Por Tres: Padel's Back Wall Exit Shot

Por tres — Spanish for 'through the three walls' or more colloquially 'through the back' — is the term for a shot that exits the padel court by travelling over or through the back fence after bouncing. When you hit a ball so hard, deep, or precisely angled that it bounces on the opponent's side and then leaves the court entirely, you win the point outright.

The most common way to execute a por tres is with a powerful smash or bandeja aimed deep and toward the back corners of the opponent's court. The ball bounces near the baseline, gets a high rebound off the back glass wall, and the momentum carries it out over the fence.

Recognising when a ball is going 'out through the back' is an important defensive skill. If you see a smash heading deep toward your baseline, you and your partner need to call quickly whether to try to retrieve it or let it go (if it's going to exit the court). Chasing a ball that's heading out of the court is a mistake that advanced players use to their advantage.

Por tres can also be forced by body shots and angled volleys that put the ball into the back corners of the court. The geometry of the back glass wall means certain angles create high-bouncing, fast-exit trajectories that are very hard to retrieve.

Attempting a por tres that doesn't exit the court (a high rebound that stays in play) gives the opponent an easy setup at the net. This is why it's a calculated risk — used when you're in a strong attacking position and the opponents are deep.