It is often common to hear that padel is a mix of squash and tennis. It is true that if we merged these two sports we would have something quite similar.

Similarities between padel and squash

There is indeed a set of technical shots that we will find between padel and squash. They will obviously be performed differently due to the difference in racket, ball and court. However, it is possible to see some similarities:

Walls and windows : squash has, just like padel, windows at the back and walls on the sides allowing the ball to bounce and play with this environment. Squash players have an incredible ease in being able to adapt to this element of the game when they start padel.

The fly : even if it is less frequent in this sport, the players will have a good enough perception to play volleys, they will not have the technique par excellence like some tennis players, on the other hand they are able to play with surgical precision for what is to place the ball.

Sense of anticipation : Squash, like table tennis and badminton, is one of the fastest racket sports. With time and experience gained, these players are able to anticipate the balls and can become real foxes!

A physical condition of titan : Among racket sports, squash is probably the most tiring in terms of cardio. Despite the long and impressive exchanges that can sometimes be found in padel, in terms of heart rate, it is squash that is the most demanding. Squash players will then be tough and enduring opponents throughout a match!

The weak points of the squash player

Although squash has some similarities with padel, it still lacks a few shots to make it a sport very similar to padel.

Smash, bandeja, vibra: They are probably the worst enemies of squash players because unlike the latter, padel relies heavily on high balls. When they start padel, squash players sometimes find themselves in a big impasse when faced with the various smashes, bandejas or other viboras. Their technical weakness when faced with these shots can give their opponents good opportunities...

The lob: Likewise, any overhead hits will also be a thorn in the side for these players. From the moment a lob is engaged in the point, it is an advantage for seasoned padel players.

Squash players have many skills to quickly feel comfortable in padel, in particular thanks to very good anticipation of trajectories. On the other hand, they will have to work particularly on shots that are not found in their sport: lobs, smashes, bandejas, viboras. Tennis players, on the other hand, will have a more “innate” technique on balls played before the glass, but will have more difficulty understanding the rebounds on the walls…

 

 

Alexandre Cifuentes

Alexandre Cifuentes studies economics. He decided to intervene on the padel business and the sports market in general. He allows us to know about padel in its entirety.

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