For the first time, the report includes an economic impact study carried out with OpenEconomics. It puts padel's contribution to global GDP at €8.6 billion, with every euro spent on the sport generating €1.26 in GDP. Annual spending in the industry comes to around €6.84 billion, economic output reaches €13.07 billion, and the sport supports more than 235,000 jobs. The study is based on five parameters: court rental value, facility construction, technical equipment, tournaments and total expenditure by country

The competition calendar is growing as well. The FIP held 290 tournaments in 50 countries in 2025, and 434 are confirmed for 2026 across 62 countries. The report covers the CUPRA FIP Tour, Qatar Airways Premier Padel, FIP Promises and FIP Beyond, and includes men's and women's ranking analysis with a focus on the Top 100 and Top 300, from player nationalities to average ages

FIP president Luigi Carraro said the report shows a global sport that keeps expanding. The full study can be downloaded from the FIP website, which also offers an interactive mini-site and a profile page for each affiliated federation

The meeting also marked the FIP's 35th anniversary. Representatives of the founding federations of Spain, Argentina and Uruguay, together with Mexico and FIP president Luigi Carraro, signed a symbolic constitution. Delegates reviewed the annual and financial reports and proposed amendments to the FIP statutes and sporting regulations

Among the new initiatives is the FIP World League, a competition that will give national teams not taking part in the FIP World Cup more chances to compete internationally, with further details still to come. Para padel was named a strategic priority, with the FIP describing adaptive padel as part of its commitment to making the sport more accessible and inclusive

The FIP also shared figures on the sport's reach. The CUPRA FIP Tour is played in 60 host countries, while the FIP Promises youth circuit is present in 36 countries and has added four continental tours. Olympic ambitions remain on the agenda: padel has already featured at the 2023 European Games and is on the programme of the 2026 South American, Mediterranean and Asian Games, and Spanish Olympic Committee president Alejandro Blanco said he cannot imagine the future of the Olympic movement without it

Delegates also previewed the World Padel Report 2026, which includes an economic impact analysis for the first time, carried out with OpenEconomics. The full report is scheduled for release on the FIP website on 14 October

Photo: FIP

Step 1: Decide Who's Playing

Padel is almost always played in doubles, and a court is designed for four players, so aim for a full group. Try to keep levels reasonably close so the match feels even and fun for everyone. If you're inviting beginners and more experienced players together, consider mixing the pairs rather than putting all the stronger players on one side. It's also worth having one backup player in mind in case someone drops out.

Step 2: Choose a Time, a Place, and a Length

Clubs typically offer court slots of 60 or 90 minutes. Sixty minutes is enough for a relaxed game, while ninety gives you time for a proper match and a bit of warm-up. Some clubs ask that padel courts are booked on the hour to avoid leaving gaps that can't be filled, so check the rules of your venue. Evenings and weekends are usually the busiest, so book earlier for those times, and remember that clubs set limits on how far in advance you can reserve.

Note

Booking rules, prices, and windows vary a lot between clubs. Some let members book further ahead than non-members, so always check the club's own booking page before you plan.

Step 3: Book the Court

Most clubs use an app or an online booking page. Select the date, time, and court, then add your playing partners, usually by name, email, or an invite link. If you don't have four players yet, many apps let you make the match open and set a rating range, so other players at a suitable level can join. Some systems also let you choose whether the match counts toward your rating, which is handy if you want a purely friendly game.

Step 4: Sort Out the Money

Settle the payment plan before the game, not after. Most groups split the court fee four ways, and many apps handle the split automatically. Note that some clubs charge the full per-court price if fewer than four players are booked, so it's worth filling the court. Balls are sometimes charged separately and shared between players, and cancellation policies vary, with some clubs charging a fee if you cancel within 24 or 48 hours of the booking.

Important

Read the cancellation policy before you confirm. A late cancellation can mean paying for the whole court, so it's worth agreeing in advance how your group handles it.

Step 5: Confirm the Details With Everyone

Send one clear message with the date, start time, club name and court, how long it is, how the cost is split, and what to bring. Ask everyone to reply to confirm. A single message avoids the back-and-forth that so often derails plans, and it gives you time to find a replacement if someone can't make it.

Step 6: Agree the Format

Decide before you start how you'll play. Options include a set of games, best of three sets, or simply playing until the booking runs out. Some groups use golden point at deuce to keep games moving, and some rotate partners between sets so everyone plays together. There's no single right answer, just make sure everyone knows the plan so there are no disagreements mid-match.

Step 7: Plan for No-Shows

Even well-organized matches lose players occasionally. Keep a short list of backups, post the open spot in your group chat early, and decide ahead of time how late cancellations will be handled. A stated rule, for example that anyone cancelling inside 24 hours pays their share unless they find a replacement, saves awkward conversations.

If You Can't Fill the Court

If you're one or two players short, you have a few options. Open the match in your booking app and set a level range so suitable players can join, ask in your club's group chat, or invite a friend who's curious about trying padel. Another option is to book a shorter slot and play a relaxed practice session with three, rotating one player out between games. Just remember that if the club charges per court, a short-handed booking costs more per person.

Turning One Match Into a Regular Game

If everyone enjoyed it, suggest a standing day and time, such as Thursday evenings at seven. A recurring slot makes organizing almost effortless, since the court can be booked at the same time each week and players only need to confirm or cancel. Keep a reserve list of people who'd happily fill in, and rotate who handles the booking so the effort is shared.

On the Day

Arrive ten minutes early so you start on time. Wear workout clothes and court shoes without studs or spikes, and bring water. Agree who is bringing balls, since padel balls are different from tennis balls. A short warm-up of a few minutes of light movement and easy rallies helps everyone settle in and avoids early injuries.

After the Match

Settle up promptly, ideally through the app or a quick transfer, and thank everyone for coming. If the game went well, suggest a regular slot or ask whether people would like to play again next week. A short message in the group chat keeps the momentum going and makes it easier to organize the next one.

Common Mistakes

Booking Before Confirming Players

Reserving a court without confirming people leaves you paying for empty slots. Confirm first or keep the match open.

Forgetting the Cancellation Policy

A surprise fee causes friction. Check the terms when you book.

Mixing Very Different Levels Without a Plan

Lopsided matches are rarely fun. Balance the pairs or choose similar levels.

Leaving the Money Vague

Agree the split upfront so nobody is left chasing payments.

Advice

Save your usual group and settings in the booking app, and use a pinned message in your chat with the cancellation rule. Making organization routine is what lets a one-off match turn into a regular game.

Organizing a friendly padel match comes down to a short list of decisions made early: who's playing, when and for how long, who pays what, and how you'll play. Get those sorted with one clear message and the rest takes care of itself, leaving everyone free to just enjoy the game.

Padel Is a Positioning Sport

Because the glass keeps the ball in play, the player who is in the right place has more time and more options than the player who is simply faster. Better positioning also means running less, since you're already where the ball is going. That's why improving how you move often feels like improving everything else at once: your decisions get better, your balance improves, and your shots become easier to hit.

The Three Zones of the Court

It helps to think of the court in three functional zones based on your distance from the net. The defensive zone runs from the back glass to roughly two meters forward, the transition zone covers the middle of the court between the service line and the back glass, and the net zone runs from the net to about three meters back. Most points involve moving between these zones, and the main challenge is knowing when to stay and when to pass through.

The Five Building Blocks of Padel Footwork

The Split Step

A small hop made just as your opponent hits the ball, so your legs are loaded to push off in any direction. It's the foundation of reaction speed, and it should happen before almost every opponent shot.

Adjustment Steps

Short, quick steps used to fine-tune your position before hitting. They keep you balanced and let you meet the ball at the right distance, instead of lunging or reaching.

The Side Shuffle

A sideways step used for short distances, keeping you facing forward and ready. It's the basic way to cover small gaps at the net or the back.

The Crossover Step

A faster step for covering longer distances, such as moving back toward the glass or across the court. Use it when a shuffle won't get you there in time.

The Recovery Step

After each shot, return quickly toward the center and a balanced position so you're ready for the next ball. In padel, recovery is constant, and good recovery reduces effort while bad recovery creates panic.

Note

These aren't separate skills to master one by one. In a rally you'll use all five in sequence: split, step, shuffle or cross, hit, recover.

Move Efficiently: Diagonals and Fewer Steps

Wasted movement is tiring and slows you down. One simple habit is to move diagonally rather than only sideways or straight back, since diagonal paths often get you to the next position faster. Taking fewer, more purposeful steps and avoiding unnecessary running also saves energy over a long match.

Moving Around the Back Glass

The back glass is one of the trickiest parts of padel movement. The glass gives you extra time, but only if you use it instead of rushing through it. Retreat toward the glass in a controlled way, let the ball come to you, play deep and cross-court, and choose safety before pace. Standing too close to the wall leaves no space to play the rebound, so give yourself room to step into the shot.

Moving Forward and Backward: Commit

When moving forward to the net, advance in stages: hit your shot, take a few quick steps, then split step as your opponent swings. If you can't get all the way to the net, it's often better to stay back with your partner than to stop halfway in the transition zone. A common mistake is moving to the net without a strong ball and getting passed easily.

Move With Your Partner

In padel you're almost always either up at the net with your partner or both towards the back defending, and the best teams move around the court together to cover space and leave fewer options for opponents. Staying connected, covering the middle, and communicating are covered in more detail in our guides on moving as a pair, and net-specific footwork is covered in our guide to moving at the net.

Looking After Your Body While You Move

Padel involves quick starts, stops, and turns, which can be hard on the knees and ankles, particularly if you move inefficiently. A good warm-up, regular balance and strength work, and sensible progression in how often you play all help. If you have pain or an injury, talk to a doctor or physiotherapist rather than pushing through.

Footwear and Court Surface

Padel shoes are designed for stability, support, and grip on the court surface, which lets you change direction safely. Check your soles regularly and clean them, since a worn or dirty sole reduces traction and makes every movement less secure.

A Simple Weekly Movement Routine

Spend ten to fifteen minutes at the start of a session on movement. Begin with a few minutes of dynamic warm-up, then practice split steps and side shuffles without a ball, and finish with a few minutes of shadow movement where you move to imaginary shots and recover each time. Adding this to two sessions a week is usually enough to see a noticeable difference after a few weeks.

Signs Your Movement Needs Work

A few patterns suggest movement is the real problem rather than technique: you often hit the ball off balance or at full stretch, you're regularly late to balls that look easy, you feel out of breath chasing balls you could have anticipated, or your partner keeps ending up in the same spot as you. Spotting these signs helps you decide whether to spend your next practice on strokes or on footwork.

Common Mistakes

Skipping the Split Step

Starting from a standstill makes every reaction slower. Make the split step automatic.

Standing Still After Hitting

Failing to recover leaves you out of position for the next ball. Hit, then recover.

Rushing the Back Glass

Hurrying a ball off the wall wastes the time the glass gives you. Let it come to you.

Stopping in the Middle

Hovering in the transition zone leaves you exposed. Commit to the net or retreat together.

Important

Movement training isn't about getting faster at all costs. Controlled, balanced movement beats frantic speed, and it's also easier on your joints.

Advice

Pick one movement habit each week, such as split-stepping before every opponent shot, and focus only on that. Layering habits gradually works far better than trying to change everything at once.

Moving better on a padel court comes down to knowing the zones, using the five basic footwork patterns, moving efficiently, using the glass wisely, and staying connected with your partner. Build those habits one at a time, and your shots, your decisions, and your stamina will all improve without changing a single stroke.

Why Net Movement Is Different

At the net, exchanges are fast and the distances are short, so there's rarely time for a big step or a long run. At the same time, the lob can send you backward in an instant. That combination means net movement is mostly about being ready, adjusting with small steps, and choosing a position that gives you options in both directions.

Start With the Right Distance

A common mistake is standing too close to the net. A good net position is roughly two to two and a half meters back, noticeably further than most beginners stand. From there you can still volley down into your opponents' feet, but you can also cover a decent lob with two or three backward steps instead of a desperate sprint. Standing within touching distance of the net leaves you exposed to every lob and gives you little space to put your body weight into a volley.

Note

Commit to your position. Either get all the way to the net or get all the way back, because hovering halfway leaves you vulnerable at your feet.

The Ready Stance

Stay light on the balls of your feet, with your knees slightly bent and your weight balanced, and keep your racket up in front of you around waist height or higher. Turn slightly side-on to the net so you can push backward for a deep ball without a full stop-and-turn. A flat-footed, upright stance makes every direction slower.

The Split Step

The split step is a small hop made just as your opponent hits the ball. It loads your legs so you can push off in any direction, whether that means forward to a short ball, sideways to a volley, or backward to a lob. The key is timing: land just as your opponent makes contact, and treat it as a stop, not a lunge. If you jump too early you'll still be in the air when you need to move, and if you drift forward while splitting, you'll arrive late and off balance. Do it before every opponent shot until it becomes automatic.

Small Adjustment Steps

The last steps before a volley should be short and quick. Fine-tune your position with small adjustment steps rather than one big lunge, because short steps keep you balanced and make it easier to meet the ball in front of your body. Avoid overstepping the best distance from the ball. Long steps make it harder to control the racket and slow you down when you need to recover.

Important

If you find yourself lunging for most volleys, your first step is probably too late. Work on the split step and on starting your movement earlier, rather than trying to reach further.

Lateral Movement and Covering the Middle

At the net, most of your movement is sideways. Use short side shuffles for small distances and a crossover step when you need to cover more ground. Shift in the same direction as your partner so the middle stays covered, and remember that recovery doesn't have to be purely sideways: moving diagonally to your next position is often quicker.

Moving Forward to the Net in Stages

Approaching the net isn't a single sprint. Hit your approach shot, take two or three quick steps forward, then split step as your opponent starts their swing. If their reply is weak, keep going. If they lob, you're balanced enough to turn and retreat. Arriving at the net in the middle of a stride leaves you unable to react in any direction.

Covering the Lob

Lobs are the main way to dislodge a net player, so your footwork needs a backward option. When an opponent sets up early under a high ball, a lob is coming, so take a half-step back before they swing. Stay side-on and take two or three quick backward steps, keeping your eyes on the ball, before turning fully if you need to chase it. If a lob beats your partner, drop back with them rather than staying forward alone.

Recovering After Every Volley

Every volley should be followed by a recovery. After you hit, move back to a balanced, central position, ready to split step again. One of the most common mistakes is standing still after a good volley, admiring the shot, and being caught flat-footed when the ball comes back. Hit, recover, split, repeat.

Footwear and Court Conditions

Good footwork depends on being able to push and stop confidently. Padel shoes with good lateral support and grip help you move sideways safely, and a quick check of the court surface before play makes it easier to anticipate how much you'll slide.

Drills for Net Movement

Split Step Reaction

A partner feeds balls from the other side while you split step before each one and then move to volley. Focus on landing as the feeder makes contact.

Shadow Shuffle With Calls

With a partner at your side, shuffle sideways together as a coach calls "left," "right," or "lob." This trains side movement, covering the middle, and the backward step.

Volley and Recover

Hit a volley, then immediately recover to the ready position and split step before the next feed. The emphasis is on the recovery, not the volley.

Lob Cover

Have a feeder alternate volleys and lobs so you have to read each one and decide whether to stay forward or step back.

Tracking Your Progress

Movement is easier to improve when you can see it. Ask a partner or coach to watch whether you split step before most opponent shots, or film a short rally from behind and count how often you recover after a volley. A rising count over a few weeks is a clear sign the habits are taking hold, even when the individual shots still feel the same.

Common Mistakes

Standing Too Close to the Net

It limits your reaction time and leaves you vulnerable to lobs. Give yourself some space.

Skipping the Split Step

Without it you start from a standstill and react late. Make it a habit.

Lunging Instead of Stepping

Big lunges throw you off balance. Use small adjustment steps.

Standing Still After the Shot

Recover straight away so you're ready for the next ball.

Advice

Start with one habit, such as adding a split step before every opponent shot, and practice it for a few sessions before adding the next. Small, consistent improvements in net footwork make a big difference.

Moving well at the net comes down to a sensible distance, a light and ready stance, a well-timed split step, short adjustment steps, and a quick recovery after every shot. Practice those habits and the net stops feeling like a place where things happen too fast and starts feeling like the place where you control the point.

In the women's final, fourth-seeded Claudia Fernández and Martina Calvo beat Ari Sánchez and Andrea Ustero 6-3, 6-0 in 1 hour 8 minutes, getting revenge for their loss to the same pair in the Paris Major final. It is the second title for Fernández and Calvo after London P1, and their first at P2 level. They came into the final a day after a three-hour semi-final win over Bea González and Paula Josemaría, and Calvo said the pair kept their focus on one point at a time

The Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour now moves to the OYSHO Milano Premier Padel P1 at the Allianz Cloud, starting Monday

Two Roles: The Right-Side and Left-Side Player

At higher levels, most players settle into one side of the court. The right-side player, often called the drive player, covers the right half, while the left-side player, often called the backhand player, covers the left half. The left-side player has the forehand facing the middle of the court, while the right-side player has the backhand there. A common description is that the right side tends to build the point patiently while the left side often does more of the finishing, though recreational players don't need to follow this strictly.

Note

Fixed sides are mainly a feature of competitive play. At a recreational level it's perfectly fine for both players to enjoy both sides, but it helps to know who is more comfortable where.

When You're Serving

The serve is a setup shot, and the movement that follows it matters more than the serve itself. After serving, follow the line of the serve and move diagonally toward the net, ideally together with your partner. Research that analyzed more than two thousand points found that stronger players moved faster toward an attacking position after the serve and spent less time between the serve and the return, which gives the returner less time to aim at their feet.

There are two common serving formations. In the normal formation, the server starts from the middle of the service area and runs forward, angling slightly toward the middle, since covering the center is their responsibility. In the Australian formation, both players start on the same side of the court. The server starts next to the T and, after the serve, moves quickly across to cover the return down the line, leaving the center to the partner. The purpose is simply to let the player who prefers a particular side approach the net on that side. Recreational pairs don't need it, but it can help when one player is clearly stronger on one side.

When You're Receiving

The return is a positioning shot before it's an attacking one. Your first job is to stop the serving pair from arriving comfortably at the net. A low return at the server's feet forces a volley upward, and a well-judged lob over the serving team's backhand side can push them toward the back wall and let you take the net in a single shot. Your partner usually sets up at the net or just inside the service line, depending on level, and as soon as you've returned, you should advance immediately and join your partner at the net.

Important

Don't chase a return winner. A controlled return that lets you and your partner move forward together is worth more than a risky shot that gives the serving team the net.

Taking the Net Together

Once you reach the net, hold your position as a pair in the same horizontal band, with one player slightly tighter on the ball side and the other covering the middle. When one of you is pulled wide, the other shifts in the same direction. The goal is to stay forward and keep the opponents under pressure, rather than stopping in the area between the service line and the net.

The Lob, Bandeja, and Net Loop

Many padel points follow a repeating pattern. One team lobs to push the opponents off the net, the lobbed team hits a bandeja to hold the net, and the cycle continues until someone makes a mistake or gets a chance to attack. The movement in this loop is straightforward but demanding: when a lob goes over one player, the partner adjusts to cover the next ball, and after a bandeja the player steps forward again so the pair stays together.

Defending Together

When opponents are at the net and hitting good volleys, or after a lob beats you, retreat as a pair. If one player drops back, the other should drop back too, rather than staying at the net. At the back, stand in line with your partner at the same depth so the middle stays covered. From there, a reset lob can buy time to move forward together again.

Don't Swap Sides Without a Reason

If you have a preferred side, try to keep it even when your turn to serve comes from the other side. For example, if you're the left-side player and you serve from the right, serve and then run across toward the empty left side to cover the center and the likely return down the line, rather than forcing your partner to switch to your side before the point starts. Staying in a familiar role makes it easier to read the point and to know what your partner will do.

Drills to Practice Doubles Movement

Serve and Follow

Practice serving and immediately moving to the net together. Have the returning pair try to aim at the server's feet so you learn the importance of arriving quickly.

Return and Advance

Have a partner or coach feed serves while you return and then sprint to the net before the next ball. Repeat until the return and the advance feel like one movement.

Lob-Bandeja Loop

Play a cooperative sequence of lobs and bandejas, focusing on how both players move after each shot. Make the footwork and spacing the goal rather than winning the point.

Defend and Reset

One pair attacks while the other practices dropping back together and playing a reset lob, then advancing again as a unit.

Common Mistakes

Staying Back After the Serve

Lingering at the baseline gives the returner time to hit at your feet. Follow the serve forward.

Returning and Watching

Standing still after the return wastes the chance to take the net. Advance as soon as you've hit.

Leaving the Center to Chance

If neither player is responsible for the middle, opponents will hit there. Agree who covers it in each formation.

Switching Sides Unnecessarily

Constantly swapping roles makes movement harder to read. Keep your side unless you have a clear reason to change.

Advice

Pick one phase to focus on each practice session, for example serve and follow, and rehearse it until it's automatic. Layering one phase at a time works better than trying to fix all your movement at once.

Moving as a pair in padel doubles comes down to knowing what each phase of the point asks of you: follow the serve to the net, return and advance, hold the net together, and drop back together when needed. Build that sequence and your movement stops being a reaction to each shot and becomes a plan that both of you share.

The Basic Idea: Move Together, Close the Gaps

One of the main goals in padel is to get to the net and stay there. When you move together, you close most of the open space and leave only small gaps, usually in the middle, that you can cover if you stay alert. When partners move independently, the court opens up, and opponents will find the gap with passing shots and lobs.

Note

A good rule of thumb is to think of your partner as being connected to you by an elastic band. When one moves, the other adjusts, in the same direction and by a similar distance.

Starting Positions

At the back of the court, stand in line with your partner, at the same depth, on opposite sides. If one of you stands too close to the side glass, it leaves a hole in the middle that opponents can exploit. A safe starting spot for beginners is just behind the service line, side by side, from where you can step forward to attack or back to defend without leaving large gaps.

At the net, don't stand in a perfectly flat line. The player on the side of the ball can play slightly tighter to the net to press the volley, while the partner stays about half a step back, covering the middle and watching for a lob.

Moving Forward Together

Advance behind shots that buy you time, such as a deep ball or a good lob that pushes your opponents back. Move up as a pair rather than one at a time, and avoid stopping between the service line and the net, an area often called no man's land, where you're vulnerable to low volleys at your feet. After a bandeja or a smash, step back toward the net straight away rather than watching the ball from the middle of the court.

Moving Back Together

When opponents at the net are hitting good volleys, or when a lob gets past your partner, retreat together. If one player drops back for a lob, the other should drop back too, rather than staying at the net alone. A split formation, with one player far forward and the other deep, leaves a large diagonal gap that opponents can attack, and having one player stranded at the net while the partner is at the baseline is one of the weakest formations in padel.

Important

A half-finished transition is worse than not transitioning at all. If you can't move up together, stay back together and keep rallying until a better chance arrives.

Sideways: Covering the Middle

When one player is pulled wide toward the glass, the partner should slide toward the middle to close the gap. If your partner stays on their own side, a huge hole opens down the center. If they cover the middle, opponents are left with a difficult shot across to the other side, where the space is small, or a lob. The same principle applies at the back: if your partner moves wide to defend, you shift to keep the court connected.

Who Takes the Middle Ball

Middle balls cause more arguments than almost any other shot, so agree a simple rule before the match and stick to it. Common conventions include letting the player moving toward the ball take it, since they have momentum and a better angle, or giving it to the forehand by default. Another approach is that on a diagonal shot hit from the corner, the diagonal player takes the ball down the middle, while the other covers the line. Whatever you choose, make it clear and talk about adjusting it during changeovers if something isn't working.

Communication: Short Calls That Work

Movement works best when it's backed up by quick, clear calls. One-word cues are enough, and agreeing on them before the match avoids confusion mid-rally.

One Up, One Back

There are moments when one player is at the net and the other at the back, such as in the middle of a transition. This is usually temporary, and the player at the back should be actively looking to join the partner at the net. The main danger is the gap this creates, so a quick "switch" call helps one player cover the other's side. Some pairs use a split formation deliberately to test how well opponents handle the movement, but it's a risky choice for beginners.

Reading the Opponent Before They Hit

Good pair movement starts a beat before the ball is struck. If an opponent sets up early under a high ball, a lob is likely, so take a half-step back before they swing. If both opponents are deep, you have a chance to advance together, and if they're at the net hitting good volleys, it's time to retreat as a pair. Reading these cues and telling your partner what you see makes your movement look almost automatic.

Playing With a New Partner

Movement takes time to synchronize, so don't expect perfect coordination in your first session with someone new. Agree a few simple rules, such as who takes the middle and what calls to use, and use changeovers to adjust. Pairs who play together regularly tend to develop a natural rhythm that no amount of theory can fully replace.

Drills to Build Pair Movement

Shadow Movement Without a Ball

Stand on court with your partner and have a coach call a ball position, such as "left corner" or "lob." Both of you move to the correct formation, then reset. This builds the habit of moving together without the pressure of a live ball.

Mirror Drill

One player moves slowly across the court while the other mirrors them, staying a consistent distance and covering the center. Switch roles after a minute.

Lob and Move

Have a pair at the back hit a lob and then advance together as soon as the ball is up, while the opposing pair practices dropping back to cover. This trains forward and backward transitions.

Pair Rally With a Rule

Play rallies where the pair loses the point if they ever end up in a split formation without a call. It encourages constant awareness of where your partner is.

Common Mistakes

Moving Like Two Singles Players

Chasing balls independently opens the middle. Move as a unit.

Stopping in No Man's Land

Hesitating between the service line and the net leaves you exposed. Pass through quickly.

Abandoning a Transition

Leaving your partner stranded at the net or the baseline is costly. Commit to moving together.

Staying Silent

Without calls, both players can chase the same ball or leave it for each other. Talk during every point.

Advice

Before each point, agree on a few basics: who covers the middle on common patterns, and the calls you'll use. A ten-second chat between points does more for pair movement than any drill.

Moving as a pair in padel comes down to staying connected: starting in sensible positions, advancing and retreating together, covering the middle, and communicating throughout. Build those habits and your technique has far more room to shine, because opponents simply have fewer gaps to attack.

Why Padel Works So Well for Meeting People

Padel is always played in doubles, so you're never alone on court, and every match involves working with a partner and facing two opponents. The format is forgiving, so beginners can enjoy a rally within minutes, and the pace leaves room for conversation between points and at the end of a game. Many clubs also have a bar or a seating area, which makes it easy to stay for a drink after you play.

Note

The best social outcomes usually come from regular, repeated contact. One good game rarely turns into a friendship, but seeing the same faces every week often does.

Where to Meet People

Beginner Clinics and Group Lessons

A small coached group puts the same few people on court together over several weeks, which naturally builds familiarity. Clubs commonly run beginner clinics with small groups, often four to six players per coach, and the shared learning experience gives you something to talk about right away.

Open Matches in Booking Apps

Booking apps let you join an open match with other players at your level, even if you don't know anyone. This is one of the easiest ways to meet new people, especially when you're new to an area or don't have a regular group. Some players report that these games have led to coffees and meetups beyond the court.

Social Mixers and Americano Events

Formats like Americano rotate partners and opponents round after round, so you play with and against almost everyone in the room. Many clubs run these events by level, so you aren't matched with players far above or below you, and they're designed around meeting people rather than winning.

Leagues, Ladders, and Box Leagues

Ongoing formats give you a reason to show up every week and play a range of opponents over a season. Some clubs build a social side into their leagues, with prizes that include meals or lessons rather than only trophies.

Club Events and Community Tournaments

Social evenings, charity events, and community tournaments mix people of different levels and backgrounds. A casual mixer with rotating play and food can be the least intimidating way to meet a lot of people at once.

Group Chats and Club Channels

Most active communities run a WhatsApp group or a similar chat for arranging games. Joining one makes it far easier to be invited to matches, and it's often where new friendships actually form between sessions.

How to Be Someone People Want to Play With

A few simple habits make a big difference. Arrive a few minutes early and introduce yourself to the people you'll be playing with. Be honest about your level so games feel balanced. Be punctual and reliable, because cancelling at the last minute is the quickest way to lose goodwill. Encourage your partner, call balls clearly, and treat mistakes lightly, since a positive attitude matters more than skill. If you enjoy the game, say so and suggest playing again.

If You're Shy or Nervous

Starting with a structured format makes it much easier. A coached session or a social mixer gives you a role, a schedule, and a built-in reason to talk to people. Bring a friend for your first visit if you can, set yourself a small, realistic goal, such as introducing yourself to two people, and remember that most players are happy to meet newcomers. Many people in padel clubs remember being new themselves.

Important

When you meet strangers through open matches, use common sense. Play at busy, well-known venues, use the app's messaging before sharing personal contact details, and trust your instincts if something feels off.

Turning Players Into Friends

Friendships tend to form when contact becomes regular. After a good game, suggest playing again, exchange numbers or join the same group chat, and invite your new playing partners to your next session. Staying for a drink after matches gives conversations space to develop beyond padel. Over time, a few regular partners often turn into a small group that plays together week after week.

A Simple Four-Week Plan

If you're starting from scratch, give yourself a short, realistic plan. In week one, book a beginner clinic or a social mixer and introduce yourself to a couple of people. In week two, join an open match at your level and stay for a chat afterward. In week three, join a group chat or a club channel and say yes to the next invitation. In week four, suggest a regular weekly slot to the people you've clicked with. By the end of the month you'll have a few familiar faces and a standing game.

Meeting People When You're Traveling or New to Town

Padel is especially useful when you're somewhere unfamiliar. Open matches and club mixers let you find a game in a new city without knowing anyone, and many clubs welcome visitors. Searching for nearby courts, joining a session for your level, and chatting at the end is often enough to find a local group, and sometimes an invitation to come back next time you're in town.

Meeting People Beyond Your Own Level

You don't have to limit yourself to people at your exact level. Social mixers, family sessions, and mixed-level events bring together a wide range of ages and abilities, and many players enjoy meeting people they wouldn't otherwise cross paths with. Padel's forgiving format makes these mixed groups work better than they would in many other sports.

Common Mistakes

Showing Up and Leaving Straight Away

Slipping out right after the last point doesn't give anyone a chance to get to know you. Stay a few minutes.

Overstating Your Level

Mismatched games make everyone less relaxed and less likely to chat. Be honest about where you are.

Only Playing With Friends You Already Know

Comfort zones are pleasant but they don't expand your circle. Try one open match or mixer a month.

Being Too Competitive Too Soon

New acquaintances respond better to a friendly attitude than to someone treating a social game like a final.

Advice

Choose one regular slot each week and keep it. Showing up at the same time builds familiarity faster than any single clever icebreaker.

Meeting new people through padel comes down to showing up in the right places, being easy to play with, and keeping up regular contact. Pick a beginner clinic, a social mixer, or an open match, make a point of introducing yourself, and let the sport's built-in sociability do the rest.

Why Gear Care Matters

Equipment affects how the game feels. A worn grip makes the racket slip, flat balls bounce badly, and shoes clogged with dirt lose traction. Good care also saves money, since a racket in particular is a significant purchase and many of the things that shorten its life are easy to avoid.

Caring for Your Racket

Protect the Frame

The frame is the most vulnerable part of a padel racket, since it often scrapes against the glass, the mesh, or the floor. A frame protector, usually a tape applied tightly over the edge without air bubbles, shields it from knocks and scratches. It costs very little compared with the damage it can prevent, and it's worth checking and replacing as it wears.

Avoid Hitting Hard Surfaces

Repeated impacts against the ground, the glass, the cage, or a partner's racket weaken the frame and the core over time. Avoid tapping the frame on the floor out of habit or frustration, and don't scoop balls off the ground with the face of the racket, which can create cracks.

Keep It Away From Extreme Temperatures

Both heat and cold can weaken the foam core and the fibers. Avoid leaving your racket in a hot car, in the boot overnight in cold weather, or next to a radiator. Sudden temperature changes, such as moving a racket from a cold car into a warm room, can also put stress on the materials.

Wipe It Down and Store It Properly

After playing, clean the racket with a dry, soft cloth and avoid harsh chemicals. Store it in a padded racket bag, ideally one with some thermal protection, rather than loose in a car or tossed in with keys and shoes that can scratch it.

Don't Play in Wet Conditions

Damp or rainy conditions make balls heavier and can contribute to small cracks forming in the racket, so it's best avoided if you can.

Note

Racket lifespans vary a lot depending on how often you play and how hard you hit. Some retailers suggest a recreational player who plays two or three times a week may get around a year, but treat any figure as a rough guide rather than a rule.

Grips and Overgrips

The grip is the part of your racket that wears out fastest, and replacing the overgrip regularly keeps your hold firm and dry. A worn, slippery grip lets the racket slip in your hand and can put extra strain on the wrist and forearm. Check it often, and replace it as soon as it loses its tack.

Looking After Your Balls

Padel balls lose pressure and bounce over time, and heat, humidity, and sun speed that up. Avoid leaving balls in the car or near heat sources. A pressurizer tube can help preserve internal pressure and extend their lifespan, and it also makes transport easier. When balls feel flat or dead, replace them rather than playing with them, since poor balls change how the game feels and can lead to bad habits.

Important

Use padel balls, not tennis balls. Tennis balls are slightly bigger and heavier, which can increase the strain on a padel racket and make it more likely to break.

Looking After Your Shoes

Padel shoes work hard on a gritty surface. After each session, clean the sole and remove any dirt or synthetic grass fibers stuck in it, since a clogged sole reduces grip and increases wear. Let them dry properly, especially after playing on a damp court, and avoid putting them in the washing machine, which can damage the materials. Rotate between pairs if you play often.

Looking After Your Clothing

Technical sportswear lasts longer with gentle care. Wash it in cold water and avoid fabric softeners, which can damage the technical fibers. Don't leave damp clothing in a bag, since it can develop odors and mold, and try to hang kit to dry as soon as you get home.

Your Bag and How You Pack It

A good padel bag protects your racket from knocks and extreme temperatures and keeps everything organized. Where possible, separate your racket, shoes, and clothing, so damp or dirty items don't contaminate the rest. Air the bag out regularly rather than leaving it zipped up in the boot of the car.

Signs Your Racket Is Wearing Out

Even with good care, rackets age. The foam core gradually loses its elasticity and compresses, so the racket can start to feel less lively, and the sound at contact may become duller or deeper. Visible cracks in the frame or face are another clear warning sign. Replacing a worn racket in good time protects your performance and avoids playing with equipment that no longer behaves the way it should.

Small Extras Worth Carrying

A spare overgrip, a roll of frame protector tape, a microfiber cloth, and a small towel take up almost no space and solve the most common problems on the spot. Keeping them in your bag means a slippery grip or a peeling protector never has to cut a session short.

A Quick Season Check

At the start of each season, or whenever you've had a break, check your racket, shoes, and accessories. Look for cracks in the frame, a dull or deeper sound when you hit, worn outsoles, and grips that have lost their tack. Catching wear early prevents poor performance and, in the case of shoes, reduces the risk of slipping.

Common Mistakes

Leaving Gear in the Car

Heat and cold damage rackets, balls, and shoes. Take your gear with you.

Using Harsh Cleaners

Strong chemicals can damage the racket surface, the grip, and shoe materials. Stick to a dry, soft cloth.

Ignoring the Grip

A worn overgrip is one of the easiest problems to fix and one of the most commonly ignored.

Playing With Dead Balls

Flat balls change how every shot feels and encourage bad habits. Replace them when they lose pressure.

Advice

Make a two-minute routine after every match: wipe the racket, return the balls to the tube, clean the shoe soles, and hang your kit up. Small habits like this add up to gear that lasts noticeably longer.

Looking after your padel gear comes down to protecting it from heat, cold, moisture, and impacts, and keeping the parts that wear fastest, the grip, the balls, and the shoe soles, fresh. A little care between matches keeps your equipment performing and saves you from replacing it sooner than you need to.

The Rule That Makes It Possible

After the ball bounces once on your side of the court, you're allowed to play it off the back or side glass. If it bounces on the ground again after leaving the wall, the point is over, so you have to return it before that second bounce. This single rule is what lets you wait for the rebound, and it's the reason padel rewards patience more than power.

Note

Tennis players often find this the hardest adjustment. The instinct to volley or take the ball early is strong, but in padel, letting the wall do the work often gives you more time and a better angle.

Why Letting It Bounce Often Wins

When you're at the back of the court, a good default is to let the ball bounce. Hitting a ball out of the air from deep, a half-volley, is hard to execute well, and waiting for the rebound buys you time to prepare, because most balls rebound off the back wall and spring upward. A ball you've let come to you is easier to read and easier to control than one you've rushed to meet.

Back Wall: Wait and Let It Come to You

For balls heading toward the back glass after a bounce, position yourself a little back from where you expect the ball to rebound, with room to step into the shot. Let the ball pass, rebound off the glass, and meet it in front of your lead hip rather than behind you. Let it rise slightly after the rebound before you strike, then play it with a compact swing. The classic response is a controlled, deep drive cross-court or through the middle.

Side Wall: Let It or Cut It Off

Side wall balls require a decision based on where the ball will hit the glass. If it's going to hit the side glass early, before it reaches the service line area, take a step back and away from the wall, let it bounce, and play it as it comes toward you. If it will hit the glass further back, closer to the back wall, the better option is usually to step forward and cut it off before it touches the glass. Stepping toward the wall as the ball rebounds is a common mistake: step away instead, so you have time and space to read the direction.

Where to Stand While You Wait

Position matters as much as patience. Stand roughly a meter or so from the back glass, so you can see the ball come off and still have room to step into it. Standing too close to the wall traps you, leaving no space to play the rebound, while standing too far forward makes you rush. As you wait, keep your feet active and your balance on the balls of your feet, since flat feet make it hard to adjust when the ball bounces differently than expected.

Step-by-Step: Letting the Ball Come Off the Wall

Step 1: Read the First Bounce

Watch where the ball lands on the court. That tells you how fast it will reach the wall and roughly where it will come off.

Step 2: Take a Step Back or Away

Create space so the ball comes to you instead of jamming you. Prepare your racket early, before the ball reaches the glass.

Step 3: Let It Rebound and Rise Slightly

Resist the urge to hit it the moment it leaves the glass. Allow it a moment to rise and slow down.

Step 4: Step Into the Shot

Meet the ball in front of your lead hip with a compact swing and a step forward. Aim for depth rather than a risky angle.

Step 5: Recover Forward

After the shot, move back toward a balanced position with your partner rather than watching the result.

Important

Not every ball should be left to bounce. A ball that will die low against the wall, or one that gets behind you, needs to be hit before it loses its rebound. Waiting is a decision, not a rule.

Drills to Build the Habit

Wall Feeds

Stand a few meters from a back wall, bounce the ball once, feed it into the wall, and play the rebound. Repeat until the timing feels natural.

Deep Lob Feeds

Have a partner at the net feed deep lobs to the back corner, and practice letting each one come off the glass before returning it.

Let It or Cut It Off

Have a partner hit balls toward the side glass at different depths. Call out loud whether you'll let each one bounce or cut it off, then play it accordingly. This trains the decision, not just the swing.

Live Points From the Back

Play short points starting with a deep serve or lob so you have to use the walls under real pressure.

Unlearning the Instinct to Take It Early

Players coming from tennis often struggle most with this, because taking the ball early is a way of taking time away from an opponent in that sport. In padel, the net pair is the one who benefits from taking time away, while the back pair benefits from patience. Telling yourself, in the moment, that waiting is the active choice, not the passive one, helps you override the habit until the timing feels natural.

Tracking Your Progress

Choose a simple measure during practice, such as how many of ten balls fed off the back wall you return deep and cleanly without feeling rushed. A rising number over a few weeks is a good sign that your reading, spacing, and patience are improving, even if the individual shots still feel awkward.

Common Mistakes

Rushing the Ball

Hitting the ball before it has completed its path leads to mistimed contact. Give it time.

Stepping Toward the Glass

This crowds you and shortens your reaction time. Step away from the glass so the ball can come to you.

Standing Too Close to the Wall

With no space, you can't step into the shot. Keep some distance.

Hesitating

Watching the ball for too long before moving makes every wall ball harder. Prepare and decide early.

Advice

When in doubt from the back of the court, let the ball bounce. You'll rarely regret the extra time, and you'll gradually learn which balls truly need to be cut off.

Letting the ball bounce off the wall comes down to a clear rule, a patient mindset, good spacing, and a quick decision about whether to wait or cut it off. Practice it deliberately and the walls stop feeling like an obstacle and start feeling like extra time on your side.

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Do your volleys keep sitting up for opponents to attack?

A volley that sits up is an invitation. When the ball floats over the net at a comfortable height, opponents can step in and attack it, and the pressure you built at the net disappears. Keeping the ball low is one of the most effective ways to make your volleys difficult to deal with, because a low ball forces opponents to hit upward. This guide focuses on that single goal: why volleys float, what to change in your setup and swing, and how to practice a lower, heavier volley.

Why Low Volleys Matter

A low volley that lands near the service line or at an opponent's feet makes it hard for them to attack, since they have to lift the ball rather than hit it down. A ball that lands around the service line also tends to stay lower after the bounce, whereas a ball that goes too deep may sit up or rebound high off the back glass. Keeping the ball low, then, is partly about trajectory and partly about where it lands.

Note

A low volley doesn't have to be hard. Placement, depth, and trajectory do more to trouble opponents than extra pace.

Why Your Volleys Float

Several habits tend to make volleys sit up. Understanding which one applies to you is the fastest way to fix it.

Set Up for a Low Volley

Start with the ready position. Your racket should be ready at roughly the height where you'll make contact, which should be higher than net height, so you don't have to raise it before every shot. Stand a sensible distance from the net rather than crowding it, since standing too close tends to encourage a downward, packing motion and leaves you little time to react.

The Swing: Short, Forward, and Slightly Open

Keep the racket slightly above the height of the ball and make a short swing forward, pushing through the ball rather than lifting it. Keeping the racket face slightly open and hitting in the middle of the racket adds a little slice, which helps the ball stay low. Think of cutting underneath the ball with a compact movement. A wrist that's firm through contact gives you a stable face, while a loose wrist makes the angle unpredictable.

Important

Coaches describe slice slightly differently, with some talking about brushing down the back of the ball and others about cutting underneath it. Either way, the key points are a short, controlled motion, a stable face, and contact in front of your body.

Meet the Ball in Front

Making contact just in front of your torso gives you control over the face and the direction. When contact slips behind you, the face tends to open and the ball floats. Step into the shot with your opposite foot so your body supports the contact rather than leaving it to your arm.

Use Your Legs on Low Balls

When the ball arrives low, go low with your legs rather than dropping your racket head or reaching down with your arm. Bending your knees keeps the racket head above your wrist and lets you push the ball back low and forward. Collapsing the racket head below the wrist opens the face unpredictably and tends to float the ball.

Where to Land the Ball

The service line is a reliable target. It's deep enough to push opponents back, but not so deep that the ball sits up or bounces high off the back glass. Opponents hitting upward from that area have difficulty attacking, which helps you hold the net. Against opponents at the back, aiming at their feet is another effective way to force a low, awkward reply.

Drills to Keep the Ball Low

Net-Height Rally

With a partner at the net, exchange volleys, trying to keep every ball low and within a small area. Count how many consecutive low volleys you can hit.

Service Line Targets

Place cones or marks near the service line and aim your volleys at them. Track how many land in the zone and stay low after the bounce.

Feet Targets

Have a partner stand at the back and try to land volleys at their feet. This builds both low trajectory and placement.

Low Ball Feeds

Feed low balls to practice bending your legs and keeping the racket head up, rather than reaching down.

Adding Slice Safely

Slice puts backspin on the ball, which helps it stay low and makes it harder to attack. It's worth adding once your basic volley is reliable, because trying to cut the ball before the fundamentals are in place usually produces mishits. Start with a small amount, using a compact motion and a stable face, and let the spin develop gradually rather than forcing it.

When to Keep It Low and When to Attack

Not every volley should be low and soft. When the ball arrives above net height and you're balanced, you can hit down into open space or at an opponent's feet with more pace. When the ball is below the tape or you're under pressure, a low, controlled volley to the service line is the safer choice. Reading which situation you're in before you swing helps you pick the right volley rather than defaulting to the same one every time.

Tracking Your Progress

Choose a simple measure, such as how many of ten volleys land beyond the net but short of the service line and stay low after the bounce. Track it over several weeks. A rising number means your trajectory and depth are improving, even if the volleys still feel unremarkable in the moment.

Common Mistakes

Lifting the Ball

Swinging upward at the ball creates height. Push forward instead.

Dropping the Racket Head

Letting it fall below the wrist floats the ball. Keep it up and bend your legs.

Standing Too Close to the Net

It tends to produce a packing motion and gives you little time. Give yourself some space.

Hitting Too Deep

A deep volley can rebound high off the back glass and sit up. Aim for the service line.

Advice

Film your volleys from the side and check three things: is your racket ready above net height, is contact in front of your body, and does the ball clear the tape by just a small margin?

A low volley comes from a high ready position, a short push forward, contact in front, a slightly open and stable face, and a depth target that keeps the ball from sitting up. Fix those details and your volleys become heavier and harder to attack without any extra power.

Want a friend to try padel without feeling pushed?

Padel is easy to love and surprisingly easy to start, but that doesn't mean everyone you invite will say yes right away. Plenty of people hesitate for reasons that have little to do with the sport: they worry about looking clumsy, they don't own a racket, or they simply don't want to feel like they're being talked into something. The way you invite someone matters as much as the invitation itself. This guide covers how to ask in a way that feels light, easy, and genuinely optional.

Why People Hesitate

Understanding the hesitation makes it much easier to address. Common worries include looking foolish in front of friends, not being fit enough, not knowing the rules, not owning equipment, and being unsure whether the cost or the time commitment is worth it. Most of these fears are about the first experience, not about padel itself, which means a well-planned first session can solve almost all of them at once.

Note

Most people aren't saying no to padel, they're saying no to the unknown. Your job is to make the unknown feel small, friendly, and low-stakes.

Make the Offer Easy to Accept

Remove as many small obstacles as you can before they have to ask. Tell them you'll bring a spare racket and balls, since many clubs and coaches lend equipment for beginner sessions. Say they only need comfortable clothes and trainers with good grip. Suggest a short session of about an hour, and make clear that no one needs to know the rules in advance. The fewer decisions they have to make, the easier it is to say yes.

Choose a Low-Pressure Format

The format you suggest sets the tone for the whole experience. A short, coached beginner session removes the fear of not knowing what to do, because someone else is guiding the hour. A relaxed hit with a couple of friends, where the only goal is to rally, removes the pressure of competition. A social mixer or a casual game with people at a similar level avoids the awkwardness of playing against someone far more experienced. Avoid inviting a total beginner into a competitive match or a tournament.

How to Word the Invitation

Phrasing can make the same invitation feel inviting or heavy. Keep it casual, specific, and easy to decline.

Give Them a Genuine Way Out

A real invitation includes room to say no without awkwardness. Tell them it's completely fine if they'd rather skip it, and mean it. People are far more likely to say yes when they don't feel trapped, and far less likely to resent the experience if they join. If they decline, accept it graciously and leave the door open for another time without pushing.

Match the Level and the Mood

The first session should feel good, not competitive. Play at a pace where long rallies are possible, keep score loosely or not at all, and avoid hitting hard at a beginner. If you're significantly better, use the session to practice control rather than power. A beginner who has a long, fun rally in their first hour is far more likely to come back than one who spent the time chasing balls they couldn't return.

Important

Don't turn their first session into a lesson unless they ask for one. Too much correction can make a new player feel judged. Let them enjoy hitting the ball first.

What to Say on the Court

Keep explanations short and friendly. Explain the basic scoring in a sentence or two, mention that the walls are part of the game and surprising at first, and remind them that nobody expects them to be good. Encourage good shots out loud, laugh at your own mistakes, and keep the mood light. A relaxed atmosphere does more to make someone want to return than any tip about technique.

Invite Different People Differently

A close friend might respond to a joking, informal invite, while a colleague might prefer something that sounds structured and low-commitment, like a short group session after work. A partner or family member may want to know how long it will take and whether they'll be playing with others. Older relatives may appreciate hearing that padel is played on a smaller court than tennis and that the pace can be as relaxed as they like. Tailor the invitation to what each person is likely to worry about.

When Fitness or Injuries Are the Worry

If someone says they're not fit enough or have a niggling injury, take it seriously rather than brushing it off. Suggest a gentler start, with a shorter session, plenty of breaks, and a relaxed pace, and encourage them to listen to their body and stop whenever they want. If they have a medical concern, it's reasonable to suggest they check with a doctor first. Padel can be played at a very comfortable intensity, but nobody should feel pushed beyond what suits them.

Inviting a Group of Newcomers

If you're bringing several beginners at once, a coached group session is often the best choice, since a coach can keep everyone involved and take the teaching pressure off you. Keep groups to four per court, so everyone is playing rather than waiting. Having a few experienced friends join as helpers, rather than as opponents, keeps the atmosphere supportive and prevents anyone from feeling like they're being tested.

Follow Up Without Pushing

Afterward, send a simple thank-you message and say you enjoyed it. If they had a good time, mention a possible next session and let them suggest the timing. If they seemed lukewarm, don't press. Some people need a second try or a different format, like a coached session, before padel clicks. Others simply aren't interested, and that's fine too.

Advice

End the first session on a high note, with a good rally or a point that goes well, and keep it short. Leaving them wanting a little more is better than playing until they're tired and discouraged.

Common Mistakes When Inviting Someone

Overselling It

Promising they'll love it creates pressure to enjoy it. Let them form their own opinion.

Inviting Them Into a Competitive Game

A serious match raises the stakes and makes mistakes feel costly. Keep the first session relaxed.

Forgetting the Equipment

If they have to buy or borrow gear on their own, many will decline. Offer to provide it.

Pushing After a No

Repeated asking turns an invitation into pressure. Respect their answer.

Inviting someone to play padel without pressure comes down to a few simple habits: make it easy, keep it casual, offer a real way out, and focus the first session on fun. Do that, and the people who are curious will say yes happily, and the people who aren't will still appreciate being asked kindly.

Winning fewer points at the net than you should?

The volley is one of the most important shots in padel, since most points are decided at the net, and it's also one of the most commonly misdiagnosed. Players blame slow hands when the real problem is usually a low racket, a late contact, or an over-open racket face. Rather than adding more drills at random, this guide helps you find what's actually going wrong with your volley, fix it in the right order, and then build depth and variety on top.

Start With the Ready Position

Most volley problems begin before the ball arrives. At the net, hold the racket up in front of you, roughly at chest height or in front of your head, nearly vertical, with the racket head above the handle. This position lets you react faster and make fewer mistakes, because you're already close to where contact will happen. A racket that sits low forces you to lift and then swing in a very short time, which is a recipe for mistimed, floaty volleys.

Note

Think of your racket as a shield held up and stable in front of you. From that position you can redirect the ball with control instead of swinging wildly.

The Three Variables: Path, Angle, and Speed

Every volley comes down to three things. The swing path is whether you move low to high, high to low, or flat. The angle of the racket face determines height: an open face sends the ball up, a closed face sends it down. The speed of your racket determines how hard the ball travels. When a volley goes wrong, one of these three is usually the cause, and identifying which one tells you exactly what to fix.

Diagnose Your Volley

Keep the Swing Short and Compact

Padel volleys are about timing and precision, not big swings. Use a short backswing, keep the racket head up, and step into the shot, aiming for control rather than power. A compact preparation keeps the racket close to your body so you can react late and still make clean contact, even when the ball changes direction off the glass or arrives at speed. Keep the wrist firm and the racket slightly open, and push through the ball with a compact movement.

Block, Attack, and Slice

There's more than one kind of volley. A block is a defensive, absorbing shot that sends the ball back with minimal swing, ideal when you're under pressure or the ball is fast. An attacking volley uses a little more racket speed to put the opponent under pressure. As you improve, adding slice, which puts backspin on the ball, helps it stay low and travel with depth, and a low, sliced volley that lands near the back glass is one of the hardest balls to return.

Important

Don't add slice before the basic punch or block is reliable. Fix the ready position, contact point, and racket angle first, then layer in spin.

Depth and Where to Aim

Depth is one of the keys to an effective volley. A useful target is the service line: it's deep enough to push opponents back but not so deep that the ball sits up or rebounds high off the back glass. Against opponents at the back, aim at their feet, which forces a low, awkward half-volley, or down the middle, which creates confusion about who should take the ball. Avoid aiming for the lines. The margin for error isn't worth it, and depth and placement beat raw angle almost every time.

Footwork: Step In and Recover

Step into the volley with your opposite foot and make contact out in front of your body. After the shot, the racket follows the ball's trajectory and finishes pointing where the ball is travelling, then you return immediately to the ready position, facing the ball, knees slightly bent, racket at chest height. A volley isn't finished until you've reset for the next one.

Forehand and Backhand Volleys

A forehand volley uses your dominant side, while a backhand volley uses your non-dominant side. Most players volley the backhand with one hand because it gives more reach and a quicker, more compact punch. Whatever the side, the same principles apply: racket up, compact swing, contact in front, firm wrist.

A Practice Plan to Improve Your Volley

Control Volleys

Stand at the net with a partner at the back and exchange soft volleys, prioritizing control and direction over pace. Use this to build touch and consistency.

Moving Volleys

Have a partner feed short balls while you volley and move laterally between shots, simulating the way real net exchanges require movement.

Depth Target Volleys

Place cones or marks near the service line and aim your volleys at them, tracking how many land in the target zone.

Volley Series

Simulate approaching the net after a shot from the back and then hit several consecutive volleys, which builds both the approach and the sequence.

Volleying in Doubles

The volley doesn't exist in isolation. At the net with a partner, you also need to cover the middle, call the ball when it's down the center, and move as a unit. A volley hit well but from a poor position can still leave a gap, so combine good technique with good positioning, staying connected with your partner and adjusting together as the rally develops.

One Rule Worth Remembering

In padel you cannot volley a serve, so the receiver must let the serve bounce before returning it. Keep this in mind in practice games and warm-ups, since habits formed in drills can carry over into real play.

Tracking Your Progress

Choose one or two numbers to track over several weeks, such as how many consecutive volleys you can hit during a rally drill or how many of ten volleys land beyond the service line. Small, steady improvements show that your fixes are working far more reliably than how a single session feels.

Common Volley Mistakes

Swinging Too Much

A big swing leaves no time to react and gives up control. Shorten it.

Racket Head Dropping

Letting the racket head fall below the wrist opens the face unpredictably and floats the ball. Keep the head up.

Contact Too Late

Letting the ball get past your body makes control almost impossible. Reach out and meet it in front.

Aiming for the Lines

Chasing extreme angles produces unforced errors. Prioritize depth and placement.

Advice

Film a few volleys from the side and check three things: is your racket head up, is contact in front of your body, and do you return to ready afterward? Those three details fix most volleys.

A better volley comes from fixing fundamentals in the right order: a high ready position, a short swing, contact in front, and then depth and spin. Diagnose first, drill second, and the shot that once felt unpredictable becomes one of the most reliable parts of your game.

Adrian Ronco and Julian Lacamoire took the men's title, beating Pablo Pastor and Agustin Reca 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the final after a 6-3, 6-4 semi-final win over Wagdy Raslan and Aly Zaghloul. It was their second title in a row, following FIP Bronze Damac in Dubai a week earlier. Lacamoire, who also won FIP Gold Shanghai in June, said the pair had reached their goal for the second weekend running

In the women's draw, Ainize Santamaria and Gimena Sol Perez conceded only six games in the whole tournament. They beat Gabriela Andrade and Asfa Shahbaz 6-1, 6-2 in the semi-finals and Nika Sluzhiteleva and Anastasiia Ryzhova by the same score in the final. Karachi is Santamaria's fourth CUPRA FIP Tour title this year, after FIP Bronze Joinville, Dakar and Budapest, while Sol Perez had also won FIP Bronze Dubai the week before

Pinned at the back and losing too many points from there?

Defending from the back of the court is where many padel points are won or lost. The pair at the net has the advantage, so the pair at the back needs a plan: stay in the point, buy time, and find a way to turn defense into a position of strength. Improving your defense isn't about hitting harder, it's about better decisions, tidier positioning, and a few reliable shots you can trust under pressure. This guide focuses on those decisions, rather than repeating the basic technique covered in our general defense guide.

The Defender's Goal: Reset, Then Reclaim the Net

A defending pair has one main job: get out of trouble and take the net back. Wild drives from deep in the court tend to produce errors, while lobs and high, deep balls buy time and push opponents away from the net. Think of every defensive shot as having a purpose, either to reset the point or to start the transition forward, rather than as an attempt to win the point outright.

Note

Good defenders aren't passive. They're patient: they choose height, depth, and cross-court direction deliberately, and they attack only when the ball and their position allow it.

Position Yourself as a Pair

When you're both at the back, stand in line with your partner, at the same depth on opposite sides of the court. This keeps the middle covered and gives you the best chance of staying in the point. If one player retreats for a lob, the partner adjusts to cover the next ball, and the pair should move forward together once the threat has passed. Letting one player advance while the other stays back opens a gap that opponents will quickly exploit.

Your Position Relative to the Back Wall

A useful default for defending the glass is to stand roughly one step inside the back wall, which gives you room to let a ball rebound and step into it. Crowding the wall leaves no space to play the rebound, while standing too far forward means deep balls bounce behind you. Adjust a little depending on how hard your opponents are hitting, but avoid pinning yourself against the glass.

A Decision Map for Defending From the Back

The best defenders don't improvise from scratch every time. They follow a simple map based on the ball they've been given.

The Wall Exit: Escaping the Glass

When you're pinned at the back, the stock response is a high, deep cross-court ball that lets you recover toward the service line. Let the ball rebound off the glass, wait for it to rise slightly, then step into the shot rather than taking it while you're cramped. The weakest version of this shot lands mid-court, which invites an attack, so prioritize depth and height over trying to do something clever.

Important

A defensive shot that lands short is worse than a simple one. Prioritize depth and height first, then direction. A deep lob or deep cross-court ball keeps the pressure off you.

Where to Aim Defensive Lobs

Aim for the back third of the court, ideally over the backhand side of the opponent who has to retreat. A lob that drops near the junction of the back and side glass is particularly awkward, since the opponent has to judge the height, depth, and angle of the rebound while moving backward. A lob that lands short, by contrast, is a free smash.

Turning Defense Into Attack

Defense becomes attack when you get an opportunity and use it well. After a good wall exit or reset lob, take the net together with your partner. When opponents give you a short or weak ball, a chiquita aimed at their feet, followed by two steps forward as a pair, is an effective way to shift from defending to attacking. The key is to make the transition together, so the middle isn't left open.

Reading the Attack Before It Arrives

Defense improves quickly once you start reading opponents rather than just reacting to the ball. Watch their racket preparation and body position to judge whether a smash, a volley, or a drop is coming, and take a small split step as they hit so you're balanced and ready to move. A defender who starts moving early has far more options than one who waits to see where the ball lands.

The Mental Side of Defending

Under pressure, the instinct is to hit the ball as hard as possible and end the point. Resisting that instinct is a skill in itself. Treat defense as a patient process: get the ball back deep, trust your partner, and wait for the opponents to make a mistake or give you a chance. Many points are won simply because one pair stays calm for longer than the other.

Drills to Improve Back-Court Defense

The 10-Lob Reset Drill

One pair starts at the back and must hit a deep lob before advancing, while the other pair at the net tries to hit bandejas that land deep. It trains both the reset lob and the habit of moving forward as a pair once the ball is up.

Partner-Fed Wall Exits

Have a partner feed deep lobs to the back corner while you play one wall exit per ball, high and cross-court. Focus on letting the ball rebound and stepping into it.

Call-the-Rebound Drill

Feed balls near the back wall and call the rebound direction out loud before the ball reaches the glass, then play it softly back. It sharpens your reading and anticipation.

Defend and Transition Points

Play live points that start with the defending pair at the back. They score a bonus when they reclaim the net, which encourages them to defend with a purpose.

Tracking Your Defensive Progress

Defense is hard to measure by feel alone, so track a few simple things during practice and matches: how many of your defensive balls land deep rather than short, how often you and your partner recover to the net after a reset lob, and how many points start with you pinned at the back but end with you taking the net. A steady improvement in these numbers is a clearer sign of progress than the occasional spectacular defensive shot.

Common Mistakes

Trying to Win the Point From Deep

Low-percentage drives from the back usually give away the point. Choose height and depth.

Standing Too Close to the Glass

Crowding the wall leaves no room to play the rebound.

Playing Wall Exits Too Short

A short defensive ball lets opponents attack. Aim deeper.

Splitting Up as a Pair

If one player advances while the other stays back, opponents hit into the gap. Move together.

Advice

After every defensive shot, ask yourself whether you and your partner are in line and whether the middle is covered. That one habit prevents more points lost than any single technical fix.

Stronger defense from the back comes from a few repeatable habits: standing in line with your partner, using the wall rather than fearing it, choosing deep, high balls over low-percentage drives, and moving forward together when the chance arrives. Build those into your game and the back of the court stops being a place you survive and becomes the place you reset from.

Struggling with the soft shots that need a lighter hand?

Touch is the quiet skill behind padel's most delicate shots. It's your feel for the ball: how well you can slow it down, place it, and control its speed and spin when power would be the wrong answer. A good chiquita, a clean drop shot, and a soft block volley all depend on it. Some players seem to have natural touch, but it's a skill that improves with the right habits and drills. This guide explains what touch means in padel, which shots rely on it, and how to train it.

What "Touch" Means in Padel

Touch is the ability to control a ball's speed, spin, and trajectory with small, deliberate movements. Where a power shot relies on a big swing, a touch shot relies on soft hands, timing, and judgment. It's less about hitting the ball and more about managing the energy it already has, taking pace off an incoming ball and sending it back exactly where you want it.

Note

Touch drills in padel are often adapted from general racket-sport coaching, since the underlying skill, soft hands and ball control, is shared. The padel-specific part is knowing which shots to use it on.

Which Padel Shots Rely on Touch

The Chiquita

A soft, slow shot that just clears the net and drops low toward your opponents' feet. It's hard to get right because it needs excellent touch and feel. Without it, you can end up scooping the ball or hitting a weak shot that's easy to attack.

The Drop Shot

A delicate shot that lands just over the net, ideally before opponents can reach it ahead of the second bounce. Many players add slice or backspin, which helps slow the ball down.

Soft Volleys and Blocks

When a hard ball comes at you, a soft, controlled block absorbs the pace instead of adding to it, keeping the ball low and in play.

Short Balls and Placement Shots

Anytime you need to place a ball precisely rather than hit it hard, touch matters, whether you're playing around a net player or setting up your own next shot.

Principles of Better Touch

Relax Your Grip

A tight grip transmits shock and reduces feel. A looser, relaxed hold, firm enough to control the racket but not clenched, helps you cushion the ball and sense what it's doing. Many players naturally squeeze harder under pressure, which is exactly when touch disappears.

Shorten the Swing

Short backswings create touch. The less racket you take back, the more control you have over speed and direction. Touch shots are about small, precise movements rather than big, flowing swings.

Absorb the Pace

Instead of driving through the ball, meet it with a stable racket face and let it lose energy on contact. Think of cushioning a ball, as if you were catching it with your racket.

Use Spin to Slow the Ball

Slice or backspin reduces a ball's speed and can make it sit down after it bounces, which is useful on drop shots and soft returns.

Prioritize Clean Contact

Touch is much harder if you're not making consistent contact in the middle of the racket. Work on timing and balance first, so that your soft shots are structurally sound.

Important

Don't try to develop touch by hitting softly with a tense body. Soft shots still need balance, preparation, and good footwork. Touch comes from controlled ease, not from simply swinging slower.

Touch Drills

Ball-on-Racket Control

Balance a ball on the racket face and walk or bounce it gently without letting it fall. Try rotating it around the edge of the frame. These simple exercises build feel for the racket face and the ball.

Gentle Strokes With Soft Balls

Practice rallying gently with a lighter ball to get used to controlled contact and the feeling of a relaxed grip. It's a low-pressure way to build the habit of soft hands.

Cooperative Soft Volleys

Stand at the net with a partner and exchange soft volleys, trying to keep the ball low and slow. Count how many consecutive soft volleys you can manage. The goal is control, not pace.

Drop Shots to Targets

Place a target zone just over the net and practice dropping the ball into it from a short distance. Start with fed balls and build up to rallies.

Chiquita to the Feet

Have a partner stand at the net and try to volley what you hit. If they can easily put the ball away, your chiquita is too high or too fast. Aim for the ball to dip toward their feet.

Short-Court Games

Play mini-games in a reduced area, such as inside the service boxes, where power is useless and touch decides points. They train soft hands and placement under light pressure.

Racket Feel Matters Too

Rackets differ in feel. Softer, more forgiving rackets tend to make touch shots easier and mishits less punishing, which can help players building consistency, while firmer rackets give more direct feedback but are less forgiving on off-center hits. You don't necessarily need to change your racket to improve touch, but if soft shots always feel harsh or unpredictable, it's worth trying a few different models before deciding.

Practicing Touch Under Pressure

Once the basics feel comfortable, mix soft and hard shots in the same drill. The skill that wins points isn't touch alone, it's the ability to change speed without telegraphing it. Alternating between a chiquita and a drive, or a drop shot and a lob, keeps opponents guessing and trains you to switch between touch and power instantly.

Using Touch Tactically

Touch is most valuable when it serves a plan. A chiquita works best against opponents who are comfortable at the net, since it takes away their pace and forces them to lift the ball. A drop shot is most effective when opponents are standing deep or have been pushed back by a lob. Choosing the moment, rather than hitting a soft shot because it's available, is what turns a nice feel for the ball into points won.

Tracking Your Progress

Touch is easy to feel but hard to measure, so give yourself simple numbers. Count how many consecutive soft volleys you can hold, or how many of ten drop shots land inside a target zone near the net. A small improvement from week to week is a better sign of progress than a single great shot, and it keeps you motivated through the early stage when touch feels unreliable.

Common Mistakes

Gripping Too Tightly

A clenched grip kills feel. Keep it relaxed until the moment of contact.

Swinging Too Big

Big backswings add pace and reduce control. Keep touch shots compact.

Hitting Too High

A soft shot that clears the net by a large margin is easy to attack. Aim just over the tape.

Abandoning It After a Few Misses

Touch feels unreliable at first. Judge it over weeks, not a single session.

Advice

Spend five minutes at the start of each session on soft, low-pressure exercises before power work. Touch builds fastest when your hands are loose and warm, not after a hard session.

Better touch in padel comes from a relaxed grip, a short swing, the habit of cushioning the ball, and regular, deliberate practice of soft shots. It rewards patience, and the payoff is a game that no longer depends on power alone.

Always a split second late on fast volleys at the net?

Quick reflexes at the net feel like a gift some players are born with, but they're largely trainable. In padel, the volley is a fast, close-range exchange where you often have only a fraction of a second to react, so the players who look fastest are usually the ones who prepare best and read the play earliest. This guide explains what reflexes really mean on a padel court and gives you drills you can use to sharpen them, both on court and away from it.

What "Reflexes" Really Mean at the Net

At the net, quick hands come from three things working together: reaction speed, anticipation, and preparation. Pure reaction is how fast you respond once the ball is hit. Anticipation is reading what's likely to happen before it does, from your opponent's racket, body, and position. Preparation is having your racket up, your feet balanced, and your swing short enough that you can use the time you have. Training all three is far more effective than trying to simply "be faster."

Note

Most players improve volley speed more by shortening their swing and preparing earlier than by reacting faster. Fix the setup first, then add reaction drills.

Start With the Ready Position

Reflexes are wasted if your body isn't ready to use them. Stand with your knees slightly bent, weight on the balls of your feet, and your racket up in front of you rather than at your side. Time a small split step to the moment your opponent hits the ball so you land balanced and ready to push in either direction. A firm wrist and a short, compact swing then let you volley with whatever time you have, instead of taking a big swing you can't finish.

Anticipation: Read Before the Ball Arrives

Watching the opponent's racket preparation, shoulders, and position often tells you where the ball is going before it's struck. Good net players also anticipate patterns, such as which side an opponent prefers to hit to under pressure. Practicing concentration and reading your opponent during drills, rather than just reacting to the ball, makes your reaction look instantaneous.

Reflex Drills You Can Use

Rapid-Fire Volleys

Stand about a meter from the net while a partner hits quick volleys at you, and alternate between forehand and backhand. The goal is to improve both reaction time and how quickly you reset between shots. Start slowly and speed up as your control improves.

Feeds at Varied Heights and Speeds

Have a partner or coach throw or hit balls at different heights and speeds so you can't predict what's coming. Mixing fast and slow balls forces you to adjust quickly and avoids settling into a rhythm.

Reduced Court Play

Play mini-games in a smaller area so exchanges come faster and decisions have to be made sooner. The smaller space forces quick reactions and sharpens your peripheral vision.

Smash Simulation

Have a partner simulate different overheads so you have to decide whether to volley, block, or let the ball go. This trains the decision-making part of reflexes, not just the physical speed.

Volley Point Game

Play a mini-game in which points can only be won with a volley. It builds quick decision-making and confidence at key moments, and it keeps the intensity close to match level.

Important

Close-range drills involve fast balls hitting areas near your face and body. Wear protective eyewear if you can, warm up properly, and agree with your partner on where they'll aim.

Off-Court Reaction Training

You can sharpen reaction speed without a court. A reaction ball or any ball that bounces unpredictably, thrown by a partner, trains hand-eye coordination. A simple ball-drop drill, where a partner randomly drops a ball and you catch it, helps you react with your legs first rather than bending at the back. Shadow play with rapid direction changes and lateral jumps over a line can also build movement quickness that supports your net reactions.

A Sample 20-Minute Reflex Session

Begin with five minutes of warm-up and shadow footwork. Spend about five minutes on rapid-fire volleys at a controlled pace, then five minutes on feeds at varied heights and speeds. Finish with five minutes of a volley point game so the skills are tested under match-like pressure. Keep rest short between blocks but stop if your quality falls off noticeably, since sloppy repetition teaches the wrong habits.

Staying Relaxed Under Pressure

Tension is the enemy of fast hands. A tight grip and tense shoulders slow your reaction and make your volleys stiff. Keep a relaxed grip until contact, breathe normally, and let your racket do the work. Many players notice their reflexes improve almost immediately once they stop gripping the handle as if their life depended on it.

Reflexes and Your Partner in Doubles

At the net in doubles, reactions also depend on communication and positioning. Knowing which balls are yours and which belong to your partner removes hesitation, which is itself a major cause of slow reactions. Practice net-poaching situations, where you intercept a shot and switch positions with your partner, so those split-second decisions become automatic.

How to Progress

Start with predictable feeds and simple volleys, then add speed, variety, and movement as control improves. Keep reflex sessions short and sharp, because quality drops quickly when you're tired and you only train reaction effectively when you're fresh. A combined routine of a few minutes of focused reflex work at the start of practice, followed by match-like play, tends to transfer better than a long, exhausting drill.

Common Mistakes

Swinging Too Big

A long swing leaves no time to react. Keep the volley short, with a firm wrist and compact motion.

Standing Flat-Footed

Without a split step, you start from a standstill and lose precious time. Time the hop to your opponent's contact.

Only Training Reaction, Not Reading

If you only train raw speed, you miss the chance to anticipate. Watch your opponent's setup during drills.

Training Tired

Reaction drills lose value when you're fatigued. Do them early in a session when you're fresh.

Advice

Track a simple number in your rapid-fire drill, such as how many consecutive volleys you can hit before a miss. A rising score over a few weeks is clear proof your reactions and control are improving.

Faster reflexes at the net come from a stable ready position, early reading of the play, compact swings, and regular, varied drills. Build those habits and the net stops feeling like a place where things happen too quickly, and starts feeling like somewhere you're in control.

The men's main draw features 28 pairs. Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia arrive as top seeds after winning both Paris and Rotterdam, while Fede Chingotto and Ale Galan return as defending champions. Franco Stupaczuk and Jon Sanz, beaten by Coello and Tapia in the Rotterdam final, are seeded fourth

The women's draw has 24 pairs. Delfi Brea and Gemma Triay are back to defend their title, and Ari Sánchez and Andrea Ustero, who won in Paris and Rotterdam, will look to add a third straight trophy

Interested promoters need to email the FIP Competition Department at competition@padelfip.com to request the application form and the requirements for each tour. In countries that already have a FIP-affiliated national federation, a promoter must first obtain that federation's approval

The announcement, published on October 2, does not give an application deadline

The Carbon model is built on a 6K carbon surface with a round shape and EVA Soft Performance foam, and is aimed at advanced players looking for control and stability. Its list of technologies includes an octagonal structure, Low Poly design, Extra Power Grip, Spin Blade decal and Smart Holes Curve

The Team model keeps the same shape, technologies and EVA Soft Performance foam but switches to a fiberglass surface. That makes it more flexible and positions it as a more accessible option, with an emphasis on comfort and ease of play

Losing your footing on stretched or rushed shots?

Good balance is the quiet foundation behind almost every padel shot. When you're stable at the moment of contact, your swing is more consistent, your recovery is faster, and your joints take less strain from the sudden stops, turns, and lunges the sport demands. Balance isn't a fixed trait, either: it responds well to regular, targeted training. This guide explains why balance matters in padel, which exercises build it, and how to carry it from the gym onto the court.

Why Balance Matters in Padel

Padel involves rapid changes of direction, jumps, and lunges, often while you're already reaching for a shot. Staying balanced through that movement helps you hit more accurately, recover faster for the next ball, and protect the joints that take the most punishment, particularly the ankles and knees. Ankle sprains are among the most common padel injuries, which is one reason balance and proprioception work features so heavily in injury-prevention advice.

Static and Dynamic Balance

Static balance is your ability to hold a stable position, such as standing on one leg. Dynamic balance is staying controlled while you move, changing direction, lunging, or landing. Padel leans heavily on the dynamic kind, but static exercises are a useful starting point, since they train the small stabilizing muscles around the ankle, knee, and hip that dynamic movement relies on.

The Stabilizers: Core, Hips, and Ankles

Balance comes from the whole kinetic chain. A strong core keeps your trunk steady while your arms and legs move, hip stability keeps your knees tracking properly, and strong calves and ankle muscles help absorb sudden changes of direction. Training these together, rather than isolating one area, tends to translate best to the court.

Note

This article offers general training information, not medical advice. If you have a current injury, balance problems, or health concerns, check with a doctor or qualified physiotherapist before starting a new exercise routine.

Balance Exercises for Padel Players

Single-Leg Stand

Stand on one leg with a slight bend in the knee and hold for 20 to 30 seconds, then switch. Progress by closing your eyes, standing on a folded towel, or tossing a ball to a partner or against a wall while you hold the position.

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Hold a light weight in one hand and balance on the opposite leg, hinging at the hips while extending your free leg behind you. Keep your back flat and your hips level. Start without weight until the movement feels steady.

Lateral Lunge

Take a wide step to the side, pushing your hips back as you bend one knee while keeping the other leg straight, then push back to the start. It trains the sideways stability padel movement relies on.

Plank With Alternating Limb Raises

From a plank position, lift one arm or leg at a time while keeping your hips steady. It builds core control and coordination between your upper and lower body.

Controlled Jumps and Landings

Jump and land softly on two legs, progressing to a single leg once you can do so with control. Focus on landing quietly with your knee tracking over your foot.

Unstable-Surface Work

A balance board, BOSU, or stability ball challenges your ankles and core in different ways. Use them as a progression once basic single-leg work feels easy, and keep sessions short and controlled.

A Simple Weekly Plan

A realistic target is two to three short sessions a week, around 10 to 15 minutes each, added to the end of a workout or done before playing. Alternate intensity and combine balance work with general strength and mobility rather than treating it as a separate project. Consistency matters far more than any single long session.

Important

Progress gradually. Add difficulty only when you can complete an exercise with good control. Wobbling a little is normal, but pain, sharp twinges, or loss of control are signs to stop and reassess.

Bringing Balance to the Court

Gym work only pays off if it carries over to how you move. Keep a low centre of gravity during lateral movement by bending your knees rather than standing tall, use a split step as your opponent hits so you're balanced and ready to move, and take smaller adjustment steps rather than one big lunge. After each shot, recover to a balanced, central position before the next ball arrives instead of watching where yours went.

Signs Your Balance Needs Work

A few patterns suggest balance is holding you back: you often feel off-center when you hit, you stumble or have to take extra steps to recover after reaching for a ball, your shots lose accuracy when you're stretched, or you feel your ankle roll more than it should. These signs don't diagnose anything, but they're a good cue to add regular balance and stability work to your week.

How Balance Shows Up in Specific Shots

Balance matters differently across shots. On volleys, a stable base lets you punch the ball cleanly without leaning back. On overheads like the bandeja and smash, you move backward and then need to be balanced at contact and ready to recover forward. On balls off the back wall, you move back and then step into the shot. In each case, the better your balance, the more your technique holds together under pressure, and the easier it is to move straight into your next position.

Footwear and Warm-Up

Shoes matter for balance as much as exercises. Generic running shoes are built mainly for forward motion and may lack the lateral stability padel requires, while padel-specific footwear supports sideways movement. A proper warm-up that activates the ankles, knees, and hips before play also prepares your body for the quick changes of direction ahead.

Common Mistakes

Only Training Static Balance

Holding a single-leg position is useful, but padel is dynamic. Add movement, lunges, and landings so the work reflects how you actually play.

Rushing the Progression

Jumping straight to unstable surfaces or heavy weights before basic balance is solid raises the risk of strain. Master the basics first.

Ignoring the Core

Balance isn't just about the legs. A weak core lets your trunk wobble, which undermines stability even if your legs are strong.

Skipping Proper Shoes

Even good balance training can be undermined by footwear that doesn't support lateral movement.

Advice

Make balance work part of your routine rather than an add-on you'll skip. Ten minutes after a session, or while watching TV, adds up to meaningful improvement over a few weeks.

Better balance in padel comes from a few simple habits: regular single-leg and core work, dynamic movements like lateral lunges, careful progression, and the on-court discipline of staying low and recovering after every shot. None of it requires special equipment, and the payoff shows up as more consistent shots and a body that holds up for the long term.

The men's gold went to Qatar, where top-seeded brothers Mashari and Rashed Naif beat Malaysia's Aidan Yunus and Christian Chin 6-3, 6-1. The brothers also won the previous FIP Asia Padel Cup, and the next Asian Games, in 2030, will be held in Qatar

In the bronze-medal matches, Indonesia's Novela Putria and Beatrice Gumulya got past the Philippines' Abad and Malazarte in the women's event, while Iran's Amirmohammad Jamshidi and Farsad Shahi beat their compatriots Golestan and Roghani 6-3, 6-4 in the men's. The Olympic Council of Asia president and FIP president Luigi Carraro were among those present as padel's first Asian Games tournament came to a close

Planning a padel event for people who have never played?

A beginner padel event works when it removes the usual barriers to trying the sport: no equipment to buy, no need to arrive with a full group of four, and no pressure to already know the rules. Whether you run a club, organize a company outing, or simply want to bring friends into the game, a well-planned beginner event can turn curious first-timers into regular players. This guide covers how to plan one, from choosing a format to running the day and following up afterward.

Start With a Clear Goal and Audience

Before booking anything, decide who the event is for and what a successful day looks like. A free introduction for colleagues is different from a paid clinic for local newcomers, and a social evening for friends is different from a structured learning session. Knowing your goal, whether it's teaching the basics, building a community, or simply having fun, shapes every other decision, including how many coaches you need and how long the event should run.

Choose a Format That Suits First-Timers

Three formats work particularly well for beginners, and many events combine them.

Beginner Clinic

A coached session where a small group learns the core strokes, how to use the glass, and basic strategy. Clubs commonly run these for about an hour with small groups, often four to six players per coach, and a typical structure moves from a warm-up to themed drills and then live points.

Social Mixer

A relaxed session where players rotate partners and play short games, usually grouped by level so no one feels outmatched. Mixers lean toward fun and meeting people rather than formal instruction.

Americano-Style Taster

A short, rotating-partner format where everyone plays several quick matches and mixes with the whole group, a good fit once players have learned the basics. It works best after a clinic has covered scoring and the fundamentals.

Note

For true first-timers, a short coached clinic followed by relaxed mixed play usually works better than throwing everyone straight into a competitive format.

Secure the Venue and the Coaches

Book courts well in advance and confirm how many you'll have, since the number of courts determines how many people can play at once. A padel court holds four players, so plan your capacity in multiples of four, and aim to have a coach or experienced helper for every court or two. If you're hosting at a club, ask whether their coaches can lead the session, since a good coach makes a beginner event feel structured and confident from the start.

Sort Out Equipment in Advance

The easiest way to lower the barrier is to provide equipment. Many clubs include a basic racket and balls for beginner sessions so newcomers don't need to buy anything, and some offer low-cost rentals outside those sessions. Tell participants to wear comfortable athletic clothing and court shoes with good lateral support, and let them know everything else will be provided. Check that you have enough rackets for everyone plus a few spares.

Group Players by Level and Keep Groups Small

Grouping is what separates a good beginner event from a frustrating one. Keep groups small, ideally four players per court, and group by level or age where possible. If some attendees have played another racket sport, give them a slightly more advanced group so they aren't held back and beginners don't feel overwhelmed. Clubs that run beginner mixers commonly use simple level bands, with the lowest band designed for brand-new players and those who may have restricted mobility around the court.

Important

Set a minimum number of players and a clear cancellation policy before you open registration. It protects you from running a half-empty session and keeps the event financially and logistically sound.

A Sample Run Sheet

Pricing and Registration

Beginner sessions are often priced low or free to attract newcomers, sometimes with a discount for members. Whatever you charge, make registration easy through a booking page or app, and open it far enough ahead that people can plan. Clearly state what's included, such as equipment and coaching, what to bring, and the cancellation terms.

Budget and Costs to Plan For

List every cost before you set a price: court hire, coaching fees, rackets and balls, refreshments, and any promotion or booking-platform fees. Even a free-to-attend event has costs, so decide in advance who covers them. A modest entry fee, or a club sponsoring the session as a way to introduce new members, keeps the event sustainable and lets you run it again.

Safety, Warm-Up, and Accessibility

Start every session with a short warm-up so newcomers' muscles and joints are ready for the quick stops and starts padel involves. Explain simple safety habits, such as calling for the ball, watching for the walls, and keeping courts clear of loose balls. Think about accessibility too: ask in advance whether anyone has mobility concerns, and group them with others who'd appreciate a gentler pace so everyone can enjoy the session.

Make It Welcoming

Beginners are often anxious about looking foolish, so set a friendly tone from the start. Explain scoring in simple terms, remind everyone that mistakes are expected, and encourage players to laugh at the walls surprising them. Offer water, point out where to leave bags, and introduce people to each other so nobody feels like they've turned up alone. A relaxed atmosphere matters as much as the coaching.

Keep Everyone Connected Afterward

The real value of a beginner event comes from what happens next. Collect contact details with consent, create a group chat, and share dates for the next session or regular open play. Some clubs bundle a first clinic with a few open play sessions, which gives newcomers a clear path from trying padel to playing it regularly. A short thank-you message and a simple prompt to book the next session makes a big difference to how many people come back.

Advice

Ask for brief feedback at the end. Two or three quick questions about what went well and what felt confusing will make your next event noticeably better.

Common Mistakes When Hosting

Mixing Levels Without a Plan

Putting complete beginners and experienced players on the same court usually frustrates both. Group by level or run separate sessions.

Too Much Instruction, Too Little Playing

Beginners want to hit balls and play points. Keep explanations short and get people playing quickly.

No Equipment Plan

Asking beginners to bring their own gear defeats the purpose. Provide rackets and balls.

Skipping the Follow-Up

Without a next step, enthusiasm fades. Offer a clear way to keep playing.

Hosting a padel event for beginners comes down to a few essentials: a clear goal, small groups at the right level, equipment provided, a welcoming tone, and a path to keep playing. Get those right and a single afternoon can introduce a whole group to a sport they keep coming back to.

Want to turn a short lob into real pressure?

The vibora, Spanish for "viper," is an aggressive overhead hit with sidespin. It sits between the controlled bandeja and the all-out smash: more attacking than the first, safer than the second, and designed to keep you at the net while putting your opponents under pressure. It's a technically demanding shot that usually clicks once you understand the contact point and the swing path. This guide breaks it down step by step, from when to choose it to how to practice it.

What the Vibora Does

A vibora is struck on the outside of the ball with a rotational swing, which produces sidespin and a ball that dips and kicks awkwardly off the court and the glass. The bandeja, by contrast, is hit from underneath the ball. Because of the spin, a good vibora is difficult to attack even when it isn't a winner, and it keeps you in an offensive posture at the net.

Note

The vibora is generally considered a medium-to-high level shot. If your bandeja isn't consistent yet, build that first and add the vibora later.

When to Use a Vibora

Choose the vibora when the lob is short enough that you can step into it and put opponents on their heels, but not short enough to hit a clean flat smash. A lob that falls short in the middle of the court is a typical cue. It's also a sensible choice when balls have gone soft and no longer bounce well, since that makes finishing with a flat smash harder. If the ball is deep and you'd have to retreat, a bandeja or a lob is usually the better option.

Step-by-Step Technique

Step 1: Read the Ball and Take an Extra Step Back

As soon as you see the lob, turn sideways and move so that you're behind the ball. An extra step back helps you get in position without drifting too far from the net.

Step 2: Use a Continental Grip and Prepare Early

Hold the racket with a continental grip and take it back early. Pointing at the ball with your non-hitting hand helps you track it and judge where it will fall.

Step 3: Extend and Meet the Ball Around Face Height

As the ball drops, extend your arm and aim to make contact in front of you, around face or head height. Contact that's too high turns the shot into a flat smash and you lose the sidespin, while contact that's too low makes it hard to get over the net with control.

Step 4: Strike the Outside of the Ball

Instead of hitting underneath the ball as in a bandeja, swing around the outside of it. Slightly tilting the racket face helps create the sidespin. Commit to the contact, because the spin is what keeps the ball in play.

Step 5: Finish High and Recover

Let the racket finish high, over your shoulder. A low finish across your stomach is the sign of a smash, not a vibora. Then step back toward the net immediately, since the point of the shot is to stay offensive.

Important

Don't drift backward after you hit. The whole point of the vibora is to keep you at the net, so recover forward as soon as the ball has left your racket.

Low Contact and High Contact Versions

There are two broad versions. A low-contact vibora is hit around head height, and the ball tends to stay low in the corner after it bounces, which makes it hard to attack. A high-contact vibora is struck a little above head height and comes off a bit faster, sometimes almost hitting the side fence. The low-contact version is generally the more reliable one, since it stays down and lets you step back toward the net more easily.

Where to Aim

A common target is the corner, hit aggressively with slice, so the ball stays low and kicks away from your opponent. Keeping opponents pinned in the corner gives you an easier ball to volley next. Aim for control over power: a slightly slower vibora with the right spin can be just as effective as a hard one, because your opponents still have to lift the ball.

Vibora, Bandeja, or Smash: Quick Decision Cues

A simple way to choose is by the depth and height of the lob. A short, high ball that lets you strike above your shoulder while moving forward suits a smash. A ball that lands a little short in the middle of the court, and that you can step into, suits a vibora. A deep ball that pushes you back suits a bandeja or a lob. Deciding early, before the ball is on you, lets you commit to the swing rather than hesitating halfway through it.

Following the Vibora With Pressure at the Net

A vibora is rarely the end of the point on its own. Its job is to keep opponents off balance so that their reply is weak. After you hit it, move forward and be ready to volley, because if your opponents can return it at all, it usually won't be with an attacking shot. Treat the vibora and the volley that follows as a single sequence rather than two separate shots.

Drills to Build Your Vibora

Shadow Swings

Practice the turn, the extra backstep, and the around-the-ball swing without a ball. Check that your finish is high and your recovery step is quick.

Fed Balls to the Corner

Have a partner feed medium-height lobs while you aim for the corner with sidespin. Track how many land where you intended and stay low after the bounce.

Wall Sidespin Practice

Practice hitting sidespin against a wall to get used to the sensation of brushing around the ball before adding movement and decisions.

Bandeja and Vibora Pairing

Have a partner feed a mix of lobs so you must choose between a bandeja and a vibora on each ball, building the decision-making you need in matches.

Common Vibora Mistakes

Hitting Too Hard

A vibora doesn't need to be a winner. Overhitting reduces control and often sends the ball long or into the net.

Contact Too High

If the ball is above your head, you've effectively hit a flat smash and lost the sidespin. Aim for face or head height.

Drifting Backward

Retreating after the shot gives up the net. Recover forward immediately.

Using It on the Wrong Ball

A deep lob that forces you to retreat is a poor candidate. A bandeja or lob is a better answer.

Advice

Film your vibora from the side and check two things: whether you contact the ball in front of you at around head height, and whether your finish is high rather than low across your body.

A reliable vibora comes from a clear contact point, an around-the-ball swing, and the discipline to recover forward. It rewards patience in practice and sound shot selection in matches.

Don't expect it to feel natural immediately. Give yourself several sessions of focused repetition, and keep the bandeja as your safe option for the balls where the vibora doesn't fit.

Coming from tennis and wondering whether to keep two hands?

The two-handed backhand is a familiar shot for anyone who comes to padel from tennis, and it can feel far more natural than hitting a backhand with one hand. It isn't the standard in padel, though, and it has real limits on a court with walls. This guide covers when a two-handed backhand makes sense, how to hit it step by step, where it works well, and how many players combine it with a one-handed version so they're never stuck.

One Hand or Two? The Honest Picture

Coaches generally teach complete beginners with no racket-sport background to hit the backhand with one hand, because it adapts better to the demands of padel. Players with a tennis history often keep their two-handed habit, and neither approach is wrong. The trade-off is that a two-handed backhand makes some shots harder, so it's worth knowing exactly what you gain and what you give up before building your game around it.

Note

Padel rackets are shorter than tennis rackets and have a shorter handle, so a two-handed grip can feel cramped. Some rackets are built with a longer handle, which makes two-handed hitting easier.

Who Should Consider a Two-Handed Backhand

It tends to suit players who already hit a two-handed backhand in tennis and want to keep a stroke they trust, particularly for returns and for balls they have time to set up for. If you're brand new to racket sports, a one-handed backhand is usually the better long-term foundation, because it works across more situations on a padel court.

Grip and Setup

Hold the racket with your dominant hand in a continental grip, as you would for most padel shots, and place your non-dominant hand above it. Your waiting position is the same as for a one-handed backhand: knees slightly bent, racket in front of you, ready to turn. Keeping one consistent base grip means you don't have to change your hold mid-rally.

Step-by-Step Technique

Step 1: Turn Sideways Early

As soon as you see the ball is going to your backhand side, turn your shoulders and hips so your shoulder faces the net. Early preparation matters even more with two hands, because the shot has less reach to fall back on.

Step 2: Take the Racket Back Compactly

Draw the racket back with both hands in place, keeping the backswing short. A long swing is hard to control on a small court and gives you less time to recover.

Step 3: Set Your Feet and Space the Ball

Use small adjustment steps to get the right distance from the ball. Because the contact point with two hands sits a little further back than with one hand, give yourself enough room so the ball doesn't crowd you.

Step 4: Swing Through Together

Drive forward with both hands working together, using your legs and core rather than just your arms. Keep the racket face stable through contact and aim to meet the ball in front of your body, remembering the contact point is a touch behind where you'd hit a one-handed shot.

Step 5: Finish and Recover

Complete the swing across your body and reset to a balanced position. If you're playing from the back of the court, your next priority is usually getting ready for the following ball rather than admiring the shot.

Important

With both hands on the racket you can't create the backspin or slice that many defensive padel backhands rely on. If a ball demands slice, that's a sign to release to one hand.

Where It Works and Where It Struggles

The Hybrid Approach

A practical middle ground that many players settle on is to hit with two hands when you have time and the ball sits up, and release to one hand when you're reaching or playing off the back wall. This keeps the stability and familiarity of the two-handed shot where it helps, without leaving you exposed on the situations padel throws at you most often. Practicing the transition between the two is worth dedicated time, since fumbling it mid-rally is a common source of errors.

Adapting Your Tennis Habits

Players arriving from tennis often carry habits that don't translate directly. A big, looping backswing, a heavy reliance on topspin, and a contact point suited to a longer racket can all cause trouble on a padel court, where time is tighter and the ball often comes back off the walls. Shortening the swing, accepting a flatter or more controlled shot, and spending time practicing balls that rebound off the glass are the adjustments that make the biggest difference.

Is It Worth Keeping Long-Term?

Many players keep a two-handed backhand for years without a problem, particularly at recreational level. The question is whether it limits you as you improve. If you find yourself regularly caught out by low balls, wide balls, or balls off the back wall, adding a reliable one-handed shot, or shifting to it more often, will usually pay off. If your results are solid and you're comfortable switching when needed, there's no reason to abandon a shot that works.

Drills to Build It

Shadow Swings

Practice the turn, compact backswing, and swing path without a ball, concentrating on a steady rhythm and keeping both hands working together.

Cross-Court Backhand Rallies

Rally backhand to backhand with a partner, aiming for consistency rather than power. Keep track of how many shots you can string together.

Mixed Feeds

Have a partner feed a mix of comfortable balls, low balls, and wide balls so you practice choosing between two hands and one hand. Include some balls that come off the back wall.

Common Mistakes

Hitting With Two Hands on Every Ball

Insisting on two hands when you're stretched or the ball has come off the glass usually produces weak or late contact. Be willing to release.

Crowding the Ball

Because the contact point is a bit further back, standing too close leaves you cramped. Create space with small adjustment steps.

Ignoring Low Balls

Low balls force you to adjust your position, and it's easy to reach down with your arms instead of bending your knees. Get low with your legs.

Neglecting the One-Handed Shot

Players who only practice the two-handed version often find themselves without a reliable answer when a ball demands slice or reach. Keep a one-handed option in your toolkit.

Advice

If you're deciding whether to keep your two-handed backhand, try a few sessions where you deliberately play one-handed on balls off the wall and low balls. The comparison shows quickly which situations your current shot handles and which it doesn't.

A two-handed backhand can be a sound, stable shot in padel as long as you know its limits. Use it where it shines, on returns and balls you have time to set up for, and keep a one-handed option ready for reach, slice, and play off the walls.

Whichever you choose, the fundamentals stay the same: an early turn, a compact backswing, good spacing, and a balanced finish. Build those habits and the backhand stops being the shot you avoid and starts being one you can rely on.

Want a smash that bounces up and out of reach?

The topspin smash, often called the kick smash, trades raw speed for spin and control. Instead of driving the ball flat, you brush up and over it so it kicks high after it bounces and comes off the glass in a way that's awkward for opponents to deal with. It's less about brute power and more about technique, which makes it a valuable tool for players who can't generate a flat winner every time. This guide covers when to use it, how to hit it step by step, where to aim, and how to practice it without developing bad habits.

What the Topspin Smash Does

A flat smash tries to beat opponents with speed and an angle. A topspin smash uses spin to make the ball jump high after it lands, often bouncing up off the court and then off the back or side glass. When it works, opponents are pushed back or forced to hit the ball from an uncomfortable height, and the ball is far harder to attack than a flat shot that stays low. It can also be played so that the ball returns to your side of the court rather than ending the point outright.

Note

The topspin smash is a risk. If it isn't hit well enough, it can float up and give opponents an easy ball to attack. That's why it needs practice before it goes into match play.

When to Use a Topspin Smash

Use it when you get a high lob and have time to get underneath the ball and load the shot. A lob that's decent but not short enough for a flat winner is a typical situation, since the spin gives you a margin of safety while still putting pressure on your opponents. If a lob pushes you backward and the contact point drops, a bandeja, a vibora, or a lob is usually a better choice. Recreational players often start with the topspin smash on easy balls close to the net.

Step-by-Step Technique

Step 1: Read the Lob and Get Into Position Early

As with any overhead, start with a split step as your opponent hits the lob, then turn sideways and move back with crossover steps. Getting underneath the ball in time is what makes the shot possible at all.

Step 2: Prepare Like a Second Serve

The motion is often compared to an exaggerated tennis second serve. Raise the racket high, point at the ball with your free hand, and let your body load, using your legs as well as your arm.

Step 3: Brush Up and Over the Ball

Instead of hitting through the back of the ball, brush over the top of it by throwing the racket upward and across. The racket face slides across the ball rather than striking it flat, which is what creates the spin. Many coaches describe making contact slightly higher and a little further back than for a flat smash, so there's room to roll over the ball.

Step 4: Use the Forearm and Pronate

Topspin comes from the way your arm and forearm move through contact. Rotating the forearm through the ball, known as pronation, sends the ball down with more kick.

Step 5: Finish and Recover Quickly

After contact, get back into position as soon as possible. Because the ball is designed to come back to your side or stay in play, you need to be ready for the next shot.

Important

Don't try to hit a topspin smash from a poor position, such as when you've been pushed far back and the ball is dropping low. In those situations the shot loses its margin and a safer overhead is better.

Where to Aim

Where you aim depends on where you're hitting from. Close to the net, you don't need to hit the ball very deep. You want it to bounce, kick high into the glass, and come back toward your side, which makes it difficult for opponents to attack. From farther back, aim deeper so the ball travels toward the back wall. A diagonal topspin smash toward the fence is another effective option, because the fence produces unpredictable bounces and is hard to defend. Aim close to the fence, using a little topspin and medium to fast speed.

Topspin Smash and the Wall Shots

The same brushing motion underpins the wall-based smashes, where the ball is hit so it bounces in the opponent's court and then leaves the court over the glass or fence. Practicing the topspin smash to the fence is a good way to get comfortable with the action, since the preparation is the same. Don't rush into the extreme wall smashes until the basic brushing motion feels natural.

Topspin Smash or Bandeja?

A useful way to decide is to ask whether you can get above and underneath the ball with time to spare. If you can, the topspin smash gives you a chance to apply real pressure. If the ball is around shoulder height or you're already stretched, the bandeja keeps you at the net with far less risk. Calling your intended shot out loud, even quietly to yourself, before contact helps you commit to a decision instead of drifting into a half-hearted swing.

Drills to Build It

Shadow Swings

Practice the throwing-up, brushing motion without a ball, focusing on the high preparation and the forearm rotation. The movement should feel smooth rather than forced.

Fed Balls to a Target

Have a partner feed high lobs while you hit topspin smashes toward a marked area near the net and the glass. Track how many land where you intended and how high they kick.

Mixed Feeds

Vary the feeds so you must decide between a flat smash, a topspin smash, and a bandeja. Repeating the same smash from the same feed over and over is a common training mistake, since it doesn't build the decision-making you need in matches.

Common Topspin Smash Mistakes

Hitting Flat and Calling It Topspin

If the racket goes straight through the ball, you lose the spin. Focus on brushing across the top.

Poor Footwork

Failing to get underneath the ball makes it impossible to load the shot properly. Move early and use crossover steps.

Using It From the Wrong Position

Trying a kick smash when you're pushed back and the ball is low usually gives opponents an easy reply.

Forgetting to Recover

Because the ball often comes back or stays in play, you need to reset quickly rather than watching the result.

Advice

Get a coach or a partner to check your contact point and recovery on live feeds. Video from the side also makes it easier to see whether you're truly brushing over the ball.

A good topspin smash is built on early preparation, a brushing swing, and sound shot selection rather than pure power. Learn the motion in stages, use it when you have time to get under the ball, and it becomes a reliable way to pressure opponents without relying on a flat winner.

Be patient with the learning curve. The brushing action can feel unnatural at first, especially for players used to hitting through the ball, but regular, structured practice is usually enough to make it automatic.

Getting a short lob and not sure how to finish the point?

The flat smash is padel's most decisive overhead, but it's also one of its most error-prone shots. Many players, especially those coming from tennis, simply swing as hard as possible and hope. A reliable flat smash is built from a sequence of small steps: early preparation, footwork, a high contact point, a flat racket face, and a controlled pace. This guide walks through that sequence and gives you a progression of drills to build it, rather than repeating the basic rules covered in our introductory smash guide.

When a Flat Smash Is the Right Shot

A good rule of thumb is to smash when the lob is short enough that you can hit the ball above your shoulder while moving forward. If you have to retreat a long way or the ball is dropping deep, a bandeja is usually the smarter choice. Choosing the smash too often is one of the most common mistakes in padel, because opponents who realize you'll always go for it can simply let the ball bounce off the glass and take the point back.

Note

The smash isn't the most-used shot in padel, it's the most decisive. Hitting fewer of them, and choosing the right ones, usually wins more points than smashing everything.

Step-by-Step Technique

Step 1: Split Step and Read the Lob

A smash starts before the lob is even hit. Time a small split step to the moment your opponent's racket meets the ball, then react to how high and deep it's traveling. Standing flat-footed is one of the most common reasons players arrive late to the ball.

Step 2: Turn and Move Back With Crossover Steps

Turn your body sideways and move back using crossover steps rather than backpedaling. Crossover steps keep you balanced and let you get underneath the ball more quickly, while backpedaling tends to leave you off balance and reaching.

Step 3: Racket Up and Point at the Ball

Raise your racket early, with the head up and behind you, and use your non-hitting arm to point toward the ball. This keeps your body orientated to the ball and helps you judge its height and timing.

Step 4: Contact Above and Slightly in Front

Make contact with your arm extended, above your head and slightly in front of your body. Hitting the ball behind you sends it into the net or leaves it floating, while hitting it too far in front usually sends it long. Aim to strike the ball as it begins to drop, rather than at its absolute peak.

Step 5: Flat Face, Snap Forward

Keep the racket face flat through the ball and snap your wrist forward as you make contact. Power comes from the whole body, legs and core included, not just the arm. A flat contact sends the ball down and forward without spin, which is what gives the shot its punch.

Step 6: Follow Through and Recover

Finish the swing across your body, then reset immediately to a balanced, ready position near the net. If the smash doesn't end the point, you want to be in position for the next ball.

Important

A flat smash that doesn't clear the back glass comes back into play. Hitting at roughly 70 percent pace with good placement often beats a 100 percent swing that catches the tape or lands short.

Power Versus Control

Raw power is rarely what wins smash points in padel. A shot struck at around 70 percent of your maximum offers the best balance of speed and control for most players, and it keeps you balanced for the recovery. If your smashes keep landing short or hitting the net, the cure is usually better timing and contact height, not more force.

Where to Aim a Flat Smash

Place the ball to give yourself the largest margin of error. Common targets are the open space on the court, the feet of the opponent nearest you, or a corner where the ball will rebound awkwardly. From close to the net with a short lob, a flat smash can even send the ball out of the court after one bounce for a clean winner, though that takes practice and a clear read of the angles. When you're farther from the net, prioritize clearing the net and landing deep rather than going for the extreme angle.

Building the Physical Foundation

Much of the smash's power comes from the legs and core rather than the arm. Simple exercises like squats, lunges, and jumping drills build the explosive strength that feeds into the swing, and a stable core helps you stay balanced as you extend toward the ball. You don't need a heavy gym program, but a few weeks of consistent lower-body and core work often improves smash consistency noticeably.

What to Do When the Ball Comes Back

Even a well-hit smash isn't guaranteed to end the point. Opponents may let the ball bounce off the glass and send it back, or a shot that lands too short may be returned. Treat the smash as the start of a sequence, not the end: recover to a balanced position, keep your racket ready, and be prepared to play a controlled volley or a second overhead if the ball returns.

A Progression of Drills

Stage 1: Shadow Swings

Practice the footwork and swing without a ball. Focus on the split step, turn, and the point-and-extend motion until the sequence feels fluid.

Stage 2: Fed Smashes Down the Middle

Have a partner feed easy, high lobs while you hit smashes down the middle of the court. Concentrate on contact height and keeping the pace controlled rather than hitting as hard as possible.

Stage 3: Add Targets

Place targets in the corners or near the feet of a stand-in opponent and track how many of ten smashes find them. Gradually vary the height and depth of the lob.

Stage 4: Add Movement and Decisions

Have your partner mix short and deep lobs so you have to decide in real time whether to smash or switch to a bandeja. Finish with live points that begin with a lob.

Common Flat Smash Mistakes

Standing Flat-Footed

Failing to split step and move early leaves you reaching for the ball with poor balance. Start moving as soon as you read the lob.

Hitting Behind Your Body

Letting the ball drop behind you destroys the forward drive of the shot. Get underneath the ball and meet it in front.

Smashing Everything

Using the smash on deep lobs or from poor positions hands points to opponents. Be willing to choose a bandeja instead.

Overhitting

Swinging at maximum power reduces accuracy and often sends the ball into the net or straight back to the glass.

Advice

Count your smashes in a match. If more than a few are landing short or hitting the net, scale back the pace and focus on contact height before adding speed.

A dependable flat smash comes from consistent mechanics rather than force: read the lob early, move with crossover steps, meet the ball above and in front, and finish with a flat, controlled swing. Build it in stages, and choose your moments carefully, and it becomes one of the most reliable ways to end a point.

Give the shot a few weeks of structured practice before judging it. Overhead timing improves slowly, and players who rush to add power before the mechanics are stable often develop habits that are hard to undo later.

Want a soft shot that pulls opponents off the net?

The chiquita is a soft, low shot that just clears the net and drops toward your opponents' feet. It's one of the most useful tools for breaking net pressure, since it takes away your opponents' pace and forces them to hit upward, which gives you a chance to move forward and take the net yourself. This guide focuses on how to actually execute a chiquita: when to use it, the technique step by step, where to aim, and how to avoid the habits that make it float.

What the Chiquita Is

A chiquita is a controlled, slow shot played low over the net. The goal isn't to win the point outright but to make your opponents' next shot difficult. A good chiquita lands near their feet, so they can't volley it down and must lift the ball instead. A bad one floats up to racket height, which hands them an easy attack.

When to Use a Chiquita

The chiquita works best in a few specific situations. The classic one is when your opponents are at the net and you're stuck at the back with a low ball you can't drive. It's also a common choice on the return of serve, particularly against an easy serve when the server isn't yet close to the net. Finally, it can be used as a counterattack when opponents are comfortable volleying and you want to pull them out of that rhythm.

Note

A chiquita is a way to change the pattern of a rally. Think of it as a low-speed problem for your opponents, not as a winner.

Step-by-Step Technique

Step 1: Read the Ball and Decide Early

Look at the ball you've been given before choosing the shot. A chiquita needs a ball you can reach comfortably and control. If you're rushed or off balance, another shot will usually be safer. Making the decision early gives you time to set up properly.

Step 2: Get Low and Keep the Swing Compact

Bend your knees so you meet the ball at a low contact point rather than reaching down with your arm. Keep the backswing short, since you're not trying to generate pace. A relaxed, slightly softer grip helps you absorb the ball's speed.

Step 3: Make Soft Contact

Let the ball come to you and meet it with a stable racket face, cushioning the pace rather than driving through. The type of spin matters less than the height and speed of the ball as it crosses the net. You want it to clear the tape by a small margin and then drop.

Step 4: Aim at the Feet or a Gap

Aim for the ball to land near your opponents' feet or in a gap between them. A flat, controlled trajectory that dips quickly is more uncomfortable to deal with than a high one.

Step 5: Move Forward Immediately

As soon as the ball leaves your racket, move forward in the direction of your shot toward the attacking area. Waiting to see how the opponent responds wastes the initiative the chiquita gave you. The shot only pays off if you follow it forward.

Important

A chiquita without a follow-up step forward rarely achieves anything. Opponents who see you stay back simply reset and attack the next ball.

Where to Aim

The most reliable target is the feet of the player closest to the net, since a ball dipping toward their shoelaces is hard to volley with authority. Aiming at the gap between opponents can also work, because it creates indecision about who should take the ball. Choose a target before you swing rather than just trying to get the ball over softly.

The Chiquita on the Return of Serve

On the return, a chiquita aimed at the server's feet is a popular option, because the server has a larger gap in front of them than their partner and may still be moving forward. The main objective of any return is to keep yourself in the point, so only use a chiquita when it's within your capability, typically on an easier serve and when the opponents aren't already close to the net. If the serve is difficult or the server charges in, a high lob is often the safer choice.

Forehand and Backhand Chiquitas

You can hit a chiquita off either wing, and most players find one side more natural than the other. The principles stay the same: low contact, soft hands, a clear target near the net, and a forward step afterward. Practicing both sides evenly matters, because opponents will quickly notice if you only use the chiquita from your stronger wing and start to anticipate it.

Reading Your Opponents Before You Hit

A quick glance at where your opponents are standing tells you whether a chiquita is a good idea. If they're tight to the net and comfortable, a low ball at their feet makes sense. If they're sitting back, a chiquita may simply let them step in and take control, and a deeper shot or a lob could be a better way to keep them away from the net. Adjusting to what you see, rather than hitting the same shot automatically, is what turns the chiquita from a trick into a tactic.

When Not to Hit a Chiquita

Skip the chiquita if you're close to your back wall and can't realistically reach the attacking area afterward, because opponents have plenty of time to read it and it becomes ineffective. Also avoid it when you're badly off balance or the ball is too high to play a controlled low shot.

Common Chiquita Mistakes

Hitting It Too High

If the ball clears the net with a lot of room to spare, it arrives at opponents' racket height and gets volleyed away. Aim for just over the tape and let the ball drop quickly.

Swinging Too Hard

The chiquita works because it's slow. A big swing adds pace, which makes the ball easier to attack and harder to control.

Forgetting to Follow It Forward

Staying at the baseline after a chiquita gives opponents time to recover and counterattack. Move forward as soon as you've hit it.

Using It Every Time

Opponents who see the same shot repeatedly will anticipate it and attack. Mix in lobs and deeper balls so the chiquita stays effective.

Advice

Practice the chiquita with a partner volleying at the net so you get real feedback. If they can easily put the ball away, yours is too high or too fast.

A Simple Practice Progression

Start by hitting slow, fed balls from the baseline toward a marked target area just past the net, focusing only on soft contact and low trajectory. Next, add a partner at the net who tries to volley what you hit, so you learn to land the ball at their feet. Finally, play short live points where you must follow every chiquita with a step forward.

The chiquita is less about technique than about touch and decision-making: soft hands, a clear target, and the discipline to move forward afterward. Used at the right moments, it turns a difficult low ball into a chance to take the net.

Give it time. Touch shots feel unreliable at first, and many players abandon them after a few missed attempts. A few weeks of patient, low-pressure practice is usually enough to make the chiquita a dependable part of your game.

Tired of lobs that land short and get smashed back?

A better padel lob isn't just a higher one. The lob is one of the most important shots in the game, since it pushes opponents back from the net and gives you time and space to take the net yourself, but a poor lob simply hands the other team an easy overhead. This guide focuses on what separates a good lob from an average one: technique, quality markers, disguise, and targeting, plus drills to build all four.

Why the Lob Deserves Real Practice

A large share of points in padel are won at the net, and the lob is one of the most effective ways to dislodge an opponent who is volleying well. Many players spend most of their practice time on smashes and volleys and treat the lob as something that will take care of itself. In reality, a reliable lob is often what separates intermediate players from advanced ones, because it lets you defend, reset, and attack with the same basic shot.

What Makes a Lob "Better": Four Quality Markers

Height

The ball needs enough height to clear your opponents' reach comfortably. Extra height also tends to bring the ball down closer to the back glass, where there is less rebound for opponents to work with, which makes it harder to attack.

Depth

Depth is arguably the single most important quality. A lob should land beyond the service line, ideally deep enough that the bounce takes it toward the back wall. A lob that lands short, even if it's high, gives opponents time to move under it and hit a strong overhead.

Placement

Where the ball goes matters as much as how high it is. Aim for the player with the weaker overhead, which is often the one on the backhand side, and avoid lobbing toward the side where opponents have a clear angle to attack.

Disguise

A lob that looks exactly like your normal groundstroke until the last moment is much harder to read. When opponents can't tell a lob is coming, they stay close to the net, which makes it easier to get the ball over them.

Note

Depth and height work together. A very high lob that lands short still gets smashed, and a deep but flat lob can be volleyed away. The best lobs combine both.

Technique: Low to High

Preparation and Stance

Prepare as you would for any other shot, taking the racket back and turning your body slightly, but get lower than usual. Bending your knees lets you swing up through the ball from beneath it, which is how the height is created.

Racket Path and Open Face

The swing travels from low to high. Start with the racket in a low position, make contact toward the bottom of the ball with a slightly open racket face, and finish with the racket high, above your head. Under pressure you may need to open the face more to get the height you need.

Use Your Legs, Not Your Whole Body

A common error is lifting the entire body to create height, which leaves you unstable and out of position for the next shot. Let the legs and the swing path produce the height while your upper body stays balanced.

Important

Avoid lobbing when you're badly out of balance if you have another option. A lob hit from an unstable position tends to be a poor one, and it leaves you even more off balance afterward.

Disguise: Same Preparation as Your Drive

The most reliable way to disguise a lob is to prepare exactly as you would for a drive, with the same shoulder turn and racket preparation, and then change only the final part of the swing, lifting the ball up and deep instead of driving it through. Opponents who read a drive will stay near the net, and that's precisely the position you want them in when the ball goes over their heads.

Choosing Your Target

Picking a target is a quick decision that pays off over a whole match. Look for the opponent with the weaker overhead, which is frequently the backhand side, and avoid lobbing the player who clearly has the stronger smash. Also avoid the side where the open angle gives opponents an easy way to hit past you. If you're worried about hitting the ball long, aim a couple of feet inside the back glass rather than at the very edge of the court.

Adjusting for Conditions and Opponents

A lob that works indoors can behave differently outside. Wind can push a high ball long or short, and low sun can make it harder for opponents to track the ball, which you can sometimes use to your advantage. Pay attention in the warm-up to how the ball carries, and adjust your height and depth accordingly rather than relying on how the shot felt on a different court.

Opponents matter too. A tall player with a strong overhead needs more height and better placement than a shorter one, while a team that retreats quickly after every lob may be better handled with more variety, mixing in a few drives and short balls to keep them guessing about what's coming.

Drills to Level Up Your Lob

Static Baseline Lob to a Target

Stand at the baseline and hit high lobs to the back of the opposite court, aiming for a target zone near the back glass. Track how many of ten land in the zone and focus on both height and depth.

Lobbing Under Pressure

Have a partner or coach press at the net while you try to lob over their head. This simulates the tension of a real match and teaches you to keep your disguise and technique when someone is actually threatening to volley your next shot.

Lobbing From an Awkward Position

Practice lobbing from slightly off balance or after a short run, since many real lobs happen under pressure rather than from a perfect setup. The goal is to stay compact and still get enough height and depth.

Common Reasons a Lob Stops Working

If your lobs keep getting punished, check the usual suspects: not enough height, landing short instead of deep, too much power sending the ball long, or a telegraphed swing that lets opponents back away from the net. Filming a few lobs from the side, ideally with a coach, often reveals which one it is faster than guessing.

Advice

Use the lob in rhythm with your other shots. Hit a few drives first so opponents stay close to the net, then lift the ball over them with the same preparation. The contrast is what makes the lob hard to read.

A better lob comes from refining four things at once: enough height, real depth, smart placement, and a swing that doesn't give the shot away. None of it requires extra power. It takes a low-to-high swing path, balanced legs, and a habit of choosing a target instead of just getting the ball over the net.

Treat the lob as a skill worth training in its own right, not a rescue shot. Players who invest in it find they can defend under pressure, reset rallies, and take the net more often, all with the same shot.

Progress with the lob is usually gradual. Track how many of your practice lobs land deep and over the right target each week, and you'll see consistency improve well before the shot feels natural in matches.

Touly announced the decision on social media. She said she simply felt it was time to take another path, one that would make her happier, pointing to the daily demands of the professional circuit: constant travel, ongoing investment and frequent changes of partner. She added that she had no regrets about the adventure and wanted to move forward with more lightness

Touly moved to padel around four years ago after more than twenty years in professional tennis. She reached a career-high world ranking of 70 and became France's number three player. Her record includes several FIP Bronze titles, multiple FIP Silver finals and a bronze medal with the French team at the 2024 European Championships

The runners-up still leave Rotterdam with plenty to build on. Stupaczuk and Sanz, a newly formed partnership, climb to fourth in the world rankings and will be seeded fourth at upcoming tournaments

In the women's final, Ari Sánchez and Andrea Ustero beat Paula Josemaría and Bea González 6/4, 6/4 to follow up their Paris Major title with another trophy. On the way to the final they got past the world number one pair of Triay and Brea in the semi-finals

The win makes Sánchez and Ustero the new world number two pair. For Sánchez it was also a milestone, as Rotterdam marked the 100th final of her professional career

Lobbed at the net and not sure how to keep your position?

The bandeja is padel's most common overhead and one of the hardest shots for new players to learn. Its purpose isn't to win the point outright, it's to keep you at the net after a lob, deny your opponents an easy attack, and turn a defensive moment back into a controlled one. This guide breaks the bandeja down step by step, from the preparation to the recovery, so you can build it properly rather than guessing.

What Is a Bandeja and Why It Matters

The word "bandeja" is Spanish for "tray," a nod to the way the racket is held during the shot, flat and steady like a tray carrying a drink. It sits somewhere between a smash and a forehand volley: more controlled than a full smash, but struck from above, usually on a deep lob. Coaches often call it a "defensive smash" because its main job is keeping your net position rather than ending the rally.

That's why the bandeja matters so much. Pairs at the net win a much higher share of points than pairs stuck at the back, and the bandeja is the tool that lets you hold that position when opponents try to lob you out of it.

Note

Tennis players often find the bandeja especially tricky, since the technique, contact point, and even the goal of the shot differ from a tennis smash. Don't expect your tennis overhead to transfer directly.

When to Use a Bandeja

Use a bandeja when your opponents lob the ball over you and it drops deep enough that a full, aggressive smash would be risky, but high enough to hit from above. It's the standard answer to a decent lob when you want to hold the net and keep control of the point, rather than backing off into defense or forcing a low-percentage winner.

Step-by-Step Technique

Step 1: Turn Sideways Early

As soon as you see a lob coming, turn your body sideways, with your hitting shoulder pointing back toward the rear of the court. Preparing early is the foundation of the entire shot, since everything that follows depends on having time to get into position.

Step 2: Take the Racket Back High

Raise your racket up and back, with the head high and pointing upward, rather than letting it drop low behind you. Starting the swing from above where you'll make contact is what allows you to come down and through the ball with a clean motion.

Step 3: Move Back Fast

A quick backstep to get behind the ball is essential. Move back using bigger, decisive steps rather than lots of tiny ones, and avoid simply watching the ball while it travels. Players who ball-watch usually end up contacting the shot too late and too far back.

Step 4: Make Contact in Front

Contact should happen out in front of your head, roughly at forehead or eye level, not directly above you and certainly not behind you. Contact that's too late robs the shot of forward momentum, and the ball tends to sit up in the middle of the court where opponents can attack it.

Step 5: Brush Through With a Little Slice

Come down and through the ball with a slightly open racket face to create a small amount of slice. You don't need heavy spin, a little is enough to keep the ball low and flat after it bounces. Speed and direction matter more than spin, but a touch of slice helps the ball stay awkward for opponents rather than sitting up.

Step 6: Recover to the Net

As soon as the ball leaves your racket, step forward and reclaim the net. The bandeja buys you time, but it doesn't end the point, so the recovery is almost as important as the shot itself. Every step you take backward past the service line makes getting back into position harder.

Important

If your bandeja has no slice, the ball tends to sit up and invite a counterattack. A small amount of slice isn't optional, it's what makes the shot work as a defensive-attacking hybrid.

Where to Aim a Bandeja

The most reliable targets are the corners and the sidelines, especially angles that force the ball off the side or back glass. A ball that hits glass slows down, which gives you more time to recover your net position, and it also pushes your opponents into an uncomfortable defensive position. Aiming deep, so the ball lands well beyond the service line, keeps opponents from stepping forward to attack.

Bandeja vs Smash vs Vibora

Adjusting for Which Side of the Court You're On

The basic technique stays the same on both sides, but small adjustments help depending on where you're standing. From the right side of the court, for example, coaches often suggest making contact slightly closer to your body and a touch higher, coming around the outside of the ball with a slightly flatter swing. Paying attention to these small differences, rather than assuming one identical motion works everywhere, helps your bandeja feel more natural from both sides.

Staying Patient While You Learn

Few shots in padel take longer to feel natural than the bandeja. It combines precise footwork, early preparation, a specific contact point, and a quick recovery into one fast sequence, and any single piece breaking down can ruin the whole shot. Expect it to feel awkward for a while, and judge your progress over weeks of practice rather than a single session.

Common Bandeja Mistakes

Making Contact Too Late

Letting the ball drop behind your head removes all forward momentum from the shot, usually producing a weak, floating ball. Moving back early enough to meet the ball in front of you fixes most contact problems at the source.

Bending the Elbow and Going Up

Taking the racket back with a bent elbow forces you to swing upward to make contact, which makes producing slice nearly impossible. Keeping the racket above the contact point lets you come down and through the ball naturally.

Hitting Too Hard

Because the bandeja looks like a small smash, many players overswing. Direction and a controlled pace matter more than power, and an overhit bandeja often lands short or out.

Forgetting to Step Forward

Staying where you hit the shot instead of immediately recovering to the net leaves you exposed to the next lob or attack. Treat the step forward as part of the shot itself.

Advice

Film yourself hitting bandejas from the side. Video makes it easy to spot whether you're getting back quickly and making contact in front of your head, two details that are hard to feel in the moment.

Drills to Build Your Bandeja

Start with a partner or coach feeding slow, predictable lobs while you focus purely on the turn, backstep, and contact point, without worrying about target. Once the movement feels natural, add targets: hit ten bandejas down the line, then ten cross-court, then mix them. Finally, add a recovery step after every shot and play out short points, so the bandeja becomes part of a full sequence rather than an isolated skill.

The bandeja takes more repetition than most padel shots to feel natural, and a lot of it is about confidence as much as technique. Be patient with the early sessions, focus on early preparation and a front contact point, and the shot gradually shifts from something you fear into one of the most reliable tools for holding the net.

You can't simply bring a brand-new bandeja into a match and expect it to hold up under pressure. Build it in practice first, with fed balls and low stakes, so that when a real lob arrives mid-rally your body already knows the sequence and you can trust it.

The pop-up is presented by UBS as the newest stop on its regional Padel Series, bringing the sport into one of Singapore's most recognizable public spaces rather than a private club. The International Padel Federation estimates the sport now has more than 38 million players across over 170 countries

Photo: UBS / Gardens by the Bay.

The partnership was announced by David Thomas, co-founder of Manchester Padel Club, together with John Ashley, corporate fundraising manager at The Christie Charity, who said padel fundraising events have grown over the past year as more workplaces look for ways to combine sport and giving back

The FIP World Cup finals will bring together 32 teams — 16 in the men's draw and 16 in the women's — in Qatar from November 2 to 7. Ten places have already been locked in through the 2024 World Championship results and the earlier qualifiers, leaving Kuwait to settle the final two berths before the full lineup is confirmed

Losing your bearings every time the ball comes off the back wall?

Defending the back wall is one of the most disorienting parts of padel for new players, and one of the most valuable skills once it clicks. A ball heading toward the glass looks like trouble to a beginner, but to an experienced player it's simply another shot to read and use. This guide breaks down how to read the bounce, position yourself, and train back wall defense specifically, rather than hoping it improves as a side effect of general play.

Why the Back Wall Behaves Differently Than You Expect

A ball approaching the back wall bounces on the court first, then rebounds off the glass, adding a second change of direction that doesn't exist in open-court sports. That second bounce off the wall usually sends the ball back out at a flatter, faster-feeling angle than players expect the first few times they see it, which is exactly why it causes so much early confusion. Once you've seen the pattern enough times, it becomes predictable rather than alarming.

Reading the Bounce Off the Back Wall

The key to reading a back wall ball is watching where it bounces on the court first, not just tracking the ball itself. A ball that bounces close to the wall will rebound quickly with less traveling distance, while one that bounces further out gives you more time before the wall contact happens. Training your eyes to notice that first bounce point, rather than reacting only once the ball comes off the glass, gives you a meaningful head start.

Note

The wall doesn't add unpredictable spin or randomness to a clean, standard shot. Once you understand the pattern, back wall balls are actually more consistent than many other shots in padel.

Positioning: How Far Back Should You Stand

Standing too close to the back wall leaves no room to step into your shot once the ball rebounds, while standing too far forward means letting a lot of playable balls bounce behind you unnecessarily. A good general starting point is a position that lets you take one or two steps back to meet the wall rebound comfortably, adjusting based on how hard the incoming shot is and how quickly you expect the rebound to arrive.

The Footwork Pattern: Back, Then Forward

Defending the back wall well follows a simple footwork rhythm: move back to let the ball bounce and rebound off the glass, then step forward into the shot as you make contact. Players who stay flat-footed near the wall, waiting passively for the ball to arrive, tend to hit weak, defensive shots with no real weight behind them. That forward step, even a small one, adds control and a bit of pace that a stationary swing simply can't generate.

Important

Resist the urge to back all the way up against the wall. Give yourself room to move forward into the shot, since a cramped swing right next to the glass rarely produces a clean result.

Timing Your Shot Off the Wall

Most beginners rush the shot, trying to hit the ball the instant it comes off the glass, when waiting just a fraction longer for the ball to settle into a more comfortable contact point usually produces a cleaner result. Let the ball finish its rebound and start to drop slightly before making contact, rather than swinging at it while it's still traveling at its fastest, most awkward point right off the wall.

This patience feels counterintuitive at first, since every instinct says to hit the ball as soon as possible once it starts moving toward you again. Trusting the extra half-second, and using it to set your feet and prepare a clean swing, consistently produces better results than the rushed alternative.

Progressive Drills to Master Back Wall Play

Drill 1: Simple Wall Feeds

Have a partner or coach feed balls that bounce and rebound predictably off the back wall while you focus purely on footwork, moving back, then stepping forward into a controlled return. Keep the pace slow and consistent at this stage to build the pattern before adding any variation.

Drill 2: Varying Pace and Height

Once the basic footwork feels automatic, have your partner mix in faster feeds and different bounce heights, forcing you to adjust your timing and positioning on the fly rather than relying on one memorized rhythm.

Drill 3: Live Point Integration

Play out full points that specifically start with a ball hit deep toward the back wall, so you get comfortable handling the situation under the pressure and unpredictability of a real rally rather than only a scripted feed.

Side Wall vs Back Wall: Similar but Different

The same basic reading principles apply to the side walls, but the footwork adjusts since the rebound sends the ball across the court rather than straight back at you. Practicing back wall play first, where the pattern is more straightforward, builds the foundational skill before adding the extra lateral movement that side wall balls demand. Many players find the back wall easier to learn first for exactly this reason.

Building Confidence Through Repetition

Back wall defense is one of those skills that feels genuinely uncomfortable for a long stretch before it suddenly clicks. Players often describe a specific session where the wall "stopped being scary," usually after enough repetitions that the read and footwork pattern became automatic rather than something they had to consciously think through each time. Sticking with focused practice through that uncomfortable early stage matters more here than in almost any other padel skill.

Common Mistakes with Back Wall Defense

Panicking and Rushing the Shot

Treating a ball heading toward the wall as an emergency, rather than a normal shot with a predictable pattern, leads to rushed, poorly timed swings. Padel's walls give you more time to react than an open-court sport would, not less.

Standing Flat-Footed

Waiting passively for the ball to arrive without the back-then-forward footwork pattern produces weak, purely defensive returns with little control or pace. Stepping into the shot matters even on a defensive ball.

Ignoring the First Bounce

Focusing only on the ball once it's already off the wall, rather than reading where it first bounced on the court, wastes valuable early information about timing and speed. Train your eyes to pick up that first bounce point.

Advice

Spend time simply watching balls bounce and rebound off the back wall without trying to hit them, during a warm-up or a partner's practice session. Building a visual sense of the pattern, without the pressure of also swinging, speeds up how quickly the read becomes automatic.

Defending the back wall well comes down to a predictable pattern once you've seen it enough times: read the first bounce, position yourself with room to move forward, and step into the shot rather than standing flat-footed against the glass. What feels chaotic and intimidating in your first few sessions becomes one of the most reliable, almost routine shots in your game with enough dedicated practice.

It's worth remembering that even players who've been on court for years occasionally misjudge a tricky wall bounce, so the goal isn't flawless perfection, it's consistency. Getting the read right most of the time, and recovering calmly on the occasions you don't, is what genuinely competent back wall defense looks like in practice.

Defending champions Coello-Tapia head the 28-pair men's draw as top seeds, ahead of Chingotto-Galán, Lebrón-Augsburger and Navarro-Di Nenno. In the 24-pair women's draw, title-holders Brea-Triay are seeded first, followed by Josemaría-González, Sánchez-Ustero and Fernández-Calvo. Tamara Icardo is missing the event through injury, with Claudia Jensen partnering Claudia Escacena in her place

Feeling stuck on the back foot whenever you're pushed back?

Defending in padel isn't about giving up on a point, it's an active skill that decides whether you survive pressure long enough to turn a rally back in your favor. Good defense relies on positioning, a handful of core techniques, and a patient mindset just as much as attacking play does. This guide covers the fundamentals of defensive padel: the basic rules that shape it, the core techniques, and the footwork and mindset that tie it together.

What "Playing Defense" Means in Padel

Defense in padel generally means responding to pressure, a smash, a strong volley, an attacking shot, in a way that keeps the ball in play and buys time to recover your position. Unlike attacking shots, which aim to win the point outright, defensive shots prioritize height, depth, and safety margin over pace and placement. Playing good defense is often what separates a competitive match from a lopsided one, since it forces opponents to keep working for points rather than winning them easily.

The Rules That Shape Defensive Play

A few specific rules make padel's defensive game different from other racket sports. Once the ball bounces once on your side of the court, it can touch the back wall, a side wall, or both, any number of times, and still be in play as long as you return it before a second bounce. That single rule is what makes padel's walls a genuine defensive tool rather than just a boundary, since a ball that would be a clean winner in an open-court sport often becomes returnable here.

It's also worth remembering that the ball must bounce on the court before touching a wall, not the other way around. A shot that hits the wall first, before bouncing, is a fault, which is why reading the sequence of a ball's path matters just as much as reacting to its speed.

The Basic Defensive Position

When defending from the back of the court, stand with your knees slightly bent, weight balanced on the balls of your feet, and your racket held up and ready in front of you rather than down at your side. This ready stance lets you react quickly in any direction, whether that means stepping forward for a short ball or moving back for one heading toward the wall.

Note

Good defensive positioning isn't about standing as far back as possible. Staying a reasonable distance from the back wall gives you room to move both forward and backward as the situation demands.

Core Defensive Techniques

The Defensive Lob

A high, deep lob is the single most useful defensive shot in padel. It buys time by sending the ball up and back, forcing opponents away from the net, and gives you a chance to reset your position before the next shot arrives. Prioritizing height and depth over any attempt at precision or pace is what makes this shot reliably safe under pressure.

Blocking a Volley Under Pressure

When a fast ball arrives with little time to prepare a full swing, a short, compact block, essentially absorbing the pace rather than adding to it, is usually the safest response. Softening your grip slightly and presenting a stable racket face redirects the ball back into play without needing a large, risky swing.

Using the Walls

Padel's back and side walls are a defensive advantage most new players don't fully appreciate at first. A ball that would fly out of bounds in an open-court sport often stays in play here, bouncing off the glass and giving you extra time to track it and respond. Learning to let the wall do some of the work, rather than panicking and rushing a shot, is a core part of solid defensive technique.

Important

Defensive shots don't need to be perfectly placed. Getting the ball back in play safely matters far more than aiming for a specific target while under pressure.

Footwork for Defense

Defensive footwork is built around small, adjustable steps rather than long, committed strides. A split step just as your opponent makes contact keeps you balanced and ready to move in any direction the ball actually goes, rather than guessing early and getting caught moving the wrong way. After every defensive shot, recover to a central, balanced position instead of standing still to watch where the ball went.

The Mental Side of Defense: Patience Over Panic

Good defense depends as much on mindset as technique. Players under pressure often panic and go for a low-percentage shot to end the point immediately, when a patient, controlled defensive shot would have kept them in the rally and eventually created a better opportunity. Treating defense as a legitimate, valuable part of the point, not just a delay before losing it, is a mental shift that improves defensive results noticeably.

Defense as a Doubles Skill

Since padel is always played in doubles, defending well also means communicating with your partner about who takes which ball and staying connected in position as a pair. A defensive lob that repositions you but leaves your partner exposed, or a shout of "mine" that comes too late, can undo otherwise solid individual defensive technique. Treating defense as a coordinated team effort, not just an individual response, rounds out the skill.

When one player is pulled out of position defending a difficult ball, the other should adjust to cover the gap that movement creates, rather than staying fixed in a spot that made sense before the point developed. This kind of shape-shifting as a pair is what separates teams that defend well together from two individually good defenders who happen to share a court.

Advice

Practice defensive situations specifically, not just as a byproduct of general rallying. Have a partner feed smashes and hard volleys while you focus purely on getting the ball back safely and resetting your position.

Common Defensive Mistakes

Trying to Attack from a Defensive Position

Attempting a risky, aggressive shot while off balance or under heavy pressure usually ends the point immediately with an error. Save the aggressive options for once you've regained control of the point.

Standing Too Close to the Back Wall

Crowding the wall leaves no room to step into a shot or adjust to a ball that bounces closer than expected. A bit of distance from the wall gives you more usable space to work with.

Watching the Ball Instead of Moving Early

Waiting to see exactly where a shot will land before reacting wastes valuable time. Reading your opponent's setup and starting to move before contact gives you the head start good defense requires.

Tensing Up Under Pressure

A tight grip and a rushed swing when a hard shot arrives usually produces a worse result than staying relaxed and trusting a simple, controlled technique. Nerves often cause more defensive errors than the actual difficulty of the ball itself.

Defending well in padel comes down to a handful of reliable habits: a balanced ready position, prioritizing height and depth over risky placement, using the walls calmly rather than fearing them, and staying patient rather than panicking under pressure. None of it demands exceptional athleticism, just the discipline to treat defense as a genuine skill worth practicing on its own, not just something that happens when an attack has already gone wrong.

Strong defense also changes how opponents play against you. Once they realize a smash or a hard volley won't automatically win the point, they're forced to work harder and take more risks to actually finish a rally, which often produces the unforced errors that decide close matches in your favor.

Getting lobbed every time you move up to the net?

Defending against a well-placed lob is one of the trickiest situations in padel, especially when you're at the net and the ball suddenly goes up and over your head. Getting caught flat-footed by a good lob is one of the fastest ways to lose control of a point you were otherwise winning. This guide covers how to read a lob early, decide how to respond, and the specific techniques for defending it well.

Why Lobs Are So Effective Against Net Play

A lob works precisely because it attacks the one direction net players aren't set up to cover: straight up and over their heads. Once you're at the net, your body is naturally oriented forward, expecting a volley, not turned to track a ball rising above you and dropping deep behind. That mismatch between positioning and the incoming ball is exactly what makes a good lob so disruptive, even for experienced players.

Reading the Lob Early

The earlier you recognize a lob is coming, the more options you have. Watch your opponent's racket face and swing path as they prepare, an open racket face and a low-to-high swing are the clearest early signs of a lob rather than a flat groundstroke or a passing shot. Reading this before the ball is actually in the air gives you a crucial head start on turning and tracking it.

Note

Beginners often watch only the ball, which means they notice a lob a split second after it's already committed. Watching the opponent's preparation instead closes that gap significantly.

The Switch: Tracking Overhead Balls at the Net

Once you've identified a lob, turn your hips and shoulders to face the ball directly rather than trying to track it purely with your eyes while facing forward. This turn, sometimes called the switch, lets you move backward efficiently instead of shuffling awkwardly while still facing the net. Keep your eyes on the ball throughout, since losing track of it mid-turn is one of the most common reasons players misjudge where it will actually land.

Deciding Whether to Let It Bounce

Not every lob needs to be played out of the air. If the lob is deep and well-placed, letting it bounce off the court, and potentially the back wall, often gives you a more controlled, better-timed response than lunging to intercept it early. A shorter, more attackable lob is a different story, where moving in to meet it before it bounces, usually with a smash or a bandeja, takes advantage of the opponent's mistake rather than giving them time to recover.

Important

Rushing to hit a deep lob out of the air, before it has a chance to drop or use the back wall, usually produces a worse shot than waiting a moment longer for a cleaner contact point.

Techniques for Returning a Lob That's Gone Over You

The Bandeja

On a lob that's landed at a comfortable height but not high or short enough for a full smash, the bandeja offers a controlled way to hold your net position rather than surrendering it entirely. It's played with less pace and more control than a smash, aimed at keeping you in an attacking posture rather than forcing a low-percentage winner.

The Smash on a Short Lob

A short, high lob that gives you real time to set up is a genuine opportunity to hit an aggressive overhead and potentially end the point outright. Move back with good footwork, get properly underneath the ball, and treat it like any other well-set smash opportunity rather than rushing it just because it started as a defensive situation for your opponents.

The Defensive Lob Back

On a deep, well-placed lob that leaves you off balance or out of position, hitting a defensive lob of your own is often the safest option, buying time to recover rather than forcing a risky shot from an awkward position. This trades the point's momentum rather than losing it outright, keeping the rally alive until a better opportunity appears.

Communicating and Switching Sides with Your Partner

When a lob goes over one player at the net, it's often more efficient for that player's partner to track back and handle it, while the player originally at the net rotates across to cover the space left open. Calling out early, "switch" or "mine," prevents both players from either chasing the same ball or leaving it uncovered, which is one of the more common breakdowns when a lob catches a doubles team off guard.

After the switch, both players need to reset into a new, mirrored position rather than drifting back to their original spots out of habit. Treating the switch as a full positional reset, not just a temporary swap, keeps the team organized for whatever comes next in the rally.

Positioning to Prevent Lobs in the First Place

Standing too close to the net makes you an easier target for a lob, since there's less time and space to track and respond to a ball going over your head. A position roughly one to two steps back from the net gives you a bit more room to turn and track without giving up meaningful control of the volley zone. Adjusting this distance based on how often your specific opponents are lobbing you is a small, practical tactical read worth making during a match rather than sticking rigidly to one fixed spot all game.

Common Mistakes When Defending Against Lobs

Backpedaling Instead of Turning

Trying to run backward while still facing the net is slower and less controlled than turning your body to face the ball directly. Make the turn early rather than backpedaling awkwardly toward where you think the ball will land.

Rushing a Deep Lob

Attempting to smash a deep, well-placed lob before it's had time to drop or use the wall usually produces a rushed, mistimed shot. Give the ball the time it needs before committing to an aggressive response.

Losing Sight of the Ball

Turning your head and body too quickly, without keeping your eyes locked on the ball throughout the movement, often leads to misjudging its landing spot. A controlled turn that keeps the ball in view the entire time is more reliable than a fast, disoriented one.

Advice

Practice the turn and track movement without a racket first, focusing purely on quickly and smoothly facing a lobbed ball. Removing the pressure of also hitting a shot lets you build clean footwork before adding the technical challenge back in.

Drills to Improve Lob Defense

Have a partner or coach feed a mix of short, medium, and deep lobs from the net position while you practice reading each one early and choosing the appropriate response, smash, bandeja, or defensive lob. Once the basic reads feel comfortable, add movement before the feed, forcing you to recover from an off-balance net position before reacting to the lob, which mirrors how these situations actually arise in a live rally.

Defending against lobs well comes down to reading the shot early, turning your body efficiently to track it, and choosing the response that actually matches the specific ball rather than panicking into the same reaction every time. None of it requires exceptional athleticism, just the awareness and footwork habits that turn a potentially disastrous situation into just another shot to handle.

Even strong players get lobbed successfully from time to time, that's simply part of the sport. The goal isn't eliminating every lob against you, it's making sure the ones that do go over don't automatically cost you the point.

Beyond live odds, the partnership covers historical performance data for pre-match and in-play betting, plus personalised video content built to promote tournaments and players through iGame Media's fan engagement tools. "This is a major opportunity for the tour," said Premier Padel commercial vice president Rob Mitchell, noting that iGame Media has tailored its technology to padel's specific format. The deal was announced on September 23 and unveiled jointly at the SBC Summit on September 29

The debut follows padel's recent appearances at the Mediterranean Games and the South American Games. IPF officials called it a step closer to Olympic inclusion, with the federation's Donatella Del Gaudio saying the sport is working hard to make that happen while respecting the Olympic timeline, and describing the Asian Games debut as confirmation of padel's growth worldwide

Want to share your padel on social media but not sure where to start?

Creating padel content for social media doesn't require expensive equipment or a huge following to get started, just a clear idea of what you're making and a consistent way to film it. Padel's visual, dynamic nature makes it naturally suited to short-form video, so the biggest hurdle for most new creators isn't talent, it's figuring out what to actually post and sticking with it long enough to build momentum. This guide covers the practical steps to get started.

Decide What Kind of Padel Content You Want to Make

Most successful padel content falls into a handful of clear categories, and picking one to focus on early makes everything else, filming, editing, posting, much easier to plan around.

Coaching and Tips

Short technique breakdowns, rule explainers, or quick drills are genuinely useful to beginners and tend to get saved and shared more than pure entertainment content. You don't need elite-level skills to make this work, just a clear, correct explanation of something a newer player would want to know.

Highlight Reels and Trick Shots

Dramatic points, impossible gets, and trick shots are the most immediately shareable format, since they need no context to be entertaining. This category rewards good timing and editing more than commentary, since the shot itself is doing most of the work.

Gear Reviews

Racket and shoe reviews, unboxings, and comparisons serve players actively researching a purchase, which makes this content genuinely useful even with a smaller audience. It also tends to attract brand interest once you've built a bit of a following.

Vlogs and Behind-the-Scenes

Documenting your own improvement, a tournament day, or life at your local club builds a more personal connection with an audience than any single highlight clip can. This format takes longer to build an audience but tends to create the most loyal one once it does.

Note

You don't need to pick just one category forever. Many successful padel creators mix formats, but starting with one focus makes it easier to find your voice before branching out.

Filming Basics: Getting Usable Footage on Court

A smartphone is genuinely enough equipment to start, especially with a basic tripod or phone mount to keep shots stable during rallies. Film vertically for platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, and position the camera at the back of the court, roughly at head height, to capture the full width of play without constant reframing. Good natural light, an outdoor court on a bright day or a well-lit indoor one, makes a bigger visible difference than any camera upgrade.

If you're filming yourself playing rather than someone else, a mount positioned outside the court fence, angled to catch as much of the action as possible without needing to be adjusted mid-match, saves you from having to reset the camera between points. A wide-angle lens attachment, a cheap and common phone accessory, can also help capture more of the court from a closer vantage point.

Important

Always ask other players for permission before filming them, especially at a club where you don't know everyone. Not everyone wants to end up in content they didn't agree to be part of.

Editing for Short-Form Platforms

Keep clips tight, most successful padel content runs somewhere between fifteen and sixty seconds, cutting out dead time between points and building to the most exciting moment rather than showing every second of a match. Free editing apps built for short-form video handle trimming, text overlays, and basic music syncing without needing professional software, and captions matter more than people expect, since a large share of viewers watch with sound off.

Content Ideas to Get You Started

Choosing the Right Platform

Instagram Reels and TikTok both reward short, engaging video and reach non-followers through their recommendation algorithms, making them the natural starting point for padel content. YouTube Shorts works similarly for short clips, while a full YouTube channel suits longer-form content like detailed coaching breakdowns or vlogs that don't fit a thirty-second format. Posting the same core clip across multiple platforms, adjusted slightly for each one's format, is more efficient than treating each platform as a completely separate content strategy.

Building Relationships with Clubs and Brands

Once you've built even a modest, consistent following, local clubs are often open to letting you film there in exchange for a mention or tag, since it's free promotion for them. Equipment brands sometimes offer product in exchange for honest reviews once an account demonstrates real engagement, though it's worth being cautious about promoting gear you haven't genuinely tested, since your audience's trust is what makes any future partnership valuable in the first place.

Posting Consistency Matters More Than Perfection

A steady posting schedule, even just two or three times a week, tends to grow an audience faster than occasional, highly polished uploads. Platforms generally reward accounts that post regularly with more consistent reach, and viewers build a habit of checking back when they know new content is coming reliably. Perfectionism that delays posting for weeks usually costs more momentum than the extra polish is worth.

Engaging With the Padel Community

Commenting on other padel creators' content, joining conversations under posts from clubs or coaches, and responding to comments on your own videos all help you become a recognizable part of the wider padel content community rather than an isolated account posting into the void. This kind of engagement often does more for early growth than any single viral clip, since it puts your name and content in front of an audience that's already interested in the sport.

Advice

Study what's already working in padel content, not to copy it exactly, but to understand which formats and hooks are actually getting views right now. Trends shift quickly in short-form video, and yesterday's popular format may not perform the same way today.

Common Mistakes New Padel Creators Make

Filming Only Full Matches

A ten-minute unedited match clip rarely holds attention on platforms built for short, fast content. Pull the best few points out and edit them into something tight instead of posting long, unedited footage.

Ignoring Audio and Captions

Skipping captions or background music makes content feel unfinished and less watchable, especially for viewers scrolling with sound off. Even simple, free tools can add basic captions and music in a couple of minutes.

Giving Up Too Early

Most padel content accounts don't see meaningful growth in the first few weeks, and many creators quit right before consistency would have started paying off. Judge your progress over months, not days, and keep posting even when early numbers look unimpressive.

Creating padel content for social media comes down to choosing a clear format, filming with basic but intentional technique, and posting consistently rather than waiting for a perfect viral idea. The sport's dynamic, visual nature already does a lot of the work, your job is mostly showing up, filming with purpose, and sticking with it long enough for an audience to build.

None of this requires quitting your day job or treating content creation as anything more than a fun side project if that's all you want it to be. Plenty of padel creators post consistently around a full-time job and a regular playing schedule, using content as a way to document their own improvement and connect with other players rather than chasing viral numbers.

Tired of group chats where nobody ever confirms a game?

A padel group chat that actually works is the difference between a friend group that plays every week for years and one that fizzles out after a few enthusiastic months. Most groups don't fall apart because people stop liking padel, they fall apart because organizing a game became more annoying than actually playing one. This guide covers the practical habits that keep a padel group chat useful instead of a source of friction.

Why the Group Chat Matters More Than You'd Think

For most recreational groups, the chat is the entire organizational backbone of the hobby, there's no club membership or automated system handling scheduling for you. A chat that's clear, low-friction, and fair tends to keep a group playing consistently, while a chat plagued by confusion, unanswered messages, or unresolved disputes over who owes court fees quietly drives people to stop responding altogether.

Most groups don't consciously decide to let their chat fall apart, it happens gradually: one unanswered poll, one unresolved cancellation dispute, one week where nobody quite knows who's supposed to book the court. None of these individually ends a group, but they compound over months into exactly the kind of low-grade friction that makes people quietly stop responding to the next scheduling message.

Keep the Purpose Clear From the Start

Decide early whether the chat is purely for scheduling matches or also a general social space for banter, memes, and off-topic conversation. Neither approach is wrong, but a chat that drifts unintentionally between the two often buries important scheduling messages under unrelated chatter, leading to missed games or last-minute confusion about who's actually playing.

Note

If your group wants both social chat and reliable scheduling, consider a pinned message or a separate thread specifically for confirming who's playing each week, so it doesn't get lost in general conversation.

Scheduling: Polls Beat Endless Back-and-Forth

A simple poll with a few date and time options, using a messaging app's built-in poll feature, gets a group to a decision far faster than an open-ended "when's everyone free" message that inevitably produces ten separate replies to sort through manually. Set a clear deadline for responses too, so the poll doesn't stay open indefinitely while the actual court booking window closes.

Posting the same poll on a consistent day each week, say every Sunday evening for the following week's games, also builds a predictable rhythm that members start to anticipate rather than needing a fresh reminder every single time. That small bit of routine does a lot to keep response rates high over the long run.

Handling Cancellations and No-Shows Fairly

Nothing kills a padel group chat's goodwill faster than unclear expectations around late cancellations or no-shows, especially once real money for a booked court is involved. Agree on a simple, explicit rule early: a cancellation inside a certain window, say 24 hours, means that player still owes their share of the court fee unless they find a replacement themselves. Having this rule stated once, rather than negotiated fresh every time someone bails, avoids a lot of awkward conversations later.

Important

Set cancellation expectations before a dispute happens, not after. Trying to establish a fair rule in the middle of an argument about a specific missed payment rarely goes well for group morale.

Rotating the Organizer Role

Many padel groups quietly rely on one person to book courts, chase payments, and post the weekly poll, and that person often burns out or drifts away eventually, taking the group's momentum with them. Rotating who takes on organizing duties, even informally, month to month spreads the effort more evenly and makes the group's survival less dependent on a single person staying enthusiastic and available indefinitely.

A simple rotation, whoever hosted last month passes the job on, works well enough for most groups without needing a formal schedule. The goal isn't perfect fairness in who organizes how often, it's just making sure the responsibility doesn't quietly calcify onto one increasingly resentful person.

Keeping the Chat Fun Without Losing Focus

A group chat that's purely transactional, booking confirmations and nothing else, tends to feel less like a community and more like an obligation. A bit of banter, sharing a good rally clip, or celebrating a win keeps the social glue that makes people actually want to show up. The key is balance: enough personality to keep it enjoyable, without letting genuinely important logistics get lost in the noise.

Using Booking Apps Alongside the Chat

Many groups combine a messaging app for social coordination with a padel booking app for the actual court reservation, since booking platforms often handle payment splitting and confirmations more smoothly than a plain group chat. Sharing the booking link directly in the chat once numbers are confirmed, rather than leaving one person to sort out payments manually afterward, removes another common source of friction.

Welcoming New Members Without Disrupting the Group

Adding a new player to an established group chat works best with a bit of intentional introduction rather than just dropping them in silently. A short message explaining who they are, how they know the group, and a quick note pointing them to the pinned rules helps a newcomer feel welcome and understand expectations immediately, rather than guessing at unwritten norms the existing members have long since taken for granted.

Setting Simple Ground Rules

A handful of explicit, agreed-upon rules prevents most of the friction that slowly kills group chats: how far in advance people need to confirm, what happens with late cancellations, who's responsible for booking each week, and how payment gets split and collected. Writing these down once, even informally in a pinned message, saves the group from repeatedly re-litigating the same small disagreements.

When to Split Into Multiple Chats

Once a group grows beyond roughly eight to twelve regular players, a single chat often becomes noisy and hard to follow, with multiple sub-groups trying to schedule different sessions in the same thread. At that point, splitting into smaller chats organized by day, skill level, or specific playing pod, while keeping one larger group for general announcements, usually keeps things more manageable than trying to coordinate everyone in a single sprawling conversation.

Resist splitting too early, though. A chat with only five or six people rarely needs this kind of structure, and adding it prematurely can make a small, tight-knit group feel unnecessarily formal.

Advice

Pin a short "how this group works" message covering scheduling, payment, and cancellation rules. New members who join later can read it in seconds instead of learning the unwritten rules the hard way.

A padel group chat that actually works usually isn't the one with the most jokes or the fastest replies, it's the one with clear, low-friction habits around scheduling, payment, and expectations. A little upfront structure, a scheduling poll, a stated cancellation policy, a rotating organizer, does more to keep a group playing together for years than any amount of enthusiasm in the first few weeks.

Most of these habits take only a few minutes to set up once, whether that's pinning a rules message or creating a recurring poll template, but they save the group from repeating the same small frustrations every single week. That upfront investment is almost always worth it for a group hoping to still be booking courts together a year or two down the line.

Hitting good shots at the wrong moments?

Choosing the right shot in padel is often more important than executing any single shot perfectly. Padel offers a wide range of options at almost every moment, a lob, a smash, a controlled volley, a groundstroke down the line, and picking the wrong one at the wrong time causes far more unforced errors than poor technique alone. This guide breaks down the factors that should actually drive your shot selection and how to apply them in common situations.

The Factors That Should Drive Your Shot Choice

Ball Height

A ball above shoulder height opens up aggressive options like a smash or an attacking volley, while a ball below net height calls for a more controlled, defensive shot like a lob or a soft, safe return. Trying to attack a low ball aggressively is one of the most common ways players turn a manageable situation into an unforced error.

Your Court Position

Where you're standing changes what's actually available to you. From the baseline, you generally have more time and should prioritize depth and consistency. Near the net, you have less time but far more angle to work with, favoring shorter, more decisive volleys over big swings.

Your Opponents' Position

A shot aimed at open space behind an out-of-position opponent is a completely different decision than the same shot hit toward a player who's set and ready. Reading where your opponents are, not just where the ball is, should shape which shot actually makes sense in that moment.

The Score and Situation

A risky shot attempted on a comfortable lead carries a different cost than the same shot attempted at a critical point in a close game. Adjusting your willingness to take risks based on the score, rather than playing every point identically, is a subtle but real part of good shot selection.

Note

Shot selection is a skill you can train separately from technique. Watching a rally and mentally choosing what you would have played, even without a racket in hand, builds this decision-making faster than most players expect.

Choosing a Shot from the Baseline

From the back of the court, your main choices are usually a deep groundstroke to maintain control of the point, a lob to reset the position if your opponents are pressing at the net, or, occasionally, a passing shot if a genuine gap has opened up. Depth should usually take priority over placement from this position, since a deep, controlled shot buys time and limits your opponents' options far more reliably than an ambitious, low-percentage winner.

Choosing a Shot at the Net

At the net, your options shift toward volleys, angled or otherwise, and controlled overheads on any ball that gives you time to set up. The decision here usually comes down to how much time and space you actually have: a fast, difficult ball calls for a simple, controlled block back into play, while a slower, easier one opens the door to a more aggressive, angled put-away.

Important

Don't choose a shot based on what would look impressive. The best players consistently pick the option with the highest chance of success, not the flashiest one available in that moment.

Choosing a Shot Off the Back Wall

A ball coming off the back or side wall adds another layer to the decision, since the rebound changes both timing and trajectory. In most cases, a controlled shot that simply gets the ball back over the net with reasonable depth is the right call here, since trying to generate an aggressive winner off a wall rebound, especially before you've fully read its angle, carries a much higher error rate than the situation usually justifies.

Shot Selection in Doubles: Factoring In Your Partner

Since padel is always played in doubles, the right shot isn't only about you and your opponents, it's also about where your own partner is standing and what they can cover afterward. A shot that leaves your partner exposed at the net, even if it's technically a good option in isolation, can backfire if the return comes back into space neither of you can reach. Factoring in your partner's position takes shot selection from an individual decision to a genuinely tactical, team-based one.

Building Shot Selection Instincts Through Practice

Good shot selection develops through repeated exposure to realistic situations, not through memorizing a set of rules. Live-ball drills, where a coach or partner feeds varied balls and you have to choose and execute a shot under some time pressure, build this instinct far more effectively than isolated technical drills alone. Over time, the pause between seeing the ball and choosing a shot shrinks, until good decisions start happening almost automatically.

When in Doubt, Choose the Safer Option

If two shots seem roughly equally available and you're genuinely unsure which is better, default to the safer, more controlled one. A rally that continues gives you another chance to find a better opportunity, while a low-percentage shot that misses ends the point immediately with nothing gained. This bias toward safety matters especially for less experienced players still developing consistent technique, since the margin for error on riskier shots is much smaller than it looks from the outside.

Common Shot Selection Mistakes

Picking the Same Shot Regardless of Situation

Some players default to one favorite shot, a smash, a hard drive, regardless of whether the situation actually calls for it. Varying your shot choice based on the specific ball and position in front of you, rather than a fixed habit, produces far better results over a full match.

Ignoring Where Opponents Are Standing

Choosing a shot based purely on the ball in front of you, without considering where your opponents are positioned, wastes information that could make an obvious decision even clearer. A quick glance at their positioning before committing to a shot takes almost no time and often changes the right choice entirely.

Overvaluing Power

Defaulting to the hardest possible shot in situations that call for control instead usually produces more unforced errors than winners. Save maximum power for the moments that clearly justify it, a high, short ball with time to set up, rather than treating every opportunity the same way.

Deciding Too Late

Waiting until the last possible instant to decide which shot to play often forces a rushed, compromised swing regardless of which option you eventually choose. Reading the situation and starting to commit to a decision earlier, even while the ball is still in the air, gives your body more time to execute whatever shot you settle on cleanly.

Advice

After a match, think back on two or three points that didn't go your way and ask honestly whether the shot you chose, not just how you executed it, was the right one for that situation. This kind of review builds shot selection faster than practice alone.

Good shot selection in padel comes down to reading a handful of factors quickly and consistently: the height of the ball, your position, your opponents' position, and the situation in the match. None of it requires exceptional talent, just the habit of pausing, even for a split second, to choose the shot that actually fits the moment rather than the one that comes most naturally out of habit.

Over a full season, the players who improve fastest are often the ones who spend as much time thinking about which shot to play as they do practicing how to play it. Technique gets you the ability to execute a shot cleanly, but selection is what decides whether that shot was ever the right choice to attempt in the first place.

In the women's final, Bea Caldera and Carmen Goenaga beat Martina Fassio and Águeda Perez 6-1, 6-3 to claim the title without dropping a single set all week

Not sure which level to sign up for in a social match?

Choosing the right padel level for a social match comes down to honest, specific self-assessment, not how many months you've been playing or how confident you feel after a good session. Levels are usually defined by concrete markers like ball control, shot variety, and how you handle the walls, not time on court. This guide breaks down the common level categories and how to figure out which one actually describes your game.

Why Padel Levels Aren't About Time Played

Two players who started padel the same month can end up at very different levels within a year, depending on how often they play, whether they've had coaching, and what other racket sports they bring experience from. Levels describe what you can actually do on court right now, consistent ball control, shot selection, wall play, tactical awareness, rather than how long you've technically been a padel player. Someone who played competitive tennis for a decade might reach an intermediate padel level within months, while a complete newcomer to racket sports could take considerably longer to reach the same point.

The Four Broad Categories

Most rating systems, whether used by clubs, apps, or coaches, group players into four broad bands. The National Padel Rating Program, a widely used self-assessment scale, defines these as Beginner (1.0 to 2.5), Intermediate (2.6 to 4.0), Advanced (4.1 to 5.5), and Elite (5.6 to 7.0), each further split into two sub-levels.

Beginner

Beginners are still building basic ball control and consistency, often struggling with accuracy and reacting to faster rallies. Positioning and court awareness are limited, and serves tend to be basic or inconsistent. Within this band, an early "exploratory" beginner is just learning the rules and getting comfortable making contact, while a more "foundational" beginner can sustain a short rally and knows the basic serve rules.

Intermediate

Intermediate players have gained real confidence in their groundstrokes and can sustain longer rallies with basic tactics. Volleys and net play have improved, serves are more varied and effective, and there's a growing ability to read an opponent's shot before it arrives. Many intermediate players are starting to compete in friendly matches or entry-level tournaments.

Advanced

Advanced players show strong shot precision and variety, along with effective use of the walls for both attack and defense. At this level, players can dictate the pace of a point rather than just reacting, execute more complex shots, and handle long, intense rallies without their technique breaking down under pressure.

Elite

Elite players compete at a serious competitive standard, county, national, or professional level. They make very few unforced errors, can execute a full range of shots including bandeja, vibora, and other overhead variations with consistency, and can defend difficult double-glass rebounds regardless of spin. This band represents a small fraction of the overall player base.

Note

Exact rating scales and cutoffs vary by platform and country. Treat the bands above as a general guide rather than an exact standard every club or app follows identically.

Sub-Levels: The Finer Gradations Within Each Band

Each broad category typically splits into two narrower sub-levels, since the difference between someone right at the bottom of "intermediate" and someone approaching "advanced" can still be significant. Within the beginner band, for example, an early "exploratory" player is still learning the rules and basic contact, while a "foundational" beginner can already sustain a short rally and serve legally. Paying attention to these finer gradations, not just the broad label, helps you find a more precisely matched game than the four-category system alone provides.

Reassessing Your Level as You Improve

Your level isn't fixed once you settle on it. Revisit your self-assessment every few months, especially after a stretch of regular play or coaching, since players often underestimate how much they've improved simply because the change happened gradually. On the flip side, an extended break from the sport can mean your actual level has dropped a little, even if your saved rating hasn't been updated to reflect that.

How Numeric Rating Scales Work

Most padel apps and clubs use a numeric scale, often running from around 1.0 to 7.0, to give a more precise picture than a simple beginner-to-elite label. These scales are usually self-assessed initially, through a short questionnaire, and then adjust over time based on actual match results once you start logging games. Some platforms recalibrate more aggressively in your first several matches, since the system needs real data to place you accurately before it can settle into a stable number.

Important

A self-assessed rating is only as useful as your honesty when filling it out. Overstating your level to access more competitive social matches usually just leads to the exact mismatched games rating systems are meant to prevent.

Self-Assessment Questions to Find Your Level

Ask yourself a few concrete questions rather than relying on a general impression: Can you sustain a rally of ten or more shots without an unforced error? Are your volleys and net play a genuine strength, or still a work in progress? Have you started reading and using the back wall confidently, or does a ball heading toward it still make you nervous? Your honest answers to questions like these place you far more accurately than simply guessing based on how many months you've played.

Levels Aren't Universal Across Clubs and Apps

A level 4 at one club or on one app doesn't always match a level 4 somewhere else, since rating scales, questionnaires, and local playing standards vary. If you're new to a specific club or platform, it's worth playing a couple of sessions at your best guess and adjusting based on how those matches actually feel, rather than assuming a rating from a different system will translate exactly.

What to Do If You're Between Two Levels

Many players sit right on the border between two bands, solid intermediate groundstrokes but still-developing net play, for example. In that case, it's generally safer to register for the lower of the two levels for social matches, since a slightly easier game is a better experience for everyone involved than being consistently overmatched in a game that turns out too advanced.

Advice

If you're unsure, ask a coach or a more experienced regular playing partner for an honest assessment. An outside perspective is often more accurate than your own self-rating, especially early on.

Why Getting Your Level Right Matters for Social Matches

Social matches, whether booked through an app's open match feature or organized by a club, rely on players describing themselves accurately to work well. Choosing a level that genuinely matches your game means better, more competitive matches for you and everyone you play with, while an inflated or understated level tends to produce exactly the one-sided, unsatisfying games these systems are designed to prevent.

Finding the right padel level comes down to honest, specific self-reflection rather than guesswork: your actual rally length, your comfort with volleys and the walls, and your tactical awareness, not the number of years since you picked up a racket. Getting it right, and adjusting as your game genuinely improves, is what keeps social matches fair and fun for everyone involved.

There's no prize for claiming a higher level than you actually play at, and no shame in an accurate lower one either. The whole point of a level system is to get you into matches you'll actually enjoy, close, competitive, and rewarding regardless of which band you land in.

Not sure which padel club is right for you?

Choosing a padel club that fits your lifestyle matters more than picking the one with the newest courts or the biggest name. A club that's inconvenient to reach, priced in a way that doesn't match how often you'll actually play, or focused on a different kind of atmosphere than you're looking for will struggle to become a real part of your routine, no matter how nice the facilities are. This guide covers the practical factors worth weighing before you commit.

Location and Commute Matter More Than You Think

A slightly less impressive club five minutes from home or work will almost always get used more consistently than an excellent one that requires a thirty-minute drive. Padel sessions are easy to skip when the commute feels like a chore, so weigh proximity heavily, even against a club with better courts or a bigger reputation further away.

Note

Think about your realistic commute at the times you'd actually play, not just the distance on a map. A club that's ten minutes away at midday might be twenty-five minutes away during evening traffic.

Membership vs Pay-As-You-Go Pricing

Clubs generally offer either a membership model, a recurring fee that often includes discounted or included court time, or a pay-as-you-go structure where you book and pay per session. If you already know you'll play consistently, a membership usually works out cheaper over time. If your schedule is unpredictable or you're still deciding how often padel will fit into your life, pay-as-you-go avoids locking you into a commitment before you know it's the right one.

Indoor vs Outdoor Courts

Outdoor courts are common in warmer climates and often cheaper to build, but they're subject to weather, wind, and seasonal availability. Indoor courts cost more to maintain and often carry a higher price, but they guarantee consistent conditions and let you play year-round regardless of the forecast. If reliable scheduling matters more to you than saving money, or if you live somewhere with real winters, an indoor club is usually worth the premium.

Important

Check a club's weather and cancellation policy for outdoor courts before joining, not after a rained-out booking. Policies vary significantly on refunds and rescheduling.

Peak Hours and Your Own Schedule

A club that looks perfect on paper is far less useful if courts are never actually available at the times you can play. Before joining, check how easy it is to book a court during your realistic playing windows, evenings after work, weekend mornings, or whatever fits your schedule, since a popular club with limited courts can mean booking days in advance just to get a decent slot.

Coaching Quality and Beginner Programs

If you're new to padel or still developing your game, the quality and availability of coaching should weigh heavily in your decision. Ask about group lesson structures, whether beginner-specific sessions exist, and how easy it is to book individual coaching if you want it later. A club with excellent courts but no real coaching infrastructure isn't much help if structured improvement is part of why you're joining.

Social Atmosphere vs Competitive Focus

Clubs vary quite a bit in culture, some lean heavily social, with regular mixers, casual leagues, and a relaxed atmosphere, while others cater more to competitive players chasing rankings and serious tournament play. Neither is better, but a mismatch between a club's culture and what you're actually looking for tends to show up quickly. If you're after weekly social games with friends, a club built around competitive ladders might feel like the wrong fit, and vice versa.

Amenities That Affect Your Experience

Parking availability, changing rooms, showers, and an on-site café or bar might seem like minor details, but they add up over months of regular visits. If you're coming straight from work, a place to change and shower matters more than it might seem when you first tour a club. If you're bringing family along, a comfortable area for them to wait, or even a kids' area, can make the difference between padel being a solo outing and a shared family activity.

A café or bar area also matters more than it seems for the social side of the sport. Clubs with a comfortable place to linger after a match tend to build stronger member communities, since players naturally stick around for a drink or a chat rather than heading straight home the moment the final point is played.

Trial Periods and Guest Passes

Many clubs offer a free or discounted trial period, a single guest pass, or a short-term membership specifically so new members can test the fit before committing to a longer contract. Take advantage of these whenever they're available, since a club's marketing materials and a single tour rarely reveal what a normal Tuesday evening actually feels like once real members and real booking pressure are factored in.

How Court Availability Changes by Season

Demand for courts, especially outdoor ones, often shifts significantly with the seasons. A club that has plenty of open slots in the off-season might become nearly impossible to book during peak months, so ask specifically about availability during the time of year you'll be playing most, not just whatever the situation looks like when you're touring the club.

Checking the Booking System Before You Commit

Most clubs use a specific booking app, and it's worth checking which one before joining, especially if you already use a particular app for finding open matches or tracking a skill rating. Joining a club that uses an unfamiliar or clunky booking system adds friction to something that should be simple, while one that matches an app you already use makes booking and finding games noticeably smoother.

Advice

Book a trial session or a single court rental before committing to a membership. A short visit reveals far more about a club's actual atmosphere, booking ease, and court quality than a website or a phone call ever will.

Questions to Ask Before Joining

Before signing up, ask a club directly about cancellation and refund policies, how far in advance you typically need to book during peak hours, what coaching options exist beyond group lessons, and whether they run any social events or leagues you could realistically join. Getting clear answers to these questions upfront prevents the common experience of joining somewhere that looks great on a first visit but turns out to be a poor fit once real scheduling and cost realities set in.

Talking to current members, rather than only staff, often surfaces details a sales conversation won't mention: how hard it actually is to get a weekend slot, whether the community feels welcoming to newcomers, or whether the coaching lives up to what's advertised.

The right padel club isn't necessarily the nicest one nearby, it's the one that actually fits how, when, and why you want to play. Weighing location, pricing structure, court type, coaching, and culture against your own realistic habits will do more for how long you stick with the sport than any single amenity or flashy court design.

It's also worth remembering that the right club can change as your own habits and priorities shift. A beginner-friendly, social club might be exactly right in your first year, while a more competitive setup could make more sense once you're chasing rankings or league play a few years later. Choosing well now doesn't mean the decision has to last forever.