Gancho

The gancho (literally "hook" in Spanish) is one of padel's most spectacular and satisfying shots. It's the move you pull out when you're pinned to the back wall with a ball screaming past your body — and somehow you flick it back over the net like it's nothing. When it works, it looks like pure magic. When it doesn't, well, you look a bit silly. That's the deal.

What Is a Gancho?

A gancho is a hook shot played behind or above your body when the ball rebounds off the back glass. Instead of turning to face the ball conventionally, you let it travel past you and swing back at it with a scooping, hooking motion — usually over your hitting shoulder. Think of it as padel's answer to an overhead hook in boxing, except you're hitting a ball, not a person.

Technique and Execution

The gancho starts with reading the ball early off the back wall. Position yourself close to the glass — roughly one arm's length away — and keep your eyes on the ball as it passes you. The swing is a compact, upward hook: your racket goes behind your body and sweeps up and over your shoulder in one fluid arc. Your wrist does a lot of the work here, snapping through contact to direct the ball back toward the net.

Key technical points:

• Feet placement: Stay sideways to the net, not facing the back wall
• Contact point: Let the ball drop to between waist and shoulder height
• Grip: A continental or slightly eastern grip gives you the wrist flexibility you need
• Follow-through: The racket finishes high, past your opposite shoulder

When to Use It

The gancho is a situational shot, not your bread and butter. Deploy it when:

• A deep lob pins you to the back glass and the ball rebounds at an awkward angle
• You don't have time to turn and set up a proper contrapared
• Your opponent has hit a fast, deep ball that hugs the side wall after rebounding

Common Mistakes

The biggest mistake is trying to muscle the ball. The gancho is about timing and wrist action, not brute force. Swing too hard and you'll send it into the fence or, worse, straight into the ground. Another classic error is standing too close to the glass — give yourself room so you can actually complete the swing arc. Finally, beginners often try the gancho on balls that are better played as a regular contrapared. If you have time to turn and set up, do that instead.

Pro Tips

Watch players like Paquito Navarro or Arturo Coello — they've turned the gancho into an art form. Notice how they stay relaxed through the shot and let the wrist do the heavy lifting. Practice against the back wall alone first: feed yourself lobs, let them rebound, and work on the hook motion until it feels natural. And remember, the gancho doesn't need to be a winner. Getting it back deep is usually enough, because your opponent won't be expecting it in the first place.