Andoni Bardasco, former professional player of  paddle  and associated with  Padel Stuff , looks back at a piece of history of this sport in  Bilbao .

A padel court in the heart of Bilbao

Right in the city center, between the  Guggenheim Museum  and the central square of Bilbao, there is an atypical piece of land. Initially a  pediment , it was transformed into  padel court  in the 90s, when this sport began to spread in Spain.

Access to this field is special: the entrance is located higher than the playing surface, forcing players to  sauter  to access it. This arrangement was common at the time, with clubs using the available spaces to install padel courts without adapting the architecture to the modern demands of the sport.

Unique playing conditions

The field of  Bilbao Sports Club , built in  1894 , has characteristics that influence the game:

  • Un  low ceiling  about  7 meters , making it difficult to use lobs.
  • A  reduced playing surface , of only  8 meters wide  instead of  10 regulatory meters .
  • Walls in  Concrete , offering a bounce different from modern glass surfaces.
  • A  synthetic carpet  on the ground, slowing the ball down and increasing its wear.

These specificities have pushed players to adapt their strategy, favoring a more  technical and precise .

The evolution of the material

Andoni Bardasco presents a  Vision racket , with which he started playing padel. Unlike current models, this racket was  more rigid, heavier  and less tolerant. With a weight of  390 grams , it required a more advanced technique to control the ball well.

The evolution of hardware has transformed the game, making strikes  more explosive  and travel  more fluid .

The Myth of Slice and the Impact of Regulation

In the past, a  fundamental rule  required players to let the first ball bounce after serving. This gave the returning player an advantage, allowing them to advance to the net. To optimize this approach, the  Slice  was preferred, slowing the ball down and allowing time to get to the net.

Today, this obligation no longer exists, and players favor  flat or lifted returns , more difficult to counter.

A historic land in transformation

The Club Deportivo de Bilbao field will be  renovated  in the coming months. This transformation will mark the disappearance of one of the last  traditional grounds  padel in Spain.

The history of this unique place perfectly illustrates the evolution of padel, a young sport that has known how to adapt and modernize while preserving its essence.

 Andoni Bardasco , witness and actor of this transformation, thus shares a last look at a field which saw the birth of his passion for padel.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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