In Padel it is important to build the point with patience and without frenzy. Everything starts from a good conquest of the net , which becomes a base to then be able to close the shot effectively.
Before going on the attack, it is necessary to build a solid defense , with effective responses that lead to a transition from defensive to offensive. Patience , communication with the teammate and a good rhythm are needed and often some tactical dictates are not respected, leading the player to make gross errors , thus giving the opponent an advantage. Let's see which ones to avoid:
- IMMEDIATE WINNER FROM THE BASELINE
Sometimes it can happen that the opponent makes a mistake that forces us to look for an immediate shot from the back of the court, but the main objective of the whole match is not to close the point as soon as possible, but to work it and conquer the court, taking control of the net, thus having more possibilities to close the shot.
- DO NOT CHANGE THE SPEED
During the match it is recommended to hit the ball at different speeds. In fact it is not necessary to always give too much power to the shot, especially if done from the back of the court, because it would become predictable, making the opponent always position himself in the middle of the court waiting for the ball to bounce on the glass and then go and close it on our court. Changing the speed is essential to vary the rhythm, to surprise and be able to transform the defense into attack, which as we said from the beginning is the number one objective.
- MAKE USELESS BALLS
The lob in Padel is a very used shot, but it often tends to be abused, making the game predictable and easily readable for the opponents, who would position themselves in advance for the next shot, creating difficulties for the person who performed it.
- PLAYING ON THE COUNTER
This is a shot that is difficult to control, made in a middle situation that finds the player who executes it, too far forward on the court, and the incoming ball very deep. Since it is a shot that is difficult to calibrate, you should try to make a different choice, that is, wait for the rebound on the glass or be able to anticipate a shot on the fly.
- OPEN THE FIELD TOO MUCH
Playing cross-court might be the most tempting and effective choice, but it could turn into a counterproductive shot, offering the opponent several possibilities, including a parallel volley or a cross-court volley to try to bounce on the grid. To avoid all this, you have to look for the central area, forcing the opponents to think, therefore setting yourself two very specific objectives: to shoot on the right-handed player's backhand, if he is not left-handed, or to look for the left-handed player's parallel backhand.
- PLAY A CROSS-BALL PLAY
Offering your opponent a cross-court lob means making him make an immediate and often deep aggressive shot. One solution to avoid this situation is to direct the ball centrally, trying to go to the opposing player's backhand, which will be less powerful and accurate.
With these little "tidbits" we hope to have been bearers of advice for some situations that can occur in amateur and professional fields.
