Has the bandeja vanished from modern padel?

Anyone who regularly watches Premier Padel knows the picture: smash follows smash, víboras whip across the court, and points are decided at an ever higher tempo. In that firework display, the bandeja often looks like a relic. The question is obvious: has this shot, for years the calling card of the world elite, disappeared from modern padel?

A post on the All For Padel blog, adidas Padel's content hub, gives a clear answer. The bandeja is not dead. It has adapted to the new pace of play and is used more selectively than before. What has changed is less the shot itself than the decision of when to play it.

How aerial play has changed in professional padel

Around ten years ago, the bandeja ranked among the most used shots on the pro tour. Players such as Fernando Belasteguín, Pablo Lima, Cristian Gutiérrez and Maxi Grabiel built their dominance on an extremely precise bandeja. The goal was rarely a direct winner. Instead, the aim was to hold the net, wear the opponent down and wait for the right moment to accelerate.

Padel was slower then. Rallies lasted longer, and playing conditions favoured construction. Today the reality is different. Athletes are more explosive, rackets are more powerful, and balls come off the glass much faster. As soon as a lob is a little short, the priority is to hurt the opponent immediately.

The result of this shift: the víbora has gradually overtaken the classic bandeja. It brings more pressure, more spin and more pace – qualities rewarded in today's professional game.

When the bandeja remains the best option

All For Padel stresses a decisive point: top players have not removed the bandeja from their arsenal. They have simply learned to choose among several options. On a deep lob, when striking while moving backwards or from an uncomfortable position, the bandeja is often still the safest solution. It protects the net position without taking unnecessary risks.

The case is different on a shorter lob that the player can attack while moving forwards. Then the víbora is often the logical weapon to put the opponent under pressure at once. So it is not the shot that changes, but the reading of the situation. Anyone who wants to understand modern padel must read decisions – not only admire gestures.

Technical features compared

• Bandeja: controlled trajectory, net security, lower error risk
• Víbora: more spin and pace, direct pressure on the defence
• Hybrid shot: intermediate form with speed adapted to the situation

Are there still true bandeja specialists?

On today's circuit, pure bandeja specialists have become rare. Even Arturo Coello, who owns an excellent bandeja, uses it comparatively little. His offensive style naturally pulls him towards the víbora or the smash whenever the chance appears. The clearest counter-example remains Coki Nieto. The Spaniard is probably one of the last players at the very top who still uses the bandeja regularly as a genuine tactical weapon. His game relies on patience, precision and point construction rather than pure power.

Among most other world-class players, a different evolution is visible. The shot played is often neither a traditional bandeja nor a classic víbora. Instead, a hybrid shot emerges, with an intermediate trajectory, more rotation and a speed tailored to the moment. That mixed form mirrors modern padel: flexible, situational and decision-driven.

The trap for club amateurs

One of the most important messages in the All For Padel analysis concerns amateurs. After watching a lot of Premier Padel, many club players try to copy spectacular víboras and showpiece shots. In a club match, that strategy is often counterproductive. A well-executed bandeja usually helps keep the net, limits unforced errors and creates time for a more favourable ball.

What works for the best players in the world is therefore not automatically the best solution for a club player. Professionals have timing, athleticism and shot quality that are rarely matched at amateur level. Anyone who attacks too aggressively from the air there gives away positions and points. At club level, the bandeja often remains the more sensible tool.

Not dead, but used more intelligently

The analysis boils down to a simple thesis: the bandeja remains a fundamental padel shot. It simply appears less often because the game has gained speed and attacking windows open more frequently. Modern players have not abandoned the bandeja. They use it with greater judgement – only when the situation demands it.

The highest level no longer rewards the most beautiful gesture, but the right decision at the right moment. That is the biggest evolution in professional padel: the bandeja has not disappeared. It shares the court with the víbora – and increasingly with a hybrid mix of both. Anyone who understands that reads matches better and makes better shot choices on their own court.

For coaches and ambitious club players, the takeaway is clear: analyse the situation first. Deep lobs, net pressure and body position decide whether control or aggression comes first. In that decision tree, the bandeja remains a modern tactical option with a high success rate.