If you have been invited to your first padel match, or you are just starting out, these 10 tips for a better padel game will set you up to really enjoy your padel game, and will serve you well as a beginner just starting to get into the game.

If you are new to the world of padel (or padel tennis as some call it!) it will often be overwhelming. The most important thing to remember is to enjoy the game, ask questions from the more experienced players, and learn as you go along.

By implementing these 10 tips you will be playing at a comfortable level in no time!

Our top 10 tips for a more enjoyable padel game

1. Learn the basic rules

The rules of padel are pretty easy to follow. By understanding them you will quickly be able to fill into matches and ensure you are making the correct calls. It is not about knowing the in-depth rules, but if you know the basics around the game it will be more enjoyable for you.

Understanding the rules also allows you to make shots you wouldn’t otherwise. By knowing how to apply the rules you give yourself a great advantage on the court.

We have made a simple and handy guide to the basic rules of padel here.

2. Practice your serve

Before you start your match you will have a warm up. Take this time to practice a few serves. A well taken serve can put your team in a handy position to win the point.

The service basics:

• Keep your feet behind the service line
• You will serve diagonally across court
• The ball must bounce before you hit it
• Hit the ball at, or below, waist height
• The ball can bounce in the opponent’s’ side and hit the glass but not the fence
• You have two service opportunities
• Discuss your serve with your partner to best setup the point as a team to win

3. Get your grip right

Just as with most sports, there are many different variations on grip that you can take. The most common grip is the continental grip. The continental grip in padel will give you the most shot variation, and also allow for more advanced shots at a later stage.

4. Get a feel for the equipment

Your first few padel matches will most likely be with rental equipment. During warmup make sure you get comfortable with the feel of the racket and padel balls. Most tennis and squash players are surprised by the feel of the racket at their first try. Most beginner players will not notice a massive difference between the different rackets and balls available. Ensure you are playing with the correct padel ball (low vs high altitude).

If you have your own equipment, make sure you get comfortable with it. It is much easier to understand your rackets sweet spot and the type of shots you are able to manipulate from it. Book a court for yourself and a partner, and practice various shots without the pressure of a match scenario. The time taken to practice rather than just play will greatly benefit your padel game.

5. Basic positioning

Getting your court position right can set you up for a great rally where you dominate the position and get your opponents running around more than you.

We will only cover basic positioning here as it can be a full article in itself!

There are generally three court positions:

1. The net

The net is a great position to play shots back at your opponent quickly. This doesn’t mean on the net as that leaves you open to the volley, but just a few steps back. From here you can move back and forward to attack the various shots coming toward you.

2. The back of the court (think around one step behind the base line)

This is where you will be returning the serve from, and also most of your play when your opponent is at the net. This gives you more time to return the shots. You can also step back and forward as needed to return both directly and off of the wall.

3. No man’s land

Everything in between the net and back of the court. You want to avoid being caught up here. You are vulnerable to even average shots, and can’t make any decisive plays from here either.

6. Learn to use the walls

So much of what makes padel so interesting to the observer is the walls. By learning to utilize the walls properly you will quickly advance your game.

Most players who come from other racket sports take time to adapt to the walls. Squash players definitely show the most comfort with them. As racket players the natural instinct is to go to the ball and attack it, where in padel it often pays to allow the ball to come off the wall and then to return it.

Don’t worry if you struggle with this at first! It really does take some time to adapt to the walls.

Here are a few easy ways to help you adjust to the walls:

• Prepare your racket early on. Open up the face and get ready before the ball has even hit the wall.
• Try judge where the ball will come back off and at what height. This is where you will position yourself for the shot.
• Probably the most difficult part to judge is spin. Top spin will make the ball bounce higher off the glass, where backspin or a slice will get the ball coming low off the glass. This will help you judge where the ball will be coming off.
• At first just focus on getting the ball returned rather than trying to use it as an attacking shot.

7. Keep the ball in play

This sounds like such a silly tip, but when you are starting out with padel you will quickly realize you lose more points to errors than you do through your opponents’ match winning shots. Focus on getting the ball back in play and reducing errors rather than hitting those highlight shots.

In padel tennis you can take the pace off your shots. It is not necessary to always be hitting at 100%. Most shots require more precision rather than power. Hitting at full power all the time leads to more balls being hit directly against the glass and fence (out of play).

8. Play as a team

Not only is padel a very social sport, but is almost always played in doubles. You will need to learn to pay in a team. Teamwork allows you to keep control of the net and back court, and to just know which shots are yours and which are your partners.

It is important to communicate with your partner during the match. You can even talk during the point, calling those balls that are yours, and covering areas when your partner has had to make a difficult run or shot.

Playing as a team is what makes padel so popular, so get comfortable with your playing partner.

9. Play with better players

As with any sport, playing at a more competitive level will help level up your own game. Padel is no different.

You will be able to observe various techniques, as well as quickly discover tips and tricks that higher level players use to put opponents in difficult spots and how to finish points.

If you can’t get into a match with better players it is worth arriving earlier to your match and finding the best match to watch at your club. Observe the players and their shots and try figure out why they make certain decisions. You can also watch professional matches and take the same away.

Just remember to apply what you learn into your own matches, and not just be an observer.

10. Get a lesson

Although padel is so similar to tennis, your basic shot techniques and match strategies differ greatly. If you are looking at taking your game to the next level fast, then a padel coach may just be what you need.

Finding a coach may prove to be difficult in most countries, but there are many online learning resources, both paid and free. The Padel School has both free videos and a full paid membership. It is also presented in English which is certainly a huge help!

Have fun!

Our bonus tip – have fun! Padel is an enjoyable game, and you will get much more enjoyment by simply having fun and not taking yourself too serious on the court!