10 tips to improve at padel

Padel takes a few minutes to pick up, but improving requires a few good habits. Here are ten concrete tips to step up, win more points and enjoy the court even more.

The fundamentals

Before technique, these principles make the difference from the very first games.

• Favour positioning over power: in padel, being well placed pays more than hitting hard.
• Be patient: build the point and wait for the opponents' mistake rather than going for everything.
• Tame the walls: let the ball bounce and use the glass to return it.
• Aim at the opponents' legs and feet, areas that are hard to defend.

Team play

Padel is a doubles sport: coordination is essential.

• Communicate constantly with your partner, by voice and by sight.
• Move forward and back together: stay on the same line so you leave no gap.
• Move to the net whenever you can: that is where most points are won.

Technical progress

To step up, work on these points consistently.

• Polish your serve: steady and well placed, it applies pressure straight away.
• Work on the bandeja, the transition shot that lets you keep the net.
• Play regularly and, if possible, take a few lessons: an outside eye speeds up progress.

The best shortcut to improve: play often, watch the best players and favour positioning over force.

And above all, have fun

Progress comes with enjoyment and consistency. Vary your partners, play on different courts, and why not during a padel holiday in the sun: nothing beats a week of intensive play to reach a new level.