By the MeetAndPlay editorial team · · 5 min read
Everyone who starts padel makes the same mistakes, and that is normal: it is a sport with its own logic, different from tennis or squash. The good news is that almost all of them can be corrected with a few clear ideas. Here are the ten most common and how to avoid them.
1. Hitting everything hard
The first instinct is to hit with power, but in padel force rarely wins points: the ball bounces off the walls and comes back. What wins is placement and patience. Aim to return deep, at your opponents' feet, and let them make the error. A controlled shot that lands at the opponent's feet forces more errors than a hard one that goes straight into the back wall.
2. Playing without the walls
Many beginners try to resolve everything before the ball bounces, or get startled when it hits the glass. The walls are your ally: let the ball go to the wall and wait for it. Practise watching how it comes off and position yourself behind it, with time to hit.
3. Staying rooted at the back
If you spend the whole match at the back, you hand over the net. In padel points are won near the net, which is why both pairs fight for it. When you get a moment (a short lob, a weak return), move forward and do it as a pair: both go up or both stay, leaving no gaps. Think of the net as territory that is won as a team and defended as a team.
4. Holding the racket too open or too low
A low racket produces uncontrolled lobs and a very open face sends the ball up. Keep the racket in front and at a height that lets you react, with the elbow bent and no dangling wrist. On volleys, hit forward without a long swing.
5. Taking long swings
On a small court with nearby walls there is no time for wide swings as in tennis. Use a compact stroke: short preparation, contact in front of the body and a brief follow-through.
6. Not talking to your partner
It is one of the mistakes that costs the most points: two players hesitating about who hits, or leaving the ball in the middle. Talk: "mine", "yours", "I have it", "leave it". Agree beforehand who takes the balls down the centre. A pair that communicates wins more than their level suggests. Even a simple "yours" said in time prevents clashing rackets and balls nobody touches.
7. Serving without intention
The padel serve is underhand, with a bounce before the hit, and its aim is not to win the point but to start it with an advantage. Aim at the opponents' service area, avoid serving too hard and try to make the ball come off with little bounce.
8. Forgetting the lob
The lob is the most useful resource for recovering the net when you are under pressure. Many beginners avoid it because it seems "not attacking enough", but a good deep lob changes the match: it gives you time, pushes the opponents back and takes the net away from them. Practise it in the warm-up until it comes out deep without effort, because it becomes your safest way out when you are in trouble.
9. Skipping the warm-up
A cold body is an injured body. Spend a few minutes on mobility for shoulders, hips and ankles, and some gentle rallying before you start. We have a specific guide on warming up and preventing injuries. Even five minutes of gentle movement makes the first points safer.
10. Picking the wrong level of match
Always playing opponents far better than you can be frustrating; always playing weaker ones slows your progress. Look for matches at your level or slightly above. If you do not know yours, our levels guide helps you place yourself.
How to correct your mistakes faster
- Play more retas. It is the fastest way to practise real decisions.
- Ask for honest feedback from a partner after the match.
- Record a match and watch it calmly: you will see things you do not notice while playing.
- Take some lessons to fix the basic technique from the start. A bad habit is harder to remove than a new one is to learn.
- Pick one mistake a week to work on instead of trying to change everything at once.
What is fine to get wrong at the start
Missing serves, getting confused by the walls and losing matches is part of the path. Padel is one of the racket sports you enjoy fastest, and most players remember their first match fondly. What matters is that each match leaves you with a new idea and a wish to come back to the court.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most common beginner mistake in padel?
- Hitting everything too hard. In padel, placement, patience and using the walls win more points than power.
- Should I always stay near the net?
- Ideally you win the net position when you can, but without leaving gaps: both players of the pair go up or stay together, and the lob helps recover it.
- How do I improve faster?
- Play matches at your level, talk to your partner, work on one mistake at a time and take some lessons to settle the basic technique.