Here's the thing almost nobody tells beginners: padel is won and lost by where you stand far more than how hard you hit. You can have the neatest volley in Manchester and still lose to a pair who simply position better.
The tactics themselves are simple. There are only a handful of ideas, and once you understand them you'll climb past players who've been going for months on instinct alone.
The golden rule: get to the net and hold it
If you remember one thing, remember this. The pair who control the net win most points.
At the net you can volley down into gaps and pressure your opponents. Stuck at the back, you're on the defensive, scrambling balls off the glass and hoping for a mistake. So the entire aim of a rally is to get both of you forward and keep you there.
Once you're at the net, hold your ground. Don't drift back after every shot. The moment you retreat, you hand control straight back.
Move as a pair, not two individuals
The single most common beginner mistake is one player charging the net while the other stays at the back. That leaves a gaping hole down the middle and diagonally, and good opponents will find it every time.
Instead, think of you and your partner as connected by an invisible pole about three metres long. When one of you moves, the other moves too.
- If your partner goes forward, you go forward.
- If your partner is pushed back by a lob, you drop back with them.
- If your partner slides to cover the left, you shift left to cover the middle.
Stay roughly level and roughly the same distance apart, and you'll leave far fewer gaps.
Who takes the middle?
Balls down the centre win points precisely because they cause hesitation. Both players reach, both stop, the ball drops between you. Sort this out before it happens.
The simple rule: the player whose forehand is in the middle usually takes it. On a standard right-hander pairing, that's often the player on the left. A forehand is stronger and easier to control than a stretched backhand, so the middle ball goes to whoever can meet it with their forehand.
Talk about it early. A quick "middle's yours" between points saves a surprising number of soft giveaways.
When to lob to move opponents back
When your opponents own the net and you're pinned at the back, don't try to blast through them. Lob over them instead.
A good, deep lob does two things at once. It pushes the net pair backwards, taking away their attacking position, and it buys you the time to move forward and claim the net yourselves. That's a straight swap of control, and it's the most reliable route out of trouble for a beginner.
Lob when you're under pressure, when you want to reset a point, or simply to stop opponents camping on the net. If you want the mechanics of the shot, our shots guide covers the lob and everything else.
Patience and the fourth-shot game
Beginners try to win points in one or two shots. Good padel players are happy to play ten, twenty, thirty balls and wait for the right one.
Points tend to unfold in a pattern. The serving pair moves up, there's an exchange, someone lobs, positions shift, and only then does an attacking chance appear, often around the fourth shot and beyond. Rushing before that chance arrives just gives away errors.
So keep the ball in play. Aim deep, keep it away from the middle when your opponents are set, and wait for a short ball or a weak lob you can genuinely attack. Patience isn't passive. It's you refusing to lose the point cheaply.
A simple game plan to start with
Put it all together and your beginner tactics look like this:
- Aim to get both of you to the net and hold it.
- Move as a pair, staying level and covering the middle together.
- Lob deep when opponents control the net, then move forward.
- Agree who takes the middle, usually the forehand.
- Be patient. Keep the ball in play and wait for the ball worth attacking.
None of this needs power or fancy shots. It just needs discipline and a bit of communication. A session or two with a coach will bed it in fast, and the coaches page lists people teaching across Greater Manchester. When you're ready to book a court and try it, the venues page has every option nearby.
FAQs
Why is getting to the net so important in padel?
At the net you can volley down and control the point, while a pair stuck at the back can only defend. Whichever pair holds the net wins most points, so getting forward is the main aim of every rally.
How should a beginner pair move on court?
Move together, as if joined by a short pole. If one player goes forward, back or sideways, the other mirrors it. Staying level keeps gaps closed down the middle and diagonally.
Who should take balls down the middle?
Usually the player whose forehand covers the centre, since a forehand is stronger than a stretched backhand. Agree it before the point so neither of you hesitates.
When should I lob in padel?
Lob when your opponents control the net and you're stuck at the back. A deep lob pushes them backwards and gives you time to move forward and take the net yourselves.
Why do I keep losing quick points as a beginner?
Usually from rushing. Try to keep the ball in play, aim deep and away from the middle, and wait for a short ball or weak lob to attack rather than forcing a winner early.