La  “put in the fridge”  is a common strategy in padel, used to target the player perceived as  the weakest  ou  the least dangerous . By systematically playing on your partner, you seek to isolate and frustrate him, while controlling the game. But faced with this tactic, there are solutions for  regain control  and break this dynamic. Padelonomics gives us effective strategies to get out of it.

 Take up more space on the field 

One way to counter this strategy is to  take more ground  on the fly. By covering  3/5ths of the land , you reduce your opponents' possibilities to play exclusively on your partner. You can thus  intercept the bullets  who land in the center and impose your presence in the exchange.
 Please note  However, do not leave too much space on your side, at the risk of being punished by well-placed blows.

 Get your partner up to the net 

Ask your partner to  stick to the net , while you stay at the back of the court. This arrangement forces your opponents to take a risk: either they have to play directly at you, or they will try to lob over your teammate. In both cases, you will have a  chance of touching the ball  and break their strategy.

This option requires a  good communication  between the two of you to cover possible lobes and avoid misunderstandings about trajectories.

 Adopt the same strategy against them 

To reverse the dynamic, suggest to your partner to target  the same player in parallel  on the opposing field. As a general rule, playing in parallel is more complicated because it offers  less space  than diagonally. The targeted player will eventually play diagonally to secure the exchange, allowing you to  recover balls  and get out of this refrigeration.

 What if no strategy works? 

If despite your efforts, the  put in the fridge  remains too difficult to counter, it may be time to review the team composition. A level imbalance can make this tactic very effective against you. Find a teammate whose level is  close to yours  could rebalance the dynamics and prevent your opponents from implementing this strategy.

Benjamin Dupouy

I discovered padel directly during a tournament, and frankly, I didn't really like it at first. But the second time, it was love at first sight, and since then, I haven't missed a single match. I'm even ready to stay up until 3am to watch a final of Premier Padel !

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