On the occasion of FIP Rise of Bandol, Jerome Fernandez, former French international handball player, took part in the personalities tournament on the sidelines of the competition.

At the microphone Padel Magazine, he tells us about Valentin Porte, discusses the similarities between padel and handball and also explains its evolution in padel.

The duo with Valentin Porte

We have already played together once during a tournament between former athletes, in parallel with the WPT in Toulouse. We both played a game, and he plays very well, he plays better than me. Plus, he's a lot younger, so he has more body. He's someone I really enjoyed playing with, especially since I played handball with him, for club and national team, and we get along very well.

I think that Valentin is increasingly keen to get involved in padel, and me, it's the same thing. In the future, we will be crossing paths very often at padel events. He, a priori, will still play at least three years in Montpellier, so I'm waiting to see how long he continues in handball. But me, after that, I'm going to get old, so it will be more complicated.

You have to understand one thing: when you are both the club and the national team, we have very little time to rest. We have a lot of matches during the year, a lot of travel… By retiring from the national team, Valentin will have a lot more time to rest and he will be able to be much more regular in his club performances.

A strengthened backhand and improved defense

I'm trying to hit my balls a lot less and I had big gaps on my backhand. It is mainly on this point that I have progressed. And given my size, I had a lot of difficulty defending, especially low balls. I have progressed a lot at this level too.

Today we can say that I have a relatively stable game, except when I play against very strong players, who detect my weak points and manage to put me at odds. But when I play with people at my level, I manage to do a little bit of everything.

Jerome Fernandez

Play left and right to progress

I play on the left, but from time to time on the right because I know that it is something that can help me progress and acquire new automatisms. Then, sometimes, when the point lasts, we have to change position, so as not to be lost on the other side of the field.

“There are similarities between padel and handball”

There are similarities between padel and handball in the movements, because we practice a sport where explosiveness is very present, where we go forward, backward, we jump. You have to recover your support to quickly carry out actions.

Then, when you play right-handed on the left or right-handed on the right, you encounter a bit of the same problem as on a handball court. For example, when you are right-handed on the right, as was my case when I played right back, the angles are different, so you have to let the left-hander work. Finally, in padel, it's a bit the same thing: the right-hander on the right is there more to help, defend, and support the one who is going to attack on the left.

Technique before strength

At first, I thought I had to hit very hard, but ultimately, I've been playing for four years, and I learned to work my balls better, to measure them better. Now I can even hit balls pretty much from the service line when I'm lobbed.

So I understood that it was more a question of technique than power, ultimately. But actually, I still use my natural power.

Jerome Fernandez

The appeal of padel for former athletes

It's true that since I discovered this practice, I'm gradually switching... more towards padel than handball. I have plans for the future all over France, so we'll see if it comes to fruition.

Afterwards, I will get involved where I live. But the idea is to open several and above all to create places of conviviality where people like to meet up, play padel, spend time together and network. Because I also have the impression that padel is becoming a bit like the new corporate sport where we do business, from the network, and I like that a lot.

A padel and handball center

It's complicated. Afterwards, we now have a new discipline called Hand à 4, where the court is smaller, so we could imagine. But very sincerely, the practice of padel is much more accessible. As soon as we start the activity, it's much more playable, we have much more fun, it's fun, and then we need fewer people.

A center with padel and handball for 4, we could, but we are on a much wider age range in padel, where you can play from 7 to 77 years old practically. Whereas in handball, you can start playing from 5 or 6 years old, but after 40 or 45 years old, it becomes physically difficult not to get injured. I think that is also the great strength of padel: you can not be very sporty, not be particularly fit, and yet have a lot of fun, have fun, and ultimately have a good time.

Dorian Massy

New padel fan, I am fascinated by this dynamic sport that combines strategy and agility. I find in padel a new passion to explore and share with you on Padel Magazine.

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