Mistakes when learning padel technique: how to correct them

Learning to play padel seems simple at first: racket in hand, small court and soft ball. But the technique has more nuances than it may seem, and many players carry bad habits for years that slow down their progress. Detecting mistakes when learning padel technique in time is what allows you to stop getting stuck at the same level and start making the progress you are looking for.

Mistakes when learning padel technique

Most mistakes in padel do not come from a lack of strength or physical condition, but from gestures that have been incorrectly automated from the beginning. These are the most common ones:

1. Incorrect racket grip

Many players hold the racket as if it were a tennis racket, with a grip that is too closed or too flat. This detail, which may seem minor, affects everything that comes afterwards: the ball’s exit angle, the ability to create spin and comfort on high shots such as the volley or smash.

A continental grip, neither too closed nor too open, allows you to move from forehand to backhand without changing your hand position each time, something that is difficult at first but ultimately saves reaction time.

2. Hitting only with the arm

It is common to see beginners move only their arm when hitting, leaving the rest of their body still. The shot loses power and accuracy and, above all, becomes slower to anticipate. Correct technique involves rotating the torso and accompanying the shot with the legs, so that the arm finishes the movement rather than generating it entirely. Without this coordination, the player gets tired sooner and the ball loses consistency.

3. Not moving your feet

Another very common mistake is staying static and waiting for the ball to arrive instead of moving towards it. Padel is played with the legs before the arm: you need to reach the correct position before hitting, not hit from wherever you happen to be.

Those who do not work on their movement tend to hit late and without balance, which results in constant mistakes, many of which can be avoided with a simple position correction.

4. Not controlling the rebound off the wall

Padel differs from tennis precisely because of the use of the walls, and this is where inexperience becomes most noticeable. Hitting the ball just after it rebounds off the wall, without letting it drop or calculating its trajectory, usually ends with balls going out or hitting the net due to a lack of control. Learning to read the rebound takes time, but it is one of the key factors that distinguishes an experienced player from someone who is still at beginner level.

5. Using too much force when hitting

Trying to hit every ball hard is one of the most common mistakes and also one of the most difficult to correct. In padel, the court is small and the opponents are close, so power without control usually results in balls going into the fence or shots that the opponent returns easily because they arrive without spin or placement.

The priority should be accuracy: placing the ball where it causes problems for the opponent, rather than simply hitting it with as much force as possible.

6. Poorly executed smash

The smash is one of the most spectacular shots, but also one of the ones players miss most often at the beginning. Smashing without properly bending the knees, without raising the racket in time or trying to smash balls that are still too high or poorly positioned causes the ball to go off course or straight into the net.

This shot requires good positioning beforehand and patience to wait for the right moment, something that can only be achieved through constant repetition.

7. Underdeveloped serve

The serve in padel is not practised much at first, when in reality it is the only shot that you have complete control over, without depending on the opponent. Always serving in the same way, without varying the area or spin, makes it easy for the opponent to anticipate. Working on different types of serves from the beginning prevents it from becoming a weak point that is difficult to correct later on.

8. Not reading the opponent

Finally, many players focus so much on their own shot that they forget to observe where the opponent is positioned before hitting. Without this awareness, it is impossible to take advantage of gaps on the court or anticipate the opponent’s next move.

This skill develops with experience, but it is worth starting to work on it from the first lessons rather than leaving it for later.

How to improve your padel technique?

Correcting these mistakes does not depend so much on playing more matches as on specifically training each movement. Here are some tips that help you progress in an organised way.

• Work on your grip and basic shots (forehand, backhand, volley) separately before bringing them into real-game situations.
• Practise movement and positioning on court without a ball, to automate your leg movements.
• Repeat wall and rebound situations in a guided way, starting slowly and gradually increasing the speed.
• Record your training sessions on video to detect mistakes that you do not notice while playing.
• Get correction from a professional, as many technical habits are difficult to identify on your own.

At RozaRossa, we are a padel and tennis academy in Estepona designed precisely to support this process from day one. Our class programmes combine individual technique and on-court training, adapting each session to the person’s level so that mistakes are corrected from the foundations and do not become habits.

We have padel and tennis courts, specialised coaches and both individual and group classes, as well as a club designed for those who want to improve their game in a well-maintained environment, between Marbella and Estepona. Our aim is for every player, whatever their level, to find in RozaRossa Tennis Academy the space and technical support they need to make solid progress.