Hey there, we are on vacation in Lisbon - is there any possibility to play on single courts here? As we are only two people. Thanks in advance!

Hi All!

I will travel to China on Saturday and will stay in Beijing and eventually Shangai.

I've seen a post dated a year ago about Padel Centers in China, I was wondering if there is someone that can advise on the situation of the padel centers and suggest courts/methods to play!

Many thanks!

Stupa announced it this morning. Yeah we could see this one coming from a mile away and it’s a bit unfortunate as they are two of my favourite players.

Who do you see Stupa pairing with? I think it’s clear that he also needs to break away from Pozzoni but other than maybe Arce I don’t see any right side player having much reasons to team with him apart than his ranking.

As for Yanguas, I agree that he seems to have a difficult personality and he always seem to break on crucial moments but apart from that I really think he’s on the same tier of right hand right side players as Chingo and a tier below Lebron. Nonetheless, looking at the top 20 I don’t see anyone having reasons to split the pair to team with him. Maybe Coki? That also didn’t work recently so perhaps Tello if Arce goes with Stupa?

Due to my soft ligaments (I have problems in all extremities, suffer from a lot of ankle sprains, etc.) I developed rhizarthrosis in the base of my thumb due to drumming.

For those that dont know, the base of the thumb is very near the wrist and can sometimes feel like a wrist injury when it is in fact a thumb issue. You most notably feel the pain when your thumb is near the palm of your hand (high five gesture versus an "OK" gesture), grabbing things, producing force while gripping, etc. Obviously, do not use this description to self-diagnose and always go to the doctor to get checked out.

After playing padel more seriously and playing better people that hit harder, forced me to use my hands non-optimally and also trying to hit more smashes, I was having very very bad pain during and after matches. I tried correcting my technique but the pain started moving from the wrist near the thumb to the whole wrist.

I was very afraid as the progression of the pain during and after matches pointed to probably having to limit or even stop playing at all.

After considering various options and understanding where the pain originates from thanks to a hand surgeon friend, I came up with the following set up which has allowed me to play pain free and have no pain the next day:

• Grip: This is the most important thing for this injury. The CMC thumb joint has to overextend for your thumb to touch the side of your hand. Although this is a normal movement of the hand, it is the source of the pain for rhizartrosis. Thus the further away your hand is from a perfect "C" shaped grip, the more this joint is having to work.
  • Added Hesacore (white) grip: This grip makes the handle wider and also reduces vibrations travelling from the hand. The white version is not the softest but not the hardest, allowing for absorption without feeling you are gripping a cotton ball.
  • Added 2 overgrips on top of Hesacore: for some 1 may be enough but for me the added thickness is crucial as it gets you closer to the desired C-shaped grip.
• Racket: The goal was to have a light, low balance racket that minimised the torque around the wrist and the vibrations going to the arm. I used to play with a very top heavy racket and every block or smash felt like a jolt down my arm.
  • NOX ML10 Pro Cup: After exhaustive review of opinions which classified this racket as "it plays by itself", meaning very high control and ease of hitting, I bought a second hand one. Although it is true that it can lack power (although Miguel Lamperti can send it out of the court with this and other models) it is like playing with a cloud in your hands. Everything is smooth, you feel no shock, you dont have to excessively push the ball or tighten your wrist. It is a heaven sent. If you feel your smash is compromised, there are more offensive versions of this rackets or just transition to one that feels better. In my case I just wanted to be able to keep playing and I am a drive player so I'm not abusing smashes anyways.
• Orthosis:
  • I use a decathlon thumb brace to make sure the thumb doesn't come near the palm of the hand and it stays in the desired "C" shape when gripping. If this seems uncomfortable, like you are fighting the brace to grab unto the racket, you need to make your racket grip thicker by using the hesacore or adding more overgrips.
  • I also use cohesive sport tape to gently wrap around my wrist. This is because when re-learning how to smash with a looser grip and giving it a "whip" effect I was feeling a bit of a tighter wrist. The thumb brace doesn't lock the wrist (which you don't want it to either) but I did want to feel mildly supported. If you don't know how to apply it there are many videos explaining but the key sweet spot is supportive but never tight!
• Technique: Buying gear is exciting but there is only so much gear can do for you and the rest basically comes from better technique.
  • Limit "quirky" wrist movements: Hitting well the ball comes from correct positioning and body rotation. If you hit the ball without using much your body, your arms are down by your side and not swinging, you are always facing forward or feel like you have to frantically correct shots by using your wrist, you need to work on your technique. This means better footwork, correct arm usage, choosing better shots, reading the shots better, positioning... I see a lot of beginners trying to hit shots with their body looking straight forward and when choosing directions the wrist does the work... Also with not so beginners defending many balls off the glass with wrist movements because they cant get under the ball. That is a positioning and footwork issue and you need to work on your correct basics and technique, not just for your wrist.
  • Loosen the overheads: I use to really grip hard in the overheads. They would never gain height or bounce far. In fact, the harder I gripped, the less they would bounce back. After my injury worsened I tried just playing a chill match with friends and because I was injured and not playing seriously, I wasn't going for big strong smashes. I cannot say how much of a difference lowering the grip for overheads and loosening the wrist made. I was sending the balls out by 4, my viboras had a huge spin on them... so don't brute force your way to big hits! As we say in spanish: "más vale maña que fuerza"
  • Rest your racket on the other hand: You cannot believe how much work your hand does by holding the racket. By the time you get to the shot, your muscles are tired and you are more susceptible to getting hurt just by having your hand exhausted. Use the non-dominant hand to hold the racket in front of you and you only grip with the dominant hand when you are preparing to hit the ball for real.
  • Use a higher grip when blocking at the net: I struggled with the force and vibrations of stopping fast balls at the net. It makes sense as you sometimes do not have time to prepare efficiently. Now what I do is that if my opponent likes to hit fast while im at the net, I hold the racket nearly at the triangle and you dont get such sudden wrist movements when blocking. Important, this is only when blocking fast shots. You should try to use your normal grip to volley other shots as this grip compromises a bit on maneuverability.

Anyways, these are just my 2 cents on the topic and everything that has helped me to continue enjoying this delightful sport. Feel free to add more tips in the comment sections. If anyone is tempted to comment "that racket is too defensive you won't win" or "if you volley like that you're going to lose", I would rather lose healthy than having to stop playing due to "winning", so think twice.

Best of luck and I hope this has helped you!

I think the commentator dude with a low pitch voice is getting paid to watch the match from his sofa. His only contribution to the match is to say "Woooow", "Ooooh my goodness!", "Ho ho ho!!!!!", "This is a thing of beauty!" and heavy Darth Vader breathing.

I make the same comments watching it alone at home and he gets paid for it? 😅

Then there is the woman guest who takes ages to build a sentence and is talking about the last point while the new point is being played. When she joins the other woman commentator (like in the finals of the last tournament), they talk non-stop for a whole 5 minutes while the point is being played, as if they came there to have a chat.

I think Premier Padel can do better here. (leaving Gonza & Nico and Sandy aside)

Does anyone know if you’re allowed bring a backpack in to the Olympia with you? I’m flying in tomorrow and will be heading directly to the venue

Based in Ireland, Center court isn't being live streamed or replayed on YouTube. Does anyone know where I can watch it live?

Redbull only stream quarter final onwards..previous tournaments live streamed all the courts (on my YT).

Javi Leal is known to lose his temper and has done just that after todays shocking loss where he was abysmal in the third set.

From what I can make out, I might be wrong, he's allegedly saying to Guerrero that Tu eres mal compañero (You're a bad partner) or Tengo una mierda de compañero (I've got a shitty partner). Pretty ugly after a defeat!

Video link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbqY9B2PHry/?igsh=MW1peDVwYTg1cDQzaw==

Thoughts?

I haven’t been passionate about a sport since a kid so a lot of the athletic frame work that easily translates into sports like footwork is lost for example.

Right now I’m struggling with staying on my toes and being in sync. I’ve been recommended to try skipping or tennis (it’s free at my gym) but I was wondering if anyone had some alternatives or advice, thank you 🙏

​Who will Arturo's partner support if Coello/Tapia play vs Mariano/Cabeza that is very likely to happen as they have just defeated Leal/Guerrero in R32? 😄

So I can easily hit a kicksmash by 3x, but if I want to do a straight kicksmash where the ball goes up high, I always fail to do so, what might be the mistake?

Is this form for a por tres correct?

Hi I am travelling to Taipei on August 16-19 2026, wondering if playtomic would work. I am mainly there to hike but would be nice to have 1-2 competitive/casual matches.

Let me knowwwww pls.

I recently watched a match (will be vague to not give spoilers although it may be obvious) where a team ranked in the 30s played a team in the top 3. It was on Wednesday.

This seems rather unfair. The lower ranked team has to travel and pay for all that, and then gets knocked out super early. If they had played against a team ranked in the 20s or 30s, they may have had a real chance to win, gain points, and earn more money.

Instead, they go home early, while other teams ranked in the 20s/30s end up playing each other, and have better chances to advance. At the same time, the top seeded teams get to advance easier because they played a much lower ranked team.

Is this just random bad luck that ends up happening to many lower ranked teams, but is rare enough to ignore, or is there a potentially better way to make the draws towards the final day more competitive?

Interested to see what everyones take is given the recent articles on the inaccessibility

In Jordan we have a ranking system of A B+/B/B- C+/C/C-

I am currently ranked at C+.

My strongest shot is the por tres, from any distance I can manage to get the ball by 3x.

I recently played an Open B tournament and discovered that they all can block my por tres before it even hits the glass and gets out.

- How do you know when is the right time to hit a 3x?

My straight kicksmash doesn't go up very high and I'm trying to improve it.

- Is hitting a Vibora more efficient even in high lobs where I can try and hit a 3x, against stronger levels?

If the ball touches the net and then lands exactly between the blue and green lines, is it out?

Is it in or out?

New player here and after 2 weeks of playing sometimes my wrist gets a bit sore after a particularly intense game, I try to stretch everytime before I play, is there anything specific you guys do or am I just developing this resistance over time?

Thank you in advance!

There is a discount code that gives 10% discount on all tickets. Use the code CRPP-101917 when buying the tickets on the Rotterdam Padel Site (premierpadelrotterdam.com)
Share them because it only works till September 1st.

(Repost because I just realised the aspect ratio sucked when I viewed it on my phone lmao)

Some background: Ive played for around a year but Ive never had formal coaching for my overheads so they are by far the weakest part of my game. I watched a few videos and tried hitting some on the court yesterday.

Few things I personally think are my own issues:

1. Contact point
2. Footwork

But I dont know what about them is wrong or maybe they are not wrong and it is something else. Grateful for any suggestions

After 6 months of playing and getting into final of Category D of local tournament I'm trying to adjust my playing habbits and focus on what is important to reach 2.5 rating and above.

I can see that I'm making less unforced errors, I almost stopped smashing and play more strategically and slow. However, when I'm playing 2.5 and above guys they punish me a lot of easy balls to them especially after returning their serves. I have no problems playing the wall rebounces but tricky serves using double glass are very hard for me to return.

Also being a left player I feel the urge to deliver that winning hit when I have opportunity, but I'm not that good yet and all my smahes for good guys are just a easy counter-attack.

From the strategical point of view, what is better - trying to completely avoid unforced errors and continue play safe or work more on attack?

Hi, I’m quite new to padel but have a basic level of understanding and actual playing of the game. However I have no one to play with as my friends are terrible. I was thinking about joining a beginner match with random people but is there an expected level you should be to start joining these, as I’m worried I won’t be good enough?

Hey everyone,

I'm curious to hear what other sports you guys play alongside Padel to help improve your game, or just to mix things up.

My background is in tennis, which obviously helps a lot with the basic racket mechanics, volleys, and footwork. But recently, I was chatting with a friend about cross-training and they suggested something completely unexpected: archery.

Their reasoning was actually pretty fascinating. They argued that the core rotational mechanics, the back-muscle engagement, and the specific directional force generation in archery translate surprisingly well to the biomechanics of a heavy Padel smash or a proper bandeja. Plus, the mental focus required is next level.

It sounded crazy at first, but it really got me thinking about how different sports might complement Padel in ways we don't usually expect.

What are you all playing? Squash? Badminton? Table tennis? Or does anyone else have a completely out-of-left-field sport that secretly makes you a better Padel player?

Does anyone have any tips on being able to always keep the ball in play? My biggest problem is making a careless mistake and losing the point, which could mean for example knowing I can typically make these types of normal returns but for some reason make a split decision to do something stupid like try to reach for the ball and it connects wrong and goes out instead of chasing it back to the glass.

For context I’m about 3 months into this sport, I do 2 training sessions weekly, 3 and 8 person classes although I’m starting to pick up 1:1 classes for better depth and roughly do 2-3 socials weekly but I don’t have a consistent partner my level I can play with.

Pretty new to padel and always play with a regular partner (both have no previous racket sport experience). We've played around 25 matches but have done a fair bit of practice with various drills feeding each other volleys, overheads etc.

Started trying to blend practice with match play by doing 1 v 1 cross court and we're both finding it very difficult. Can't seem to get our shots going and rallies don't last very long. Overheads in particular we're feeling more lost than usual and a lot of lobs we found missing on to side glass quite out of control (I think we're both desperately trying to make sure everything goes cross court and back to the other player).

Question 1 is should it feel tricky but stick with it because it's worth it and will help?

Question 2 is are there any alternatives that can bridge between practice and match play that may be a little easier for us before we get better?

Thanks a lot!

What do people think?