Top 10 tips for beginners

Stepping onto the court for the first time? Been playing for a while but struggling to master the basics? These beginner tips will boost your confidence, sharpen your skills, and keep the rallies flowing.

Don’t buy the expensive ‘pro’ racket

You may look the part as you step out onto the court but it will do your game no favours. Stick with a lightweight, medium soft round racket with a large sweet-spot. The pros have had to work hard to get to the point where they can confidently swing their all-carbon all-singing diamond shaped racket.

get a grip

The continental grip is the fundamental grip for all padel shots. Similar to holding a hammer or shaking hands, it’s achieved by placing your hand on top of the racket and sliding it down until the heel of your palm rests at the bottom of the grip. This grip provides versatility for forehands, backhands, volleys, serves, and smashes.

wear the right shoes

Running shoes generally are ideal for running in, not playing padel. You’ll need something that is designed for the task that provides more lateral support and traction – ideal for quick changes of direction and sudden stops. An all-court or clay-court padel or tennis shoe is recommended.

just get it back over the net

Hitting the perfect winner feels great but the chances are the shot will be high-risk and most likely only be successful 5% of the time. The unsuccesful attempts will no doubt lose you the point. Be patient, work to put your opponents in difficult positions and wait for the opportunity for a less risky winner – albeit one that may not make the highlights reel.

It’s not all about power

Smacking every shot with full power may work against beginner-level opponents, but a more experienced player will just allow the ball to rebound off the glass and casually send it back your way, with interest. Ninety percent of the time you want to be playing with precision and control. Think soft to the feet or corners, building on a rally until a golden, unmissable opportunity presents itself.

use the glass

The structure of the court, it’s walls and cage are what differentiates it from tennis. They’re there for a reason. Beginners often rush to hit volleys or even trickier half-volleys, instead of letting the ball bounce and rebound off the glass. Learn to read the rebound and take advantage of the slowing ball as it comes off the glass.

push up, together

The net position is where you want to be – approximately halfway between net and service line. It’s from here that you can best attack, but also retreat to the back position to defend if needed. If you do find yourself at the back defending the aim is always to retake the net position. The key is to remain in-line, always moving forward together and moving back together.

Don’t get caught in
no-mans-land

The area between the defending line – approximately one metre away from the back wall – and the net position – halfway between net and service line. In this area you’re too far back to attack and too far forward to defend properly. More than likely the opponents shot will land at your feet making it very difficult to return.

perfect the lob

One of the most important shots in padel is the lob. By lobbing the ball high up in the air, you force your opponents to move back and wait for it to descend. This allows you to push forward to the net position from where you can attack. A lob is most effective when it bounces beyond your opponent’s service line.

seek coaching early

Whether in-person coaching or by checking out the many padel tutorials online, it’s never too early, and the sooner you do the less likely you’ll get into bad habits that will be increasingly harder to break. Not sure whether you’ll play enough to warrant the cost of coaching? Trust me, you’ll become as addicted to padel as the rest of us!

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