Everyone wants to know what level they are and how to get to the next one. The honest answer is that levels are not about how hard you hit or how good your best shot is. They are about consistency, decision making and positioning. Here is a straight breakdown of the three broad levels, what changes between them, and what to work on to move up. Wherever you are, the good news is that the things that hold you back are all fixable.
Beginner
At beginner level you are learning to keep the ball in play. Rallies are short, points often end with an unforced error, and the walls feel like a threat rather than a tool. Positioning is loose: players drift around the court, both stand at the back, and the net feels like a scary place to be. Most beginners hit too hard, panic off the glass, and have no lob to speak of.
What to work on to move up:
- Consistency above all. Aim to keep the ball in play and let your opponents make the mistakes.
- Getting comfortable off the back wall. Let the ball pass you and come off the glass instead of rushing it.
- A basic lob, so you have a way to take the net back.
- Understanding that the net is where points are won, and starting to move forward when you can.
- Taking pace off. Control beats power at every level, and unlearning the urge to smash everything is the first big step.
If you are here, our beginner mistakes guide is the fastest way to stop leaking points.
Intermediate
Intermediate players keep the ball in play comfortably and have started to think about tactics. You can defend off the glass, you have a lob, and you understand that the net is valuable. Rallies are longer and points are constructed rather than accidental. What is still missing is the reliable overhead game, tight positioning as a pair, and the patience to build a point instead of going for too much too soon.
This is the biggest and broadest level, and where most club players sit for a long time. The players who break out of it are usually the ones who stop trying to hit winners and start out-thinking their opponents.
What to work on to move up:
- The bandeja. This is the shot that lets you hold the net under pressure, and it is often the single thing separating a solid intermediate from an advanced player. See our bandeja guide.
- Moving as a pair, staying connected, and covering the middle. Read our positioning guide.
- Point construction: using the lob to move opponents, then attacking the ball they give back, rather than going for a winner off a difficult ball.
- Patience under pressure. Learning that resetting a point with a good defensive lob is a win, not a failure.
- A more reliable, better placed serve and return so you are not on the back foot from the first ball.
Advanced
Advanced players make very few unforced errors and win points on purpose. The overhead game is a real weapon: a reliable bandeja to hold the net, a vibora and a smash to attack, and the judgement to know which to use. Positioning is tight and automatic, the pair moves as one, and the middle is always covered. Defence off the glass is calm and turns into attack through the bajada. Above all, advanced players choose the right shot at the right time, again and again.
Power is there when it is needed, but it is used sparingly and precisely. What really marks this level is decision making: knowing when to hold, when to attack, when to lob, and when to simply keep the ball in play and wait for the opponent to blink.
What to keep working on:
- Refining shot selection and reading opponents' patterns.
- Sharper overheads, including attacking smashes off the side and back walls that finish points.
- Communication and chemistry with your partner, so the pair defends and attacks as a single unit.
- Fitness and movement, because at this level the difference is often who is still moving well in the third set.
The honest truth about levelling up
Nobody jumps a level by finding one magic shot. You move up by shrinking your weaknesses. The beginner who stops panicking off the glass becomes an intermediate. The intermediate who learns the bandeja and starts moving as a pair becomes advanced. Pick the weakness that is costing you the most right now, drill it deliberately, and use it in matches even when it hurts. Then pick the next one. That is the whole game.
If you are not sure which level you are or what to work on, an honest way to find out is to play people better than you and notice what they do that you cannot. A session with one of the Manchester coaches will pinpoint it fast, and our improvement plan gives you a structure to follow. Test yourself on the finer points with our padel quizzes while you are at it.
FAQ
How long does it take to go from beginner to intermediate?
With regular play and some drilling, most people reach a solid intermediate level within six months to a year. The jump comes mainly from consistency and getting comfortable off the walls rather than from any single shot.
What is the single biggest thing holding intermediate players back?
Usually two things: no reliable bandeja, so they lose the net whenever they are lobbed, and loose positioning as a pair. Fix those two and you will start beating players who used to beat you.
Do I need to hit hard to reach an advanced level?
No. Advanced padel is about consistency, positioning and shot selection, not power. Power is a tool used sparingly. Plenty of hard hitters stay stuck at intermediate because they cannot control the ball or hold their position.