Back wall boast in padel: how to play off your own glass and survive
Learn the back wall boast (contrapared) in padel. When to use it, how to execute it, and how to turn a desperate situation into a recovered point.
Back wall boast: the emergency shot that keeps you alive
Picture this: a deep ball gets past you, it’s practically glued to the back glass, and there’s no way you can swing normally. Point over, right? Not quite. You smack the ball into your own wall, it rebounds over the net, and suddenly you’re back in the rally. That’s the back wall boast (called “contrapared” in Spanish). And when it works, it’s one of the most satisfying feelings in padel.
What is the back wall boast?
It’s a shot where you deliberately hit the ball into your own back glass (or side glass) so it rebounds and flies over the net into your opponents’ court. This shot only exists in padel - you literally use the walls of the court as a tool.
It’s not a shot you plan for. It’s a shot you pull out when there’s nothing else left. The ball is too deep, too low, too stuck to the glass for a normal wall shot. So you use the wall as your teammate.
For the full picture of how this fits into padel’s shot menu, see the complete arsenal of padel shots.
When to use it
- When the ball dies right against the back glass and you can’t separate it
- On very deep balls where you can’t get your contact point in front of your body
- When you’re completely out of position and need to buy time
- On side wall situations where the ball comes off tight to the glass with no room to swing
- As a creative surprise to generate an angle your opponents aren’t expecting
The rule is straightforward: if you can play a normal wall shot, do that instead. The back wall boast is plan B.
How to execute it step by step
1. Setup
Get close to the glass. Much closer than feels comfortable. Bend your knees and drop your center of gravity. The racket goes low - almost floor level.
Watch the ball, not the wall. You already know where the glass is. What you need is to judge where and how to make contact with the ball.
2. The stroke
Here’s where it gets different from everything else in padel: you hit the ball towards the wall behind you. Open the racket face (pointing upward) and swing from low to high. You’re launching the ball into the glass so it bounces up and forward, clearing the net.
How hard you hit depends on your distance from the wall. Pressed right up against it? More power, so the rebound carries. Got a bit of space? Less force, more angle.
For the side wall boast, same concept but you hit into the side glass. The ball comes off diagonally into the opponents’ court.
3. After the shot
The back wall boast usually produces a high, defensive lob. It’s a survival shot, not a winner. So the moment the ball leaves your racket, sprint towards the net to recover your position. You’ve got a few seconds while the ball arcs through the air. Use them.
If the boast comes out short, brace yourself to defend. But if it comes out high and deep, you’ve got plenty of time to reset.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Why it happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Ball stays in your court | Not enough angle or power | Open the racket face more and commit to the shot |
| Ball hits the fence after the glass | Contact point too high | Make contact lower on the ball |
| Hitting the wall with your racket | Too close without control | Keep minimum distance with your arm extended |
| Always the same boast | No variation | Mix high boasts with flatter ones |
| Using it when you don’t need to | Poor reading of the ball | If a normal wall shot works, take that option first |
Advantages âś…
- Saves points that look completely lost
- Catches opponents off guard with unexpected angles
- Buys you time to recover position when you’re in trouble
- It’s a spectacular shot that fires up your team
- Expands your defensive toolkit beyond the standard wall shot
Risks ⚠️
- Mess it up and you gift-wrap a smash for your opponents
- It’s unpredictable - sometimes even you don’t know exactly where it’ll go
- Using it too often means you’re arriving late to balls consistently
- Good opponents read the boast and position themselves for the short reply
Recommended videos
- Learn with Paquito Navarro 2x03 - The Back Wall - DaleCandela TV
- Back Glass in Padel Lesson (Part 1) - The Padel School
- This is why you MUST use the glass (side & back) - Raphael Cuesta Padel
- How should YOU hit off the back glass?? Padel Tactics - The Padel School
- How to read the back wall - Padel in English - Hugo Cases
Pro tip
Practice with dead balls first. Place a ball against the back glass and just try to send it over the net using the wall. No pressure, no opponent. This lets you figure out the angle and power you need. Then have someone feed you deep balls and practice in a more realistic setting.
Log your matches on padellog and keep an eye on how often you’re using the back wall boast - too many might mean your positioning needs work.
