How to Improve Your Padel Game Faster?
Padel is an easy sport to practice, but it is complicated to master. You see a lot of players reach a good level, but it takes them an eternity to rise to the next one.
You have surely said or heard, “But they were not better than us!” after losing a padel game. This might be true, but it is the small details that decide the result of a padel game.
Total Padel experts share 9 tips that will help you improve your padel skills faster and win against players better than you!
1 - Use the Correct Padel Gear
Using a heavy padel racket, not wearing padel shoes, and having an overused overgrip are factors that might limit your improvement. Your padel performance depends a lot on the equipment that you use.
For rackets, there’s no perfect one, as every game style requires a different type of racket, and choosing the right padel racket is essential to reach your highest performance. Brands offer a variety of models that have different materials, weights, shapes, balances, and technologies to satisfy the needs of every padel player. Check out our guide "How to Choose a Padel Racket?" to find "the one" for your needs: the ideal padel racket to improve your game faster.
Padel is also full of fast movements, jumps, changes of direction, and sprints. You can’t use any shoes on padel courts. Even if some tennis shoes can work for padel, we recommend using padel shoes to ensure fast changes of direction, stability, and explosive movements. Wearing the right padel shoes will also help prevent slipping and getting injured on the court.
If you are not sure of what padel gear you need, Total Padel experts will be pleased to give you advice. Please send an email to info.en@totalpadel.com or contact us via +44 (0) 204 525 3604. We will be more than happy to help!
2 - Warm Up Like a Pro
Many padel players consider a five-minute warm-up enough to play at full intensity, which is one of the main reasons for losing the first set and the match as well.
Try to get ready 20 minutes before your match, and devote 10-15 minutes of warm-up exercises for your arms, shoulders, neck, and legs. You will see how energetic you feel and how able you are to concentrate and be decisive from the match's first point.
Warming up has two primary purposes:
- To get your body "ready" to perform at your best when the game starts (no need to give away the first two or three games to warm up).
- To avoid injuries due to unexpected sudden movements when the game begins.
There's always someone who's going to say, "But professional players warm up exchanging balls for five minutes and then they are on fire!"
We are sorry to disappoint you, but professional players start warming up one hour before the game on another court.
The five minutes of the warm-up are done to get used to the bounce of the court and the general atmosphere of the venue. The players are not even checking the level of their opponents to decide on a tactic (because they did it a long time ago).
3 - Patience Is Bitter, But Its Fruit Is Sweet
A padel game is made of a set of points. Winning or losing depends on how many points you get, not how beautifully you play or how many trick shots you try.
When the levels are very close, what makes the difference is patience, how many errors you make, and how many gift points you offer up.
In high-level competitions or amateur games, the winning team is the one that makes fewer errors. Good players don't usually opt for high-risk shots when the most important thing is to put the ball back on the other side of the court.
Shots with a lot of risks are very beautiful to see. Your opponents and the crowd will be wowed, but what is the point of making that trick shot one time and missing nine others? You should understand that consistency and patience are the keys to taking your padel game to the next level.
From now on, try to be patient, avoid unforced errors, and focus on putting the ball back in the court. You will immediately see a huge improvement in your level.
4 – To the Middle!
In padel, most of the shots you hit should be directed to the middle of the court. There are several reasons for this, and one of them is related to the previous tip (patience). Shots to the side of the court are riskier than those down the middle.
On another side, shots to the middle will encourage your opponents to move more and open zones of the court. This will open more space and angles for your next shots. It can also be a source of confusion for your opponents, since both players might rush towards the ball or just let it pass, thinking that their partner will hit it. That’s why you should focus your shots to the middle in both offensive and defensive positions.
5 – Lob, Lob, and Lob
There are a lot of special shots with different techniques and purposes in padel, but the lob is the most used shot in this sport. Mastering this shot and making it your most common choice is crucial.
The lob will not only give you some time to breathe when you’re defending, but it also allows you to get the net position by pushing your opponents to the back. It will give you some time to recover from your defensive position and slow the rhythm of the game.
To hit a good lob, aim to the backhand side of the players. Check the pictures below to know why:
Situation 1: Player A will get the ball very close to the fence or behind the head,
making it very hard to perform a proper overhead.
Situation 2: Player B will either need to hit a backhand volley or move to the middle to hit an overhead. This will open space for your next shot.
It might happen that player A will rush towards the ball, which will also open space on the side.
Remember that your lob has to be as deep as possible to make it hard for your opponents. Moreover, the higher your lob is, the closer to the glass it will be, but be careful with the roof if you’re playing indoors.
6 – The Wall Is Your Friend
In padel, your opponents can hit very powerful shots, but the walls are there to help you reach every ball. Don’t forget that the walls are made to support you and make your task easier.
It feels natural to hit the ball before reaching the glass in the beginning, but you should know that by letting the ball bounce, its speed will reduce and you’ll get more time to think and prepare for the next shot.
The walls will always give you an extra chance to recover and possibly counterattack.
You will become a great defender and improve your padel skills if you learn how to defend using the walls. Your opponents will struggle to win a point against you. Trust the walls; they will never let you down.
7 – Support Your Partner
Padel is a doubles game. In a doubles game, your performance is not the only factor deciding the score. You make a team with a partner. You win together, and you lose together.
It might happen that your partner is not having a good day. Complaints or negative facial remarks will only make them go deeper into their bad performance. It’s very important to trust your partner no matter what happened. Show them that you rely on them, make them feel supported, and tell them that you completely believe in them. This will give them wings!
Always communicate with your partner and encourage each other. This will improve your overall performance.
8 – Move!
If you watch high-level competitions, you see the players moving all the time, always ready for the next shot, and anticipating the direction of the ball.
Think about moving even if you’re not getting the ball. From a physical aspect, your muscles and cells will stay awake and alert. This will also boost your concentration and awareness about how the point is going. Poor footwork means arriving too late to the ball and a less effective shot as a result.
You will transmit confidence to your partner, feeling that you’re motivated and ready all the time. It will cause doubt in your opponents’ minds, seeing that their shots are not bothering your mindset.
9 – Enjoy!
Even during the hardest moments of the padel game, don’t forget to enjoy the beauty of this sport. Appreciate the fun and pleasure that this game is giving you. Relax and give everything you have. When you leave the court, be sure to be satisfied and grateful.
Padel is an amazing activity. We are lucky to live in the growth era of padel. Always be strong and motivated, and make every moment in a padel court memorable.
You now have all the keys to improve your padel skills and to rise to the next level.
Total Padel is proud to accompany you on your padel journey. With our top-quality products, qualified experts’ team, and interesting content, we will be glad to assist you in anything related to padel. Please send an email to info.en@totalpadel.com or contact us via +44 (0) 204 525 3604. We will be more than happy to help!