5 Most Common Padel Beginner Mistakes
If you have just started padel, you will be making a lot of mistakes and learning how to play the game in the best way.
Here are the most common padel beginner mistakes! Do you do these yourself?
1. Playing Too Hard + Fast
This is the biggest of the padel beginner mistakes that nearly every new player does, I used to do this all the time and that is hitting the ball too hard and fast, both going forward and also defensively.
This is because when you first start, you see that when you hit the ball hard and it bounces around the walls, a lot of people struggle to get it back.
So, people keep doing it.
You get away with it at a lower level, as soon as you play high level players, that is when you lose from hitting the ball too hard.
Slow the swing
Ideally, we want medium pace, around 50-60%, and then when hitting harder we go to 80-90% power and playing softer we go to about 20-30% power.
Slow the swing all the way through the ball.
Do this against better players and you will struggle
Against better players, when you play hard all the time, it is just easy for the opponents to return the ball.
They can use your power and hit harder back, alternatively it is not too tricky for them to play a drop shot from this shot.
You also do not give yourself any time to recover for the next ball, so you will be very tired. One of the biggest padel beginner mistakes! Make sure you don’t do it.
2. Not Getting The Net Game Right
One of the most important of the padel beginner mistakes!
There are key factors for getting the net game correct in padel:
- Running to the net at the appropriate time
- Maintaining the net
The most common padel beginner mistakes are not doing these two things, instead people stay back and they do not push the net.
Sometimes, they get to the net, and then when pushed back, they stay back, and forget to maintain the net.
Follow this simple method if you are struggling
If you hit the ball past the white line, then you can take the net. If you do not, then stay back. This is a really easy way for beginner players to remember when to take the net.
This could be:
- When you lob the opponents (who are already at the net)
- If you hit to someone who is at the back and the ball goes deep past that white line
- If you play a volley or overhead from the net position in order to maintain the net.
Remember, 90% of points are won at the net position, so if you are not at the net, you have a low chance of winning the point.
3. Preparation Of The Racket
One of the biggest padel beginner mistakes!
Preparation is really important, it gives you a LOT more control, and allows you to perform each shot properly with better technique. This means each shot will be more consistent and be more effective.
Make sure to always have your racket up ready in all situations, and before every volley and overhead, prepare the racket high.
This helps a lot with overheads, such as your bandeja, if you prepare properly, it will help a lot!
Have a look at the video below showing how important preparation is, their racket is up ready, and they are preparing the racket very high for the bandeja.
4. Not Using The Walls
The next of the padel beginner mistakes is not using the walls enough, this goes all the way up to intermediate players, you need to use the walls as much as possible!
If you want to get to a high level of padel, then you need to have the walls as your friend.
Practise using the walls as much as possible, the more you practise, the better you will get at them.
4 tips for the walls
- Stay relaxed and calm
- Slow, short swing
- Let the ball drop, do not snatch
- A lob is a great shot to do from the walls, it get’s you out of trouble!
5. Not Learning "Proper Padel"
A lot of new players ignore coaching or playing with proper padel players, this is completely fine! But if you want to win more matches and become a “proper” padel player, then you will need to learn how to play the game in the right way.
Learn the Bandeja properly, learn the best tactics used by the top players, and you will win a lot more matches.
How to learn "proper" padel
- Have a weekly lesson with a coach
- Watch videos, read articles
- Watch the best players play
- Play with better players
- Don’t fall into bad habits
Hope You Enjoyed Reading!
Hope you enjoyed reading and you now know the biggest padel beginner mistakes!
Do you do these mistakes? If so then fix them!
5 Most Common Padel Beginner Mistakes – Ewan Ramsden
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