Isabelle Vannier, of OSS Barcelona, wonders whether having played tennis is really an asset for learning and progressing at padel.
The advantages of the tennis past ...
Even if the tennis players leave with many advantages in padel such as :
The appreciation of bullet trajectories
Technical notions of all shots (forehand, backhand, volley, smash)
Handling the racket
A lateralization
Coordination ...
But also some disadvantages ...
The adaptation is more important than one can imagine and certain aspects can even quickly turn out to be handicapping when a tennis player transfers his knowledge to the padel :
Reduction in preparation
Amplification of the accompaniment
Decrease in rhythm at the end of the movement on certain strokes
Reflexes to let the ball pass to play it after the wall
Changes in tactical playing habits: free zones, in particular lateral zones (including the famous passing to forget 😉) because they often offer an advantageous or even decisive ball for the opponent (in view of the reduced distances)
The changes of rhythms to favor (chiquitas, lobs ...)
The tennis smash that rarely allows you to finish the rally victoriously
The need to master specific strokes that do not exist in tennis (bandejas, viboras, x 4 ..)
Neutralizing the opponent before trying to gain the upper hand in the point
A desire to want to build the point by anticipating the next move
The importance of communication with your teammate
With a lot of modesty, a tennis player just like a squash or badminton player will find it easier to progress quickly.
Isabelle VANNIER tennis teacher BE 2 and padel having lived in the USA, and expatriated in Spain for more than 10 years, organizes sports and language courses in Barcelona, through its OuiSportSpirit structure - www.ossbarcelone.com and more particularly in the world of padel and tennis through the OSSTP department - www.padelbarcelona.com. We look forward to welcoming you soon!