What is a víbora in padel?

Short answer: the víbora is an overhead shot from the same family as the bandeja, played with the elbow bent and the racket closer to the body, cutting across the ball to load it with sidespin. It's an attacking shot, aimed at the side glass so the ball kicks away low into the corner.

Why it's called a víbora

Víbora is Spanish for viper. The name is about what the ball does after it lands: the sidespin makes it bite off the floor and dart sideways into the glass, so it skids away from your opponent instead of sitting up.

How it differs from a bandeja

	Bandeja	Víbora
Arm	Extended, out to the side	Elbow bent, racket closer in
Racket face	Open	More closed
Spin	Slice, controlled	Heavy sidespin
Intention	Keep the net	Win the point
Risk	Low	Higher

The two shots start the same way — a lob comes over, you turn sideways, you take the ball above your shoulder. What changes is the arm and the intention.

When to play it

Play the víbora when the lob is short and you're well positioned under it. Then you can afford to attack.

Play the bandeja when the lob is deep, when you're stretching, or when you simply need the rally to continue. Choosing a víbora from a bad position is how you lose the net and the point at once.

How it's played

• Turn side-on and move across early, same as a bandeja.
• Keep the elbow bent and the racket nearer your body.
• Cut across the outside of the ball, using the wrist for spin.
• Aim at the side glass, not deep down the middle.
• Recover to the net immediately — the víbora often draws a weak reply.

The mistake almost everyone makes

Trying to hit it flat and hard, like a smash. The víbora's danger isn't speed, it's spin. A slower ball with real sidespin dies in the corner; a fast flat one comes back off the glass at a comfortable height.

Learn the bandeja first. Tennis players who skip straight to the víbora spend a season giving away the net.

The VÍBORA tee is here, and if you haven't read it yet, start with the bandeja.