third ball if the second is in the net.

Practise the decision with four players

Set up with one pair back and one pair near the net. Ask a net player to feed a comfortable ball to one defender. The defender plays a chiquita, and all four play out the point. Start with the same feed long enough for the back pair to notice how far they can move before the first volley. Swap who hits the chiquita and try it from both sides.

Next, change one thing at a time. The volleyer can start a little closer to the net, or the feed can arrive deeper. Keep the rally live even if the defender chooses a normal return instead. Your partner can say “hold” if they're still getting back into position. If you both rush in and lose the first volley, ask whether the opponent really had to lift the ball or whether you moved before you knew.

After a few rallies, give the back pair one mark for agreeing on the first move and getting set before the reply, even if they lose the point. Give no mark if one player is still running as the opponent hits or one goes while the other waits. This is a practice tally, not a score for how good the shot looks. If the decisions are getting muddled, return to the easier feed rather than speeding up the drill.

In your next match, pick one early point where you get a comfortable ball at the back. Try the soft shot, take a step you can stop, and tell your partner what you saw at the change of ends. One shared decision is a useful start.