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Padel glossary

60+ padel terms to help you watch padel without texting your Argentinian friend asking, "what's a Willy"?

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Terms

Control

Harder rackets allow more precision due to their linear ball output
Terms

Americano

An americano is a style of brief padel tournament with frequent opponent (and sometimes partner) changes
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All

"All" is used to report a tied score with the phrasing, "[score] all"
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Backhand

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Aerial game

The aerial game - or juego aereo - is a name for padel's overhead shots
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Bajada

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Ball output

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Bandeja

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Carbon fiber

Carbon fiber is a widely-used material in padel racket construction due to its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio
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Boast

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Chancletazo

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Break

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Block

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Chiquita

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Continental grip

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Contrapared

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Deuce

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Cuchilla

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EVA

Padel racket cores are made with Ethyl-vinyl acetate (EVA) and polyethylene
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Double fault

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Dormiloña

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Drop shot

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Drive

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Durability

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Efecto

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Forehand

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Fiberglass

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Fridge

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Gancho

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Globo

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Golden point

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Groundstroke

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Half volley

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Kick smash

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Let

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Lob

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Love

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Maneuverability

Racket weight and balance determines its maneuverability
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Overhead

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Pala

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Polyethylene

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Power

Hard, high balance padel rackets are the most powerful
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Por tres

Terms

Por cuatro

This technique uses the wrist and forearm to hit the ball with a steep angle toward the ground on the opponent's' side of the court
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Remate

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Reves

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Sweet spot

A racket's sweet spot is the best spot to make contact with the ball for most reliable performance and least vibrations
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Smash

Smashes are a very important part of the game
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Rulo

A rulo is a soft overhead shot targeting the side fence or the side glass
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Slice

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Roughness

Roughness refers to various techniques used in padel racket construction to improve spin.
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Topspin

Topspin is not used as much in padel as it is in tennis - it is common in chiquitas and kick smashes.
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Tweener

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Willy

"Willy" is a name for an in between the legs shots
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Vibora

A vibora is an aggressive overhead shot with side spin
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Touch

Soft rackets are preferred for their playability and comfort. Hard rackets are difficult to play with but offer more power and control.
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Balance

A padel racket's balance is measured upwards from the handle - a high balance racket is more powerful, low balance is easier to maneuver.
Terms

Pole effect

The pole effect refers to when a racket wobbles on its vertical axis.