The “punto de oro” has arrived on the World Padel Tour two seasons ago. Very criticized at first, this one now seems to be accepted by all. The Spanish Federation of Padel (EFF) even decided toformalize “El Punto de Oro” for all its competitions from 2022.
During an interview with the Pyramids club, Fernando Belasteguin did not seem really a fan of “punto de oro”. Out of politeness for the WPT, he also didn't say he hated him but his “Complain or adapt? I chose the second option ” wanted to say everything.
However, this measure, criticized at the beginning, gradually gained unanimity. Now, even when playing with friends, those who follow the WPT and APT no longer want to hear about the old-fashioned game. The “equality / advantage” seems totally outdated.
Among supporters, the number one argument that comes up in favor of the “punto de oro” is the dramatic side and the suspense that it adds. Indeed, the pairs absolutely want to win these decisive points and this very often gives us breathtaking exchanges. By sometimes removing the daunting side of the 40/40 Advantage which could last a very long time, we end up with more addictive and more fluid matches.
The second interesting thing is that the golden point allows players on the right to have the opportunity to return to a very important ball. This gives the player on the right an opportunity to weigh more in crucial moments. Indeed, it is always the player on the left who returns to 30/40 and during the advantage. The “punto de oro” therefore makes it possible to change this dynamic a little.
Another important point concerns the real tactical change introduced by the golden point. For the returning pair, the first option is to return the player who is not on the diagonal of the server, to give himself an option of long line passing. It is also possible to choose the player who has just returned and did it well, or on the contrary to avoid adding pressure on a returner who has just made a direct fault. You will understand, the choice of the receiver can give rise to many questions, which adds a cerebral side to this game of chess!
Moreover, the management of the point itself is very interesting tactically. Players will have to be particularly attentive to all the details to try to tip this very important point on their side.
In a statistical analysis carried out by PH Padel on the 2020 season, we could see that the “punto de oro” had fulfilled the main objective of reduce the duration of sets by approximately 5 minutes. In the padel female, the matches remain long, but in some male matches, which take place under fast conditions, it happens that we do not exceed the hour of play ...
Le padel being a sport which is now on television, the decisive point has a significant advantage for advertisers since it makes it easier to anticipate the duration of games and sets.
Finally, the golden point is also the rule that allows you to differentiate yourself from tennis. the padel claims to be a truly unique sport, and not a “derivative of tennis” as many still say. It is therefore important in this sense to have a rule of your own.
And you, have you been won over by the “punto de oro”?