Freeze! The Chilly Padel Deadlock: “Fridge”
Seems like the weather isn’t the only thing getting colder this season. When playing padel, one player gets thrown into the fridge when all the balls are given to his/her opponent.
You can’t help but feel frustrated when placed in the fridge because you’ll feel like you’re unable to contribute in any way.
So what exactly is the meaning when you say you’re in the “Fridge” in padel?
One of your team’s players has been placed in the fridge, which means the opposition team is hitting all of their balls to him and receiving none back. Because one of the colleagues is doing all of the work while the other is stuck in the fridge, it may be frustrating for both of you.
When you look at a tactical standpoint this is just your opponents getting away with ball control and taking over the game’s pace.
The opposing team normally chooses the most decisive player to put in the fridge because they focus on hitting all of the balls to the weaker player. Padel tennis players may use the fridge to their advantage in a match.
So what if you go stuck? How do you get out of a fridge?
There is a way out of “the fridge” if you find yourself in that situation. During the fight, tell your partner to hit all of the balls that are coming at him.
Throw a long and high lob toward the middle of the court.
You should be able to get your teammate to the net in time to stop your opponent from reversing the shot. There’s a chance that you’ll get out of the fridge and convince the opponents to switch their orders and hit the ball to you instead.
What if it’s not you though, it’s your partner that’s frozen
As soon as your colleague is inside the refrigerator, he’s “cold.” In the meanwhile, he’s likely to remain in the fridge until you come to his rescue.
Using the high lob discussed above is one technique, but there may be another way to get your teammate involved as well. If he covers your area, he’ll cover about three-quarters of the court, so tell him to do the same.
If your opponents try to strike the ball only at you, this technique will offer them a reduced target area to aim for.
It’s up to you to decide whether or not this is a good idea. With every move, there’s a risk so you really need to think about your specific situation.
Place one of your opponents in the fridge to score extra points during your padel match. You must target the weaker player since he is more likely to get shook up, and it prevents the stronger player from scoring as many points as he would otherwise.
Use the fridge to get into your opponents’ thoughts and learn what they’re thinking. Suppose they cannot maintain a calm and collected state of mind long enough to get themselves out. In that case, this will supply you with more information.
Using the Fridge Method
Padel matches in which the game is close or behind are excellent times to apply the fridge strategy. You’ll need to play more aggressively if you want to stay in the game or get some points. For example, suppose you’re already winning by a large margin. In that case, it’d be considered a bad idea to use the fridge against your opponents.
