You come from tennis and you launch into the paddle Be careful, you risk making the same mistakes as many former tennis players. Between overpowering shots, constant grip changes, and difficulty adapting to the glass, the beginnings can be frustrating. However, with a few technical and mental adjustments, it is possible to quickly progress and understand the real subtleties of this booming sport.

Here are 6 essential tips de Gaston Chovet, coach and founder of the Spanish club Padel Indoor Punt d'Or, to successfully transition from tennis to padel.

When you come from tennis and start playing padel...

Each player of tennis who gets to paddle think at first you can send everything back window exit : par 3s, par 4s, even par 5s! (be careful, there's a trap, a shot doesn't really exist!)

He hits hard, very hard. He lifts, tries small cushions, look for impose your rhythm. And above all, he does not accept that the ball can bounce off a window without being played. It sticks to the back of the court, almost against the glass, like a goalkeeper on a penalty, ready to block everything.

It's true: tennis players often have the technical to perform a wide variety of moves. But there is one move that poses often problem : the tray.

But then, what should a tennis player do to learn to play padel well?

  1. Reduce grip changes : no need to constantly change grips like in tennis. A neutral grip is sufficient for most shots.
  2. Limit the range of motion : large, sweeping tennis movements should be avoided. Instead, short, compact, and efficient movements should be preferred.
  3. Decrease power : in padel, it is not brute force that counts, but mastery and regularity.
  4. Move away from the windows : you have to let the ball come back, bounce, tame it to better control it.
  5. Accept that the ball comes back : in padel, the rallies last, the balls come back. You therefore have to play with this logic of construction of the point.
  6. be patient : padel is a sport ofwaiting, placement and strategyHaste is the enemy of padel.
Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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