Padel is booming in France. Clubs are filling up, courts are multiplying, and more and more players are looking to improve… quickly. One question often comes up:  How to take the next step?  For many, the answer still lies in Spain, where padel has been part of the sporting culture for much longer.

France is progressing rapidly, with a growing number of talented players and coaches often coming from a tennis background. However, the specific coaching diploma created by the French Tennis Federation has only existed for three years. Spain therefore maintains a lead on one essential point:  pedagogy  and near  30 years of experience  in teaching padel.

There, padel has never been considered a mere derivative of tennis. It is taught as a discipline in its own right, with its own rules, culture, and specific approach to the game. Tennis remains an advantage nonetheless, as many technical elements overlap, particularly in the biomechanics of movement and footwork.

In Spain, padel is learned differently.

What often strikes French players when they go to train in Spain isn't just the level of the local players. There are excellent players in France today as well. The difference lies mainly in the precision of the coaching.

The Spanish coach doesn't usually just correct a single move. He seeks to understand why the player makes a mistake, in what situation it occurs, what tactical choice caused it, and how to integrate it into a broader game plan. The focus isn't solely on the ball received, but primarily on the consequences of the choice made and the subsequent actions.

In padel, improving isn't just about hitting the ball better. You have to learn to defend against the glass walls, choose between a lob, a chip shot, or a low drive, know when to accelerate, when to slow down, when to close down the angles, or when to rebuild the point. This tactical understanding is much more established in Spain, and it's precisely what can save an amateur player valuable time.

 The trap of training camps filled with matches 

Be warned, though: going to Spain doesn't automatically guarantee improvement. With the explosion of padel, sports tourism has grown significantly, and not all offers are created equal. Some trips marketed as improvement camps are actually just padel holidays, with as many lessons as matches against local players.

On paper, it might seem appealing. Playing every day, facing Spaniards, playing lots of matches… But for real learning, it's not always the right method. A player who takes a lesson in the morning and plays a match in the afternoon risks quickly reverting to their old habits. It's a bit like going to the doctor for a cold, then deliberately going back out into the cold every day: the treatment exists, but it's not given enough time to work.

A good training camp should first create a learning period of ideally 3 or 4 days. We work on a technique, a situation, a movement, a tactical intention. We repeat it, we create anchors, we adjust, we assimilate through repeated lessons: we take our medicine, we take care of ourselves, we create new automatic responses because we are no longer in a match! 

Matches can be useful, but preferably towards the end of your stay, after 6-8 lessons, to test what you've learned under pressure, ideally with your coach watching. According to ToPadelImposing matches too early is a common mistake, as it often prevents students from solidifying their skills and quickly undermines the information provided. They are given content, but not trained in situations that progress from repeated shots to familiar sequences, and then to random sequences that mimic match conditions. Once a student masters a new movement, footwork, or support in a random or unexpected situation, they are ready to test themselves in a match!   

 A good player doesn't always mean a good coach. 

The other pitfall concerns the choice of coach. In Spain, many players are very good. But being a good player isn't enough to make a good coach. A padel coach must be able to observe, diagnose, correct, explain simply, adapt exercises to the player's level, and build a coherent progression.

Some operators resell inflated coaching hours with inexperienced "tourist" coaches at exorbitant prices. This is especially true in cities heavily reliant on tourism: Barcelona, ​​Marbella, the Canary Islands, etc. To find a good coach in these cities, you often need a good network of contacts and to pay a bit more than the Spanish average, as the demand for top coaches is higher! For foreign players, it can be difficult to distinguish between a truly recognized coach, a former player who has successfully transitioned to coaching, and simply a good local player. This is where choosing a reputable intermediary becomes essential.

Before booking, several factors should be considered: the coach's experience, their specialization, their actual level of coaching, the clarity of the rates, and the content of the proposed training program. A reputable offer should be transparent. It should explain what the player will be working on, with whom, at what pace, and with what objective.

 Going to Spain, yes, but with the right method 

For those who want to organize a real progression trip, the  platforms specializing in internships in Spain such as ToPadel These factors help to better define the project. The goal isn't just to go play in the sun, but to find the right coach, in the right city, with a program tailored to one's level and objectives.

That's itPadel The platform connects players with selected coaches and academies in several Spanish cities, featuring profiles capable of supporting both motivated beginners and more experienced players. It boasts 45 available coaches, some of whom currently work or have worked within the professional circuit. Premier Padel.  

 The real goal: to come back with a different game 

 Un   good padel training camp in Spain  It's not measured solely by the number of hours spent on the pitch. It's measured by what the player takes away with them: a better understanding of the game, simpler decision-making, cleaner movements, a calmer defense, and a smarter attack. The goal isn't to play more, but to learn better.

Spain remains one of the best training grounds for this. Provided, of course, that one doesn't confuse intensive training with a stay filled with matches, nor an experienced coach with simply a good local player. To progress quickly, volume is essential, yes. But above all, method, pedagogy, and truly tailored coaching are crucial. That's often where all the difference lies.

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