Por Cuatro

The por cuatro is padel's version of hitting it out of the park. You unload a smash so powerful that the ball bounces, slams the back glass, and clears it entirely — sailing over the top and out of the court. It's the ultimate statement of dominance and the shot that makes fans leap out of their seats.

What Is a Por Cuatro?

"Por cuatro" means "by four," traditionally referring to the ball contacting four surfaces — your racket, the ground, the back glass, and then exiting over the top or through the back fence. In practice, it's any shot where the ball leaves the court through the back. While the por tres exits through the side, the por cuatro goes straight out the back door.

Here's what makes it special: unlike the por tres, the por cuatro is actually retrievable. Defenders can sprint out through the side door, chase down the ball outside the court, and loop it back over the glass. These retrievals are some of the most electrifying moments in professional padel — and the reason the sport goes viral on social media.

Technique and Execution

The por cuatro demands raw power combined with precise timing. Here's what you need:

• The setup: A high, floaty lob that gives you time to position and load up
• The jump: Most por cuatros come off a jump smash (remate por cuatro). The extra height from jumping adds a downward angle that increases the bounce height off the court
• Contact point: Hit the ball at the highest point possible, out in front of your body
• Direction: Aim straight at the back glass, targeting the upper portion
• Power source: Generate pace from your core rotation and shoulder, not just your arm. A full kinetic chain from legs through torso to racket is essential

The physics are straightforward: the ball needs enough velocity that after bouncing on the court and hitting the glass, it still has energy to clear the roughly 3-4 meter high back wall. That requires serious pace on the initial smash.

When to Use It

The por cuatro is a high-reward, moderate-risk play. Go for it when:

• You receive a short, high lob that you can attack from a strong position
• Your opponents are both deep, pressed against the back glass
• You want to end the point emphatically and shift psychological momentum
• The defensive team has been successfully retrieving your angled smashes, so you change to pure power down the middle

Common Mistakes

The most common mistake is trying to hit a por cuatro on every overhead. If the lob isn't high enough or you're not in position, you'll just hit a weaker smash that sits up for a comfortable contrapared. Another error is aiming too low on the back glass — the ball needs to hit the upper half to have a chance of clearing. Finally, some players sacrifice accuracy for power, sending the ball into the side glass or out wide, wasting a perfectly good smash opportunity on a low-percentage play.

Pro Tips

The jump is everything. Watch Arturo Coello or Agustin Tapia — they generate incredible vertical height, which gives them a steeper downward angle on the smash. That steeper angle means the ball bounces higher off the court and has a better chance of clearing the back glass. Practice your jump timing with a partner feeding lobs, focusing on contacting the ball at the absolute peak of your jump. Also, remember that the por cuatro is as much about reading the lob as it is about power. A perfectly timed, well-positioned smash with good technique will go por cuatro more reliably than a desperate full-force swing from a bad position.