5 Padel Tips for Beginners
What Should Your Focus Be When You Step Onto A Padel Court?
Padel is often discovered through friends or open events at padel clubs, rather than coaching lessons. Within a short time, players find themselves hitting the ball back and forth, instantly falling in love with the game. The session finishes, and the next court is booked! As padel is so easy to learn, people often continue these types of sessions for a while (and eventually, they will look to improve their game). These five padel tips are things you can incorporate into your game early on, which will help you develop your padel skills without interrupting your fun in the slightest!
1 Utilize The Walls
The walls are often the most unfamiliar part for players learning the game. Whether you come from a tennis background or have no experience with rackets, understanding the rebound can be challenging to grasp. Even squash players, who often understand the principles, need to be aware that the technique and rebound in padel are different! Players new to padel often avoid the walls due to a lack of confidence, but this will only slow down their learning process. So, the padel tip here is to get comfortable using the glass walls!
2 Forget About Power
There's an immensely satisfying feeling in smashing the padel ball around the court. The sound of the ball on the racket, the quick rebounds, the confusion of opponents (who are also new to the game)... but padel is not solely about power. Yes, there are shots that require maximum force, but they are few and far between. Relying too much on power while learning the game will likely lead to mistakes. Additionally, when playing against better players, they will often allow your powerful groundstrokes to rebound off the glass, putting themselves in a better position. Start by mastering ball control before focusing on developing your padel smashes!
3 Play As A Team
Padel is a social sport, which is why it's rapidly growing worldwide. It is always played in doubles, so every time you step on the court, you have a teammate! It's important to work well with your partner at every level of the game. This collaboration is essential tactically, but more importantly, it's crucial on a psychological level. When you enjoy playing with your doubles partner, you tend to perform better in padel! So, while it's important to move together as a pair, cover the spaces at the net, and synchronize your strategies, don't forget to have fun as a team!
4 Get One More Ball In
One of the best padel tips to improve your performance is to focus on consistency. This often determines the outcome of matches at all levels. At the beginning, there are many reasons why aiming to get one more ball in is beneficial:
- It gives your opponent another opportunity to make a mistake.
- It provides you with more practice, especially when you're still learning.
- It allows you to position yourself better on the court.
- It psychologically makes your opponent think you don't make unforced errors.
Do we really need more reasons to emphasize playing high-percentage padel shots? As we've said before, "consistency is king."
5 Learn The Technique
The final padel tip, and perhaps the most important one, is to invest time in learning the technique. Padel is a relatively easy sport to pick up, as it only requires a basic entry-level technique. However, this often leads players to underestimate the importance of proper technique.
This means that players are likely to develop bad habits! Speaking as a padel coach, it's much easier for me to correct a player's technique when they are just starting out rather than someone who has been playing for years without early guidance! Learning the technique doesn't have to be in
the form of expensive lessons. In today's modern world, you have access to excellent advice for a minimal cost, right on your phone.
The most important aspect of your introduction to padel is that you enjoy the game! As a long-term padel player, coach, and motivator, I never have to worry about this because if you step on the court with three friends and play your first game, I have no doubt that you had a good time.
So, step onto the padel court with these tips in mind. Embrace the use of walls, focus on control rather than power, foster teamwork with your doubles partner, aim for consistency, and invest time in learning the proper technique. By incorporating these elements into your game, you will not only improve your padel skills but also enhance your overall experience and enjoyment of this fantastic sport.
Remember, padel is about more than just hitting the ball—it's about the camaraderie, the thrill, and the joy of playing together. So, have fun, embrace the challenge, and let the passion for padel drive you to new heights on the court. Enjoy your journey in the world of padel!
