Tips for Beginning Padel Players

What are important tips for beginning padel players?

Of course you always have things that are useful to know when you start a sport. That’s what I’m going to talk about here. First of all, it is nice to have a beginners racket. As a beginner it is good to start with a racket that plays relatively easily. This means you are less likely to make unnecessary mistakes and you will learn the technique more easily. There are 3 different racket shapes, the round racket shape is recommended for beginners.

Youtube

Watching videos about the sport of padel can help you enormously with your own game. There are many videos on youtube that can help you with your game. You can get inspiration from it and find a lot of technique and tactics. Also check out professional competitions, you will find the coolest and most beautiful rallies here. You will immediately feel like getting back on the track.

Warm up

Make sure you are warm before playing intense matches. And yes, even with a friendly game it can get intense. So make sure you warm up well and take it easy. While playing padel you have to move a lot and there will be some strain on your muscles and joints. I see it happen a lot and I do it unconsciously myself sometimes. Start immediately without any warm up. This can lead to various injuries and this would of course be a shame.

Make sure you have a steady buddy

Padel is a team sport. The player standing next to you is a big part of your game. So find a partner that you can play with. You get used to each other and you start to trust each other. A good team spirit can certainly determine whether you win or lose a match. Align your techniques and tactics and motivate each other. You will learn what your partner’s weaknesses are and also exactly what the strong parts of the game are.

Don’t just use a smash

Using a smash can be a good option in many cases. However, in padel it works slightly differently than, for example, during tennis. For example, when paddelling, a lob may be more useful. With this you can, for example, save time and reposition. You can then put pressure and take the net position.

Most points are scored during padel at the net position. The ‘lob’ can be used by passing the ball over your opponent and forcing the opponent back. As soon as the opponent walks backwards, you can now put pressure on them by taking the net position yourself. Once you are repositioned and standing at the net you can make it difficult for the opponent and start playing offensively. The opponent will then also try to force you back to the back of the field. So choose the right moments, and playing defensively can also be a very good tactic! It is up to you and your buddy where your strength lies.

Positioning

What often goes wrong with beginners is that players  get stuck at the back of the field. If you want to defend this is not necessarily a bad thing but keep in mind that the most points are scored on the field. So do not always stay behind and certainly do not stay behind the service line all the time. Try to attack, communicate this with your partner as well. Step at the same time to the net position when the time is right.

conclusion

As a beginner it is wise to stand on the court for a few hours before you start practicing different strokes in a competition. Focus on the above tips first before making it very difficult for yourself at the beginning. Strikes like the ‘bandeja’ or ‘vibora’ are not the easiest. You will automatically realize when it is time to start using it or, for example, take some lessons so that you immediately get the right technique

Finally, it is always useful if you read the rules in advance. If you know the rules you can play a game and then you also get a feel for the rules and you know what to watch out for. Read our blog about the rules of the padel game if you are more interested!