Introduction
In this post, we'll explore the nuances of two distinct serving strategies: the Australiana and the Classic Serve. Whether you're a padel newcomer or a seasoned player, this guide will help you make the right serving choices. Let's dive into the world of padel serving strategies: Australiana vs. Classic Serve.
Differences between the Australiana and Classic Serve
The Australiana Serve
The Australiana Serve is the favored choice among intermediate and advanced-level players. In this tactic, players specialize in defending one side of the court, either the right or the left. Each player consistently covers the same side of the court - so does not switch sides regardless of where they or their partner serves.
The Australiana Serve presents a unique challenge: the server must quickly close the gap to the net once they've served. The longer distance they must cover can expose them to parallel shots from their opponents, who aim to execute passing shots or take advantage of the server's delayed arrival. To counter this, players using the Australiana Serve often aim for the T, creating a more challenging angle for the receiver to hit a parallel return and increasing the server's chance of reaching the net in time.
Australiana is also the most logical strategy to be used when a righty and a lefty are playing together so they can both cover the majority of the court with their forehand and their overhead shots.
The Classic Serve
The Classic Serve is the most prevalent choice among beginners. Most players alternate sides with their serves, meaning they need to defend both the right and left positions.
The primary advantages of using the Classic Serve include players developing competence on both sides of the court and that the server's shorter journey to the net also allows them to reach it earlier, making it more challenging for opponents to execute passing shots or winning returns.
So, Which Serve Should You Use?
For beginners, commencing with the Classic Serve is recommended. Even if you're not accustomed to playing on both sides, this approach allows you to learn and determine which side suits you best.
Intermediate and advanced players are better off using the Australiana Serve. If both players in a pair you’ll find your rythm and plays that are most effective. If both are proficient on both sides of the court, you can occasionally switch it up to the Classic Serve, particularly when struggling with their serves as this can throw opponents off of their games.
What do the Pros do?
While the Australiana Serve is prevalent among top pairs worldwide, some pairs opt for a different approach during certain phases of a match or adjust tactics based on their opposition
For instance, Juan Lebron and Alejandro Galan have occasionally employed the Classic Serve. Similarly, Fernando Belasteguin and Agustin Tapia used it in the past when playing together. These pairs strategically switched to the Classic Serve mid-match, changing positions from forehand to backhand and vice versa, aiming to confound their opponents and disrupt their game adaptation.