Many players say they are left-court players without knowing the characteristics of left-court play and what strengths you need. So I switched over to the left side of the court for a few weeks to get a better understanding of what it means to play on the left side of the padel court. This is what I learned. In the game of padel, left-hand court players tend to be more aggressive in the shots that they play – including a wide variety of smashes. Players on the left also need to be faster and physically fitter than their partners as they need to cover a larger area of the court. Let’s take a c ..read more

When I first started playing padel, it took all of my existing skill just to be able to play a return of service in a way that would get the ball back over the net to my opponents and to be able to continue the point. However, once I started watching the professional players on the World Padel Tour I started to realize that a lob return of service was a real possibility. I then set about learning exactly how and when to play the lob return of service. Use an attacking lob as a return of service in padel when your opponent plays a weak service that lands in the middle of the service block, wel ..read more

When I started playing padel I tried to use my experience at playing other racket sports to shortcut my learning process. As a result, I nearly always played my backhand with either slice or topspin. It took a long time to realize that I needed to play more flat backhands to have greater control of the ball. A flat backhand in padel is the shot where you play the backhand with neither a slice spin nor topspin. It is played from near the back of the court when the ball is low to the ground. Using a flat backhand allows you to play with more power and control. Let’s take a closer look at why a ..read more

When I learned to play padel I was taught how to play a forehand service. The first time I watched a professional padel tournament on the World Padel Tour I was surprised to see players sometimes playing their service using a backhand. I figured that if the professionals were doing it then it must be permitted, but why would a player use a backhand for a service as the forehand is a much easier shot to play. I was intrigued and decided to find out more. How to play a backhand service in padel: Right-handed players should play a backhand service from the left side of the court using slice spin ..read more

When we first start playing padel we are always told to play both sides of the court so that we can become a well-rounded padel players. As time goes by the question arises whether we are naturally right-court players or not. So I set about learning the factors that will determine who is naturally gifted at playing from the right-hand side of the court. It is bio-mechanically difficult for right-handed padel players to play aggressive smashes from the right of the court. Therefore the player on the right is the strategist of the team. If your style of play uses a lot of set-up volleys and Ban ..read more

Like many other padel players, I was originally a tennis player. I make no claims at being very good at tennis, but I started in junior school and continued through high school. I played social tennis till I was about 30. At the risk of giving my age away, I started tennis when wooden tennis rackets were still a thing. When I started playing padel I soon realized that I couldn’t play it just like tennis. These are the changes I needed to make. As a tennis player coming to the game of padel, resist the urge to hit powerful topspin shots as they will bounce off the wall and give your opponents ..read more

While watching the World Padel Tour Master Final, the thought crossed my mind: How much do professional padel players earn? When I looked on Google, all I could find were links to articles about the available prize money at various WPT tournaments, but nothing on actual player earnings. So I created a spreadsheet to do just that. In 2021 the top two players on the WPT men’s tour earned just over $135.000 each while the top two players on the WPT women’s tour earned just under $48.000 each. This is based on actual prize money won and bonuses from the WPT. Endorsement earnings are protected by ..read more

When I started playing padel the easy-to-learn service was just a means to get a point started so that I could enjoy a game of padel with my friends. As I started gaining experience and watched stronger players in action I realized that there was more complexity to playing a service point well, so I set about learning more about where to stand when playing a service and where to move immediately after my service. When playing padel it is advisable to move to the net immediately when you play your service. From the standard service formation, follow the direction of your service as you move to ..read more

When I started playing padel, I only used the lob defensively as a way to try and get myself out of a cramped position at the back of the court. It was only when I began watching professional padel players that I began to realize that there was more to playing a lob. I noticed that placing a lob in the right spot increased the chances of winning the point. So I set about learning how to do that too. There are three areas of the padel court you can aim your lob. Novice players should begin by playing their lob on the diagonal where they have more space to aim their lob. As your skill improves ..read more

When I first started playing padel one of the things that attracted me to the game was how easy it was to learn to play. The simple underhand service meant that I could play a game on my first visit to a padel court. My opponent would play an easy service, I’d return and our group would be off playing a game of padel. It was only when I progressed to playing against stronger opponents that I realized that a softer, easy service can often lead to my service getting broken. So I set about learning how to do this too. If your opponent plays an easy service in padel you should take the advantage ..read more