Padel
The only guide you need to better positioning, sharper decision-making and outsmarting opponents, just like the pros do.
You're not alone if you’ve played a few dozen padel matches and still feel like you’re leaving points on the table. At some point, every padel player realises that the secret to winning isn’t just about technique or strength. It’s not about hitting the flashiest smash or putting the heaviest spin on the ball. It’s simply about playing smart.
This is where strategy begins to matter more than skill. This is where padel becomes a thinking game. And this, if you're willing to be patient, observant, and a little more aggressive than usual, is where you start to win more matches.
Let’s explore how to get to this point, guided (and inspired) by the elite minds and movements of Ale Galán, Juan Lebrón and Bea González.
01
Covering the court and exerting pressure like Ale Galán
Before you hit a single ball, you’re already one step closer to either winning or losing the point, depending on where you're standing.
Positioning is the bedrock of all padel strategies. It’s about controlling space, reducing risk and applying pressure without even swinging your racket. And if there’s one player who embodies this to near perfection, it’s Ale Galán.
Galán doesn’t just hit well, he moves well, with a clear purpose. Every return he makes has a bold intention: to get to the net and stay there. Watch any of his matches, and you’ll keep seeing the same pattern: after a return, he’s already taking ground, stepping forward and preparing to control the point. He knows the net is where the game is decided.
And once he's there, he doesn't sit still. He shifts laterally with his partner, covers lobs and protects the middle. The court looks small when Galán's at the net, not because of his reach, but because of his anticipation.
For amateur players, this is gold. Most stay too deep for too long, giving up space and reacting instead of attacking. Start thinking of every shot not as an end but a transition, a way to better position yourself for the next one.
02
Staying patient to go on offence like Juan Lebrón
Great padel players know how to switch gears. They don’t treat offence and defence like permanent states; they treat them like fluid, temporary phases, flipping between the two depending on the point’s rhythm.
Take Juan Lebrón, for example. Known for his firepower and fearless play, he’s often mistaken as just an offensive beast. But look closer. When he’s pushed back, when the point is getting away from him, he doesn’t panic. He slows the tempo. He resets. He lobs with purpose. He lets the rally breathe.
This is the art of smart defence. You don’t have to win the point from the back of the court. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is stay alive, lob high and deep, use the back glass and wait for a mistake.
Then, when the opportunity comes, Lebrón doesn’t hesitate. He attacks. He goes from calm to chaos in one shot. That timing, that ability to pause and then explode without losing control, is one of the fundamental skills that separates good players from match winners.
Amateurs often try to win from impossible positions at the back of the court, attempting tennis-like passing shots, or firing flat balls at their opponents with no real purpose other than to play fast. The purpose when you’re playing defence is not to win the point, but to steal the net from your opponents with clever shots and deep lobs to the spots left empty by your rivals. Learn to live in defence when you need to, and identify opportunities to advance to the net, where the winning positions are.
When playing these lobs, don't rush. Contrary to popular amateur belief, especially at beginner levels, lobs shouldn't be played in high-stress situations right after your opponents' strong or deep shots. Lobs should ideally occur when your defensive position is established, and you are facing a comfortable ball that allows you to execute a deep or fast lob to send your rivals back.
03
Adding variety and disrupting patterns like Bea González
If you’ve ever watched Bea González, you know her game has a certain electricity to it. She’s unpredictable, aggressive and somehow always a half-second ahead of everyone else on court.
But what really makes Bea so dangerous is her ability to disrupt. She doesn’t let her opponents settle. One rally she’s hammering a smash; the next she’s slicing a drop shot inches over the net. She’s constantly shifting speeds, angles, and intentions, and that’s what throws people off. It’s not about being wild. It’s about being unpredictable.
You can copy this same strategy to make it harder to decipher. Start mixing up your tempo. While executing repetitive shots during a rally can pin your opponents and make them stagnant, creating space for you to then change directions, don’t feed your opponents the same patterns all the time.
Hit to their feet, the middle, and the fence, not necessarily during the same rally, but throughout the match, without relying too much on the same speed and directions. Play fast, then slow. Create hesitation, and they’ll give you openings.
The primary tool Bea uses to make a difference is her footwork. If you observe any of her points, she constantly moves, shuffling her feet to stay on her toes and anticipating her opponents’ shots. Even if she doesn’t touch the ball, she’s making them uncomfortable. That’s a strategy without touching the ball. That’s padel IQ.
04
The mental game: How to out think your opponents
If you’re serious about learning how to win in padel, you need to start watching your opponents more than the ball.
This observation should start from the very moment you step on the court to warm up. Does your opponent struggle at the back, perhaps with the backhand? Are they using a particular type of grip that adds a frequent spin or slice to shots? Is he trying to defend your aerial shots, or does he simply let them pass by to throw a new ball? Combining this information with your team-mate’s feedback, you can establish a game plan before the match starts.
When the match begins, continue to pay attention to patterns. Does one player always lob when under pressure? Is someone uncomfortable with their backhand? Do they avoid smashes or hesitate at the net? Use this information. Push them toward their weakness. Force them into doubt. If you can make a player overthink, you’ve already won the rally.
Also, never underestimate the power of the middle. At the amateur level, the space between players is often wide open. When in doubt, play there. Miscommunication between your opponents will turn into your best friend.
And always, always, stay connected and communicative with your partner. Pro pairs don’t just move in sync; they think in sync. Use hand signals, short phrases, conversations during and between points, or even just a look. A well-timed “mine” or “switch” can save a point and break your opponents’ rhythm.
05
So, how do you actually start winning more?
You win more matches in padel by thinking more and forcing less, by watching the court, not just the ball, stealing space like Galán, defending smart like Lebrón and disrupting flow like González.
Padel isn’t about who hits harder but who plays smarter. And once you shift from “How do I hit this shot?” to “Why am I hitting this shot?”, everything changes.
You’ll stop hoping to win points and start creating them.
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