Romain Taupin, the founder of Padelonomics, has a particularly sharp eye. The proof with his analysis on a classic error what do former tennis players commit when they defend padel.
Many tennis players keep their backs straight.
However, at padel, we have a curved back, we are compact.
1) The bales are low and therefore need to be lifted
2) Given the speed of the game, you need short preparations (and mechanically the curved position favors a shorter preparation)
3) One of the most important strategies in padel is to “feint”, the curved position allows us both to play flat and to play lobs from the same preparation (we have pendulum shots at the padel, which differs from tennis)
The tennis is airy and ample, the padel (in defense) is grounded and compact.
Below, see the difference in back curve (in yellow) and head-to-racket distance (in orange):
Galan versus Federer and Semmler versus Hanouna
In conclusion, the player padel must remember to bend down and "bend the spine", which implies a musculature of the lower back and thighs sharpened!