Padel guide for beginners (shovels, tips...)

Are you starting to learn to play paddle tennis? Do you often wonder how to improve your padel game? In this article we will talk about paddle tennis for beginners and everything you need to know.

In this guide, we explore some of the key things to remember when learning to play padel, as well as some of the most common mistakes beginners make.

Padel tips for beginners

1. Learn the basic position

Learning basic position play can help you avoid some of the biggest mistakes beginners make in padel. Regardless of your background or experience, if you learn the correct positioning tips in matches, chances are your form will improve.

There are two main things you should focus on regarding position when learning to play padel:

Avoid no man's land - No man's land in padel is self explanatory. It is the area of ​​the court where no man -or player- wants to be. It is an area of ​​the paddle tennis court between the white line and the position of the net. It is important to avoid this zone as you become most vulnerable in this zone and it is where you are likely to lose a point, or several, as opponents are able to exploit this zone as it is difficult to defend and volley in no man's land .
Hitting the net at the right time - Hitting the net in paddle tennis puts you in an excellent position to put pressure on your opponents with a combination of volleys, layups, smashes and a plethora of other aggressive shots. It is commonly accepted that 90% of paddle tennis points are earned online. The best moments to run to the net are after the serve, if your team throws the ball to the opponent or if you hit the paddle ball over the line.

2. Use the walls

Learning to use the walls to your advantage can be difficult when you start playing padel, especially for tennis enthusiasts. It is a natural instinct to run backwards with the ball instead of staying where it is or, in some cases, moving forward. Learning the wall in paddle tennis is essential to improve your skills. In fact, the wall can be your friend if you know how to use it correctly, and it can help you earn a number of points as you become a more advanced player.

It's important to remember to pay attention to spin: when the ball is topspinned , it lifts off the wall. On the other hand, if the ball is played with a slice, it will come off the wall downward.

3. Continental grip

The continental grip is a bit more technical to learn. If you haven't mastered this technique yet, it usually takes a few weeks to get used to it.

The advantage of the continental grip is that it allows you to hit some of the more technical shots in paddle tennis with a little more ease. As you progress and improve your paddling skills, you will find that you will need some of the more technical strokes depending on your opponent, so it is good to start learning the correct paddling habits.

Main benefits of learning the continental grip:

• Allows you to increase rotation
• Allows better acceleration
• Improve your technique on most shots.

4. Play consistently and regularly

When you play padel consistently, you get a good rhythm and create great momentum. This will help you stay in practice and allow you to be better prepared than your opponents. Playing paddle tennis constantly will help you start winning more games.

Best paddle tennis rackets for beginners

The best paddle tennis rackets for beginners almost always have a round shape ( Control paddle tennis rackets ). This is because blades with this type of shape are easier to handle than, for example, diamond or drop shaped paddle blades. Round blades have a large sweet spot in the center of the bat. With a round racket, the sweet spot is reached sooner and the ball is hit better. This minimizes frustration during the learning process. Once you are familiar with the game and the technique, you can go one step further and start looking for a racket for the average padel player.

One of the best paddle tennis rackets for beginners is:

Padel racket Orven Malta V1

The ORVEN MALTA V1 paddle tennis racket is made of high quality materials. The frame of this model is made up of a fiberglass tubular, reinforced with Kevlar and carbon in the bridges, which will give us great consistency in our shots for a much higher quality game.

Padel racket Orven Maui V2 Coral

The Orven Maui V2 Coral paddle tennis racket has been developed with the player who likes to feel the ball in mind. It is an easy racket to handle, with a lot of control and a wide hitting area, without sacrificing a satisfying return.

The rules of paddle tennis

Paddle tennis is a fast-paced game, so it's easy to forget the rules if you're not used to them. Here are some key points to remember before your next game:

1. The ball must bounce once on each side of the court before returning over the net (this prevents players from using shots that can go directly over the net without returning, one of the essential rules of padel).
2. You must bounce the ball once on your side before hitting it (This rule prevents the serve from going into the net or over your opponent's head, which would all too often happen if you could serve immediately).
3. Each player has two chances to serve at each point (as in table tennis).
4. Players stand behind the baseline during the serve and return (it's like tennis, but there are no lines on the court).
5. Players may not hit the ball over their opponent's head for any reason other than trying to get it out. (If you do, your opponent wins the point. However, if he manages to return it or miss it, then you are free to replay it.)
6. If a player hits the ball out twice in a row, they automatically lose that point. (This is much easier than in tennis, and the team is much weaker, so it's easier for problems like this to occur.)
7. In paddle tennis there are no dead times. (You have a maximum of three chances per match to return your opponent's shot, but if you miss all of them, your turn is over. This means matches don't last very long, which is reflected in padel's marketing campaign).
8. The penalties for breaking the rules of paddle tennis are much more severe than in ordinary tennis. (The minimum penalty for breaking the rules is the loss of a point, while love is non-existent. This speeds up matches as players have to focus much more on following the rules.)
9. The ball cannot touch anything other than the opponent's feet or racket. (This is a fundamental rule: it means that you are not allowed to hit shots on walls, floors, ceilings, etc. This makes tennis shots (such as drop shots and angled volleys) much more difficult to hit, which which makes the game more exciting.

If you are going to buy a paddle tennis racket, you should pay close attention to its shape. To start with, we recommend the round shape. If you have your own racket, you will notice that you quickly get used to it and are able to control your technique. Look for a racket that weighs about 365 grams or less, so you can move well and be in the correct position on time. Once your technique is under control, you may want more power and speed. Then the solution is a racket for average players.