Padel

OleBoiii

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Oct 4, 2019
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Has anyone tried this? I played it for the first time a few days ago and had an absolute blast! If you've ever had fun playing tennis or squash(or both), then I can almost guarantee that you will like this sport!

Padel is essentially a mix between tennis and squash(see video below) but the learning curve is not nearly as steep, which makes it an ideal sport to pick up with casuals and people who aren't that athletic. The downside is that it's a bit of a niche sport so it's hard to find facilities. Also, being a 2-on-2 sport obviously makes it harder to find enough people to play with. But if you see an opportunity then I really recommend that you try it out!

 
Really been having fun with this lately, basically since last summer. In the beginning it was easy to score winners but the better we've gotten, the harder it is and the more you realize you have to be really patient and shot selection is key.

Getting a permanent partner and sticking to one side of the court has also helped us a lot. We've already been playing (and winning) some small tournaments, which is easy enough in the beginning since you're ranked P100 and playing against bad players, but think it's gonna be fun against tougher opposition this summer as well.

Also a fun sport to watch, spectacular points from time to time. Ale Galan / Juan LeBron are truly fantastic to watch.
 


Level of play defiitely is at an all-time high right now imo. Tapia/Coello look pretty much unbeatable - gonna be interesting to see how Lebron/Galan react to that or whether they can get back to their previous level, or if Di Nenno/Stupa can take their level up a notch and win some H2H's against them.
 
It's a really fun game. They opened up some courts at the Notts County ground last year and I went with a few guys from work when they were doing an opening discount.

It's a very intense aerobic exercise and more fun IMO than tennis because of the rebound factor.

Also this thread's OP :(
 
Tapia/Coello finally beaten today in Valladolid, after something like 15ish tournaments won in a row... Of course by Di Nenno and Stupa, the only ones coming close right now until Lebron is healthy again to pair up with Galan. Crazy game :drool:
 


Yesterday's final in Mendoza, Argentina. Worth a watch, the two best duos at it once again.

Especially Tapia does some mind-blowing stuff from time to time, I don't think anyone has ever reached the heights he's currently playing at, perhaps maybe Lebron a few years ago.
 
Having a big tear in my Osaka Pro Tour Power Soft racket I'm currently on the lookout for a quality replacement. Smashes are my weakness so you could say I'd have to go for a top heavy diamond shaped racket to negate that or I could get something like a mid balanced teardrop or hybrid shape to enhance my strengths. Thoughts?
 
londonredmaniac said:
Cool, I played pickleball back in November for the first time and it was great. If this is similar I see the appeal definitely :)

Ah I see, it's got walls to play off too! Seen it in Spain I think. Looks quality.
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Yeah it's very popular in Spain but the sport is growing in popularity globally I think. Certainly here in The Netherlands the amount of courts is growing. It's just hampered by people filing noise complaints to stop businesses from getting the right permits.
 
I’ve never played any racquet sports before but had my first game of padel yesterday and loved it.

I’ve got half decent hand/eye coordination from playing cricket at a decent standard and golf so picked up the basics quite quickly. Need to work on my serve consistency though.
 
G-manc said:
I’ve never played any racquet sports before but had my first game of padel yesterday and loved it.

I’ve got half decent hand/eye coordination from playing cricket at a decent standard and golf so picked up the basics quite quickly. Need to work on my serve consistency though.
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Positioning, anticipation and decision making in different kind of situations is also key but you'll be able to pick that up quite easily as well if you start to play regularly. When to take the net, when to keep defending / play high lobs or when to try and take over a point, stuff like that. A consistently well-played serve absolutely helps as well indeed.

I've been playing some tournaments and interclub this spring and summer, great fun.
 
RobinLFC said:
Positioning, anticipation and decision making in different kind of situations is also key but you'll be able to pick that up quite easily as well if you start to play regularly. When to take the net, when to keep defending / play high lobs or when to try and take over a point, stuff like that. A consistently well-played serve absolutely helps as well indeed.

I've been playing some tournaments and interclub this spring and summer, great fun.
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I’ve had a knee injury for a while and out a bit of weight on but I quickly realised I need to get my feet moving quicker; I struggled a bit to adjust my body position quick enough when the returns were into my body.

definitely need more variation in my shots too as I had a tendency to just try and hit everything flat and hard.

I can’t believe how popular it is; the courts in my town have only been there for about 6 months and it’s rammed all day.
 
It's pretty good this. Even bought myself a whacking bat off Temu.
 
My cousin bought a whacking accessory off Temu and it ripped his dick clean off.
 
Just spent £120 on a racquet (retail price £220 but sorted with a mates employee discount) for a sport I’ve played about 10 times

Can’t help but feel it’s a sport for those who are too shit to play tennis at any decent standard but then that describes me so it all works out
 
WR said:
Just spent £120 on a racquet (retail price £220 but sorted with a mates employee discount) for a sport I’ve played about 10 times

Can’t help but feel it’s a sport for those who are too shit to play tennis at any decent standard but then that describes me so it all works out
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A pair of mates both dropped over £100 on theirs. £30 on Temu.
 
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