The differences between a French and Spanish player

Today we very often take the Spanish and Argentinian players as an example. Certainly, they are among the best players in the world on both the female and male side. But you will see that in France, the padel gets organized and sometimes even seems much more professional than in Spain. Our players, our clubs and the French infrastructures are “young”. What if that was precisely our strong point?

Here are several differences that we can note between a Spanish player and a French player. Do not hesitate to comment because it is a theme that will not always be unanimous.

The story

The history of padel in Spain is much longer than the one we know in France or elsewhere. As a result, the structures in Spain and the monitors are numerous in the clubs. The mass of players padel is very important. The players we see on the professional circuit have been playing for decades more often, hence the merit of our French who do not have as much experience in this sport and who manage to compete against many pairs. . In Spain, there are also some 100% players padel, who have a culture of padel very thorough.

France side padel has also been around since the late 80s, but the padel has undergone several turning points in its history, including the most recent 2012/2013, private investors are embarking on the padel and in clubs. The FFT recovers the padel in 2014. Many players from padel have or have had a past related to a racquet sport. And most often, it's tennis. Interesting point: The average level of padel French seems higher than the average Spanish level. The great French tennis culture seems to bring a lot to the padel French. In my opinion, this is an advantage. The padel modern, moreover, tends to go faster and faster and our tennis past, especially for the best is a great asset and allows some to reach a level at padel taken within a few months / years.

The game

The Spanish favor defense at the base. A player who makes little or no fouls will have a better chance of winning his match than a player who attacks all the time. Whatever the level of the Spanish player, there is a competitive spirit but also an interesting family. We are talking about the padel Spanish observed in clubs. On the other hand, the padel Professional Spanish has evolved a lot by being much more aggressive. It is often said that France must catch up with Spain. This is true on some points, but Spain also seems to be looking at its neighbors who bring new impetus to the game in the padel Spanish.

The French often have, thanks to their past in tennis, a more offensive approach than the players of padel Spanish. Again, this is a general framework. In the French top, we observe that the best players of padel are often good tennis players and some even former very good tennis players. This aggressiveness at the net, this hand, can be an asset. Among the women, the case of Marta Marrero, a former top tennis player who has succeeded in a few years to become the world number 1 is a good example of the contribution of tennis to the world. padel. In France, Alix Collombon has achieved an exceptional career in just 2 years, entering the world top 30/40. The common point: They are two top tennis players.

The structures

Spain has a Federation of padel which offers several championships for adults, children ... The clubs are often private, left to their own devices for investment, training and the development of sport and elites. Although this last point may depend on the Spanish regions with sometimes totally different policies, but that is another subject. The general Spanish market has generally shrunk. For some observers, the padel has reached its peak in Spain and the growth of this sport will come from abroad.

In France, the padel is managed by the FFT, one of the largest sports federations in the world. It is certainly a chance for the padel in France. Its overall operating budget certainly exceeds all the combined budgets of the federations in the padel. That is to say ! The FFT provides aid to structures… The French organization will certainly make it possible to push the various bodies including the International Federation of padel to organize better.

The preparation

Much easier for a Spanish player than a French player to prepare to play at a high level. Currently, almost everything takes place in Spain. Recognized coaches are there, even if France already has very competent coaches, the most suitable structures are there, and above all the best players and the best tournaments are there. For a Spanish who wants to become a professional padel, the course will be difficult because the competition is tough, but it has all the infrastructure within its reach to evolve.

For a Frenchman who wants to professionalize, the path is strewn with pitfalls. Currently and as said above, everything is happening in Spain for the moment, so if you don't speak Spanish, it's complicated. Then you have to settle in Spain, which requires making concessions with your family in France, putting your habits and work on hold and above all investing because all of this is expensive (accommodation, travel, lessons, etc.). But here too, we benefited from an experience in tennis that can be used in the padel. Note the support of brands which plays a real role in the development of Padel outside Hispanic borders.

In short

The differences between a French and Spanish player are now on 2 important points: the history of sport in the country and the proximity of training venues and competition for high competition.

It is currently difficult for a French player to be part of the top 10 in the world. But we are on the right road. The work done by the clubs, the players and the FFT will bear fruit. But we have to give time to time because let's remember: Spain is full of very good players who eat padel for some for several decades.

Congratulations to the French players and players to show the direction. They are pioneers and they already offer surprising results. And that's just the beginning !

Julien Bondia

Julien Bondia is a teacher of padel in Tenerife (Spain). Columnist and advisor, he helps you play better through his tutorials and tactical/technical articles padel.