Chiquita

The chiquita might be the most important shot that nobody outside padel has heard of. It doesn't look like much — a soft little ball aimed at someone's feet. But this humble shot is the engine that drives padel's entire tactical structure. It's how you break the net team's stranglehold. It's how you transition from defense to offense. And if you can't hit a reliable chiquita, you'll spend every point stuck at the back of the court wondering why you keep losing.

What It Is

A chiquita is a low, soft shot played from the back of the court (or mid-court) aimed directly at the feet of the opponent standing at the net. The name is slang for "little one" in Spanish, and the shot lives up to it — it's small, quiet, and unassuming. But its impact on the point is enormous.

Here's the physics that make it work: when the ball arrives at the net player's feet, they're forced to volley upward because the ball is below the net. A volley hit upward is, by definition, defensive — it gives you a higher ball to work with and opens a window for you and your partner to charge forward and take the net.

The chiquita is the counterbalance to net dominance. Without it, the team at the net would win every single point.

Technique and Execution

Open your racket face, bend your knees, and play the ball with a soft, lifting motion. You're not trying to blast it past the net player — that almost never works in padel because the court is too narrow. Instead, you're trying to slide the ball low across the net so it arrives at their shoelaces.

The swing is gentle and controlled. Think of it as a putting stroke in golf — smooth, measured, with just enough energy to get the ball where it needs to go. Contact the ball at around knee height or below, and use a slight underspin to keep the ball low after it crosses the net.

Aim for the middle of the court, between the two net players. This creates confusion about who should take it and gives you the highest margin for error. If you can target the backhand side of the weaker volleyer, even better.

When to Use It

The chiquita is your go-to shot whenever you're at the back of the court and your opponents own the net. That's a huge percentage of padel points, which is why this shot is so critical. It's especially effective after a sequence of lobs — your opponents are expecting another high ball, and the low chiquita at their feet catches them off guard.

Use it when you want to start moving forward. The ideal sequence: hit a chiquita, force a weak volley upward, attack the weak reply, and take the net. That's the fundamental offensive pattern in padel, and it all starts with the chiquita.

Common Mistakes

Hitting it too hard defeats the purpose. A fast ball at the net player's feet is actually easier to volley than a slow one because they can use the pace. The chiquita should arrive softly. Second mistake: hitting it too high. If the ball is above the net when it reaches the opponent, they'll punch a clean volley back at you. It needs to be below net height. Third: not moving forward after hitting it. The chiquita is a transition shot — if you hit a great chiquita and stay planted at the back wall, you've wasted the opportunity it created.

Pro Tips

The best chiquita drill is simple: have both opponents at the net and practice landing the ball at their feet from the baseline. Count consecutive successful chiquitas — try to beat your record. In matches, disguise your chiquita by using the same backswing as a drive or lob. The more your preparation looks the same for every shot, the less time the net player has to react. Finally, communicate with your partner: when you both recognize a chiquita opportunity and move forward together, you'll take the net as a team — which is exactly where you want to be.