Winning Padel Strategy for Beginners
The secret to winning games not only lies in peak physical performance but also in good strategy. There’s more to padel tennis than just hitting the ball. There’s method to the madness. We’re here to show you how to navigate through padel strategy for beginners.
First things first: Where should you play?
The service line should be a meter behind your starting position on the court. The majority of players play too near to the service line. This doesn’t leave enough space between the player and the wall. You can have the back wall on your side. Just don’t go more than your extended arm and racket length from it. Test your position by stretching your legs, squatting down, returning the padel early. To get down easier, you need to spread your legs.
Remember to make little adjustments in your positioning to make the court your kingdom.
Serve up
Serving is a critical component of the game. A good serve sets you up for victory because then you’ll have total control over your shooting for the rest of the play. To be effective, the service must provide your team with an advantage. The first serve will be hard, but your second serve is quite safe since you get two serves.
Tilt your hand downward and grasp the ball. It begins at the top of the swing. It’s crucial to lift your elbow for an additional spin in this move. When you hit the ball this way, it has a downward spin due to the momentum of the racket. Then slice under it to create a faster under-spin that will allow the ball to hit low over the net and be slower when it bounces back up.
If you hit the ball below waist level, your service will be weak.
You may have to strike a few smashes in padel since it may take many strokes to earn a point. You should always use only one ball while serving, even if you can store a second ball in your pocket. That’s because serving is a critical moment in a match, and the second ball would confuse you and ruin your concentration. If you throw the ball into the net as you’re smashing, it might slip out of your pocket, forcing a replay. Balls can be kept in the space next to the net.
The volley shot
You’re already finished and ready to catch. As you see your opponent about to swing, don’t forget to bounce, and when your opponent makes contact, drop into a split step to volley.
To have it float in the air, the volley must be deep and served with heavy backspin. You should create the under-spin using your ability. Look for an easy return, especially if the ball doesn’t drop right away.
Play “volley serve”
Go to the net as soon as you serve (join your partner at the net).
Only three or four little steps separate you from getting there. You must search for the ball carefully; simply running to the net and expecting to locate it won’t get you far. It’s important to pay attention to the other player as you head for the net. You’ll need to slow down as soon as you contact the ball, proceed with the split-step and be ready for the volley. With this process, changing direction is especially easy if the player serving hits a return far.
Low, deep, and down the middle: hit the volley in these locations. Also, serve deep and hit him in the feet with a serve. Volleying from the outside may be dangerous since you may catch the sidelines with your shots, leaving yourself vulnerable to pouncing opponents.
To maximize your chances of winning, don’t concentrate on landing the last punch on your initial move; keep up the pressure. You need to focus on depth and then following through with the volley. It’s crucial to have a good second bounce. The second bounce on your volley has to be lower.
Your opponents will be at an advantage in the point if you do not return to the net after serving. They will be able to exchange passes with your teammate. Try to experiment with a high service with a lot of spins.
Look to hit backhand serves to the other side of the court. Notice which serve you’re hitting the best against each opponent, so you can know which one to utilize when you want to get the point. Serve down the middle instead than into the sidewall to increase the difficulty of return shots.
Offense
Picture an in-the-middle stroke (or serve) that pulls the opponent away from his default corner position. Now that he has drifted to the middle, he’s in a vulnerable position and ready to be pounded hard.
This will be tough for him, and he will almost certainly fail to make the shot. Now is the moment to go all in. Make your next move count!
If you employ this method, you’ll really rack up some points. Do it during serving and points. Try to push the net up, hit it to the middle, and place the ball in his side corner.
Charge up the net
When your opponent passes to you in the net, go up to get the ball. When returning a short serve, move up to the ball, hit it on the rise, and continue up to the net. Make sure your partner covers all the gaps.
Volley from the back
Some shots require you to hit a ball that bounces on the back wall straight into the air. Other times, you may be able to hit a volleying shot that bounces directly to the service line instead. If you volley from the service line, your opponents will scram to get the ball in a short time.
Lob from Volley.
When receiving a volley from the other side, a good strategy is to smash a lob over his head instead of a volley. You’ll get the upper hand as you prevent your opponent from preparing for the hit.
Drop Shot
On a ball that is under-spinning, you should not try a drop shot. By the time it hits your shovel, the ball will lose momentum. Instead, use drop shots against top-spin balls. The spin on your drop shot helps it come out correctly. Chop at the ball as if you’re slicing the air, and you’re good to go!
Defense
If you are at the net, your opponents are the ones attacking. The objective of this move is to play close to the net and make sure you make a good long ball. This way, you’ll get control of the net.
You want to win the game by getting the net. We want to hit the other team’s players with a high-bouncing ball or pass to them in actual play. It is easy to score points at the net, but play it safe and keep it simple if you’re not confident.
Counterattacks
One of the least dangerous and most dependable approaches is shooting down the middle. Volleying is complicated, and it may be confusing for players to tell who will strike the volley. You’ll be able to get a nice shot in the face of your opponent, either by volleying over the net or just lobbing them and taking the net.
If you are not a highly skilled player, the chances are high that a shot played on the side will end up in the side mesh.
When you’re backpedaling, and your opponent is near the net, it might be advantageous to serve to their backhand. Volleys from the backhand side are tougher to throw away. Try to get the player at the net to volley alternate sides. This is the stroke he’ll master every time until he wins the point. Therefore, you should fire shots to his forehand if you want to get the ball to your opponent’s backhand consistently.
Aim for the low shots to the feet (for example, a long shot and a shot below) and keep trying until you can get the ball above his reach, allowing your team to change from defense to attack.
