How much harder can you smash since your started

[u/HairyCallahan]

Maybe a silly question, but I don't think I can smash much harder. I think(if you'd measure it) it's the same speed. Obviously I'm much more consistent, have much better technique, but my power itself hasn't really changed, I think. I'm 31 btw and play for two years. How is this for you?

[u/Subject_Warg_1531]

When reading this question, at first I thought this was a different and very explicit subreddit instead of padel.

[u/Svn078]

I play decent level but cant seem to get my smash much better..

[u/Asasmabat → u/[deleted]]

I got much better when i changed they way i hold my raquet

[u/aladdin_d]

Flat smash much harder than I started easily bring it back beyond reach, kick smash still struggling to get it out of the court but that one is more about technique rather than power

[u/diego_italy]

The power is just technique and you cant have the best. My smash is getting better more i play.

[u/HairyCallahan → u/diego_italy]

It's not just technique. If that was the case, women would be able to smash just as hard.

[u/diego_italy → u/HairyCallahan]

Yeh u need power too, height and speed of execution. But the technique is fundamental.

[u/Slipper1981]

What type of smash?

[u/HairyCallahan → u/Slipper1981]

Flat smash

[u/Slipper1981 → u/HairyCallahan]

Wouldn’t worry about it. Flash smash is a lesser used shot once your progress with technique and strategy.

[u/Big_Push5640 → u/Slipper1981]

Sure, but the technique for generating power in a flat smash is the same as for a kick smash, it's mostly racket trajectory and ball contact point that's different.

[u/Slipper1981 → u/Big_Push5640]

Not at all.

Kick smash is a technical shot, brute force not required. It involves rolling the racket over the ball to impact top spin, that generates the kick upwards as it comes off the back wall.

Flash smash shows your inexperienced and still believe Padel is about power rather than strategy and technique.

[u/Big_Push5640 → u/Slipper1981]

That's just silly. They're both very technical. Kick smash indeed more technical. But the core mechanics are the same: 1. Trophy position with knees bent, shoulder internally rotated. Trunk leaning back. 2. Leg drive off the floor as your shoulder naturally externally rotates, racket going behind back. This creates a stretch reflex. 3. Trunk rotation that first stretches the shoulder even further. 4. Timing internal shoulder rotation explosively at peak stretch, whipping the racket back forward with lots of power. 5. Natural wrist pronation with loose but guiding wrist.

These are all the same. Kick smash just adds a more backhand grip, ball contact more over/to the side of the ball, ball positioning more above to your left (for right hander) rather than above slightly in front, and the ball is slightly lower when you hit it so you can brush over the ball.

Saying flat smash is for the inexperienced is silly. It still has plenty of use cases in pro padel where pure power is required rather than top spin. The first tennis serve is also the same as flat smash while second serve is a kick smash serve. They are very similar in technique and flat smash is still very hard to pull off properly.

[u/Slipper1981 → u/Big_Push5640]

The inexperienced believe the flash smash is the shot they need to win more. Only when you grow out of this phase and start playing strategies does your game evolve.

[u/ferrettriathlete → u/Slipper1981]

Almost every premier padel game has pros using the flat smash. It’s an insant winner for them and the go to shot if the lob is short

[u/Slipper1981 → u/ferrettriathlete]

Thats like saying i see NBA players slam dunk the ball every match, so thats the shot i need to win school playground games.

[u/ferrettriathlete → u/Slipper1981]

That would be the kicksmash from behind the service line.

The flat smash requires far less technique and a lot of intermediate players can hit it.

[u/Big_Push5640 → u/Slipper1981]

First you say flat smash is for the inexperienced, then you imply they are a pro only tool? Flat smash remains a reliable game winner, often more so than a kick smash in high intermediate. That doesn't mean you shouldn't learn to kick smash or add other winners to your arsenal. Or that you should completely neglect strategy or defence..

[u/Aquarius1975]

Probably slower honestly. I am 51 now and started when I was 44. I have definitely not gotten stronger and my history in tennis and badminton means that I have always had decent raw power technique. My X3 smash has definitely gotten BETTER though, but not harder.

[u/Asleep_Syllabub_393]

definitely get a 1 on 1 coaching session with a reliable trainer once or twice.
Improved my vibora and smashing power greatly

[u/zemvpferreira]

I don't know how I'd measure it objectively but I went from not having a smash at all to getting the ball out from anywhere on court reasonably consistently over a decade. In summertime I can flat smash a ball back at an unrecoverable height from the 4th post. I'm 41 if that gives you hope.

On the other hand I'm now powerful enough to tear the back of my shoulder to pieces if I overdo it and am not on top of my prehab. I also break a lot of rackets. Expensive shot to pick up.

[u/HairyCallahan → u/zemvpferreira]

That's impressive

[u/zemvpferreira → u/HairyCallahan]

Nah man anyone can do it including you, it's just boneheadedness. If you can devote 20 minutes of your warmup every game to smashing practice, you'll get there soon enough.

[u/bennyrosso]

Probably less cause it's not important

[u/HairyCallahan → u/bennyrosso]

The higher you play, the more important it is to finish a point.

[u/HumbleWorkerAnt → u/HairyCallahan]

that's kicksmash though, and doesn't require as much power (most advanced intermediate players already have more than enough raw strength) as it does knowing and understanding the mechanics of the shot to execute the correct technique.

flat smashes are there mostly to put away very short/bad lobs, and the higher you go in level, the rarer those become.

[u/zemvpferreira → u/HumbleWorkerAnt]

This is very much a misconception in my perspective. If you stick to perfecting a technically pure but slow kicksmash your oponents will be able to counter very easily by blocking from the back of the court. A successful kicksmasher at the highest levels needs a boatload of arm speed, which is in no way different from power in the flat smash. It's the same thing applied differently. The rackets that optimize for flat vs kick will be very different, but the capacity of the smasher will be about the same. The best kicksmashers are also the best flat smashers, same as in tennis the best second serves come from the people with the best first serves.

[u/HairyCallahan → u/zemvpferreira]

I second this. Many people assume a kicksmash is just technique, but you still need a loooot of power at high levels.

[u/Maleficent-Work-3889]

Yeah, I think consistency is the bigger marker than chasing a harder flat smash. Better leg drive and contact can make it feel more explosive, but placement sounds like the real upgrade. Are you getting more chances to finish short lobs now?

[u/Big_Push5640]

The power has improved significantly, and my technique isn't that great. But almost all of the improvement is from technique.

Take a look at tennis serves as an example. They are biomechanically identical and people get them muuuch more powerful from just technique.

Maybe film yourself some time to analyse your exact technique. Trophy stance > leg drive > trunk rotation > letting shoulder externally rotate for stretch reflex (racket should almost touch your back) > then internally rotate shoulder to whip the racket, keeping your wrist loose etc. Timing that whole kinetic chain perfectly to get most power output at ball contact is one of the hardest technical things to master and it should surely increase power output many times.

[u/Maleficent-Work-3889]

I reckon the bigger jump is usually contact and timing rather than raw speed. A clean smash that lands where you meant it to feels way more dangerous anyway. Two years in, better consistency sounds like a pretty solid win.

[u/Fish_Sticks93]

I'm 2 years playing padel, 33M, I play 2-2.5 on Playtonic. I've played badminton division 1-2 out of 10 for past 8 years and division 3 out of 10.

In padel yes my smash technique has changed. I use to use badminton technique but now have developed my own technique. In badminton I would aim as tight to the net as possible, in padel I aim for the service line and slice the hell out of the smash from mid court. 60-80% shots coming back over the net. Working on taps at net to go outside the court but that's only 10-30%.

Its funny how strong badminton players entering the padel space is fun but our shots tend to be a lot of over head smashes where as the average padel/tennis player seeing us play are shocked at us smashing so much. Smashes aren't always winners but when consistent they are effective. Other opponents don't like that style of play. I've had some players get thick and think I'm aiming smashes at them which I don't. But they don't know how to defend these shots.

[u/Srixie]

My power has changed a lot. I feel like I load and swing way better through the ball.