Joffrey Gilant, hardware specialist at Esprit Padel Shop, today lists all of the basic tactics of padel, to use without moderation whatever your level!
Au padel, speed should not be confused with haste. Instead of wanting to hit hard and take risks, take the time to build your point by returning the ball several times in the court. The longer your rivals have to hold the exchange, the more they will be pushed to make mistakes. To do this, do not hesitate to play on your opponent and diagonal to avoid touching a wall directly.
After your service, you join your partner to the net. An essential point that must be remembered, because padel it is an advantage to be installed on the fly, because you are in an offensive position and it is your opponents who are under pressure. In order to keep them at the back of the court and guard the net, look to touch the white service line at the first bounce of your volley.
If you don't have any usable balls on your first racket shots, favor the center of the court. This “divorce zone” is effective for two reasons: firstly, you have less chance of being countered by keeping the angles closed, and then you force your opponents to coordinate to catch this ball between them, which increases the chances of error.
If you want to gain an advantage in the point at the net, don't fall into the trap of alternating plays on your two opponents, as they will have time to reorganize between each shot. Instead, try to make one of your opponents move playing to his right, then to his left to get an easy ball.
You must also adapt your placement after each volley played. If you play near the walls, remember to cover the center, it will be difficult for your opponent to attempt a passing pass. And conversely, if you play in the center, pay attention to your grid! Finally, in the event that your opponent is in difficulty when hitting the ball, don't be afraid to stick the net to potentially finish the point.
At any moment, your opponents will try to dislodge you from the net with a lob. Again, don't rush by trying to hit hard! You have to identify the right ball to attack, especially when the lob is short and you don't need to step back. In this case, go all out, either with a smash towards the back window which would come back towards your court (watch out for counterattacks), or by knocking the ball out of the court with a par 3 or a par 4.
In the event that the lob goes over you but you can still touch the ball before the bounce, this is the time to use your vibora Or your bandeja to try to keep the net. These two essential moves to master will allow you to stay in attack position as much as possible.
Finally, if the lob is executed well, you will be forced to let the ball bounce, which means that you will lose the net and go into a defensive situation, but be careful, this should not mean losing the point!
When you squeeze from the baseline, your opponents will certainly find themselves on the volley. Once again, the key word is regularity : play as many balls as possible to cause a foul. To do this, don't hesitate to bludgeon the central area for the same reasons as when you were on the fly.
Then, the choice of your moves will depend on the diagonal placement of your opponent. If he is attracted towards the center, you can try to pass him cross court. When it is far from the net, you can place a petite, a short ball at his feet to try to surprise him with an off-time rise. Finally, if he is glued to the net trying to finish the point, reverse the situation with a lob to return to the volley.
This guide is obviously a general approach to the discipline and does not include all of the possible tactics. padel. However, these four steps have the advantage of being effective at all levels and can be mastered with a little practice. Subsequently, it will be up to you to broaden your range of moves and improve your ability to adapt to develop your sense of the game in order to become a formidable player!