How to play the back wall boast (contrapared) in padel

The contrapared (back wall boast) is probably one of the most popular shots in amateur padel and one of the least common in professional padel.

What is the contrapared?

It is a shot unique to padel: you hit the ball against your own back wall or glass so that it then travels over the net. It should be a last resort, because controlling the direction of the ball is very difficult.

When should you use it?

Use this shot as a last resort when the ball has got behind your body. Whenever you can get behind the ball, it is better to play a normal shot off the wall.

How to hit the contrapared

It is very similar to a forehand, but there are several differences, which you can see in this video:

Learn the contrapared with Paquito Navarro

Drawbacks of the contrapared

This shot has two big drawbacks:

1. It is very hard to send the ball where you want.
2. If your opponent manages to smash it, the ball will carry spin that helps their winning smash.

If you do not see a clear shot, it is much better to keep fighting until you can play the ball off the wall.

Most common mistakes

1. Hitting too hard and losing control.
2. Using it when you could easily have played the ball off the wall.
3. Getting hit by the ball because you did not tuck your head away.

Video to improve your contrapared