The bandeja: 4 mistakes that make it float, and how to fix them

The bandeja is the shot that keeps you at the net. Played well, it is slow, deep and annoying for your opponents. Played badly, it floats, sits up and comes back as a smash. Most players do not have a power problem, they have a contact and balance problem.

1. You hit it like a smash

The bandeja is not a smaller smash. A smash goes down and through the ball. A bandeja is a controlled slice: the racket cuts across the back of the ball and the ball travels low and with backspin. If you swing flat and hard, you lose the spin and the depth.

2. The contact point is too high or too far behind

If you hit the ball directly above your head, you are leaning back and the racket has nowhere to go. Aim to meet the ball slightly in front of you and a bit to the side of your hitting shoulder, with your elbow up and your racket head above your hand.

3. You prepare late

Turn your shoulders sideways as soon as you see the lob go up. Take small steps to get under the ball instead of reaching for it. A good preparation is the difference between a controlled bandeja and a rushed one.

4. You do not finish the shot

After contact, let the racket continue down and across your body, then recover to the net straight away. Stopping the swing makes the ball float, and not recovering leaves you out of position for the next ball.

A simple drill

• Shadow swings (5 minutes): practise the movement with no ball, slowly, focusing on the sideways turn and the cut across.
• Feed and hit (10 balls): a partner lobs gently and you hit bandejas to the same corner. Your target is depth and a low bounce, not speed.
• Add recovery: after each bandeja, take two steps forward to the net.

Think "slow, deep and back to the net". Speed comes later.

Not sure which of your shots lose you the most points? A match analysis shows your shot-by-shot performance, so you know what to practise first.