The Bandeja Magazine Issue 2

Ollie Grantham
Hello Padel
Academy
& The Bandeja
The Bandeja is delighted
to announce that we’ve
partnered with renowned
Argentinian padel player
turned world-class
coach Mauri Andrini.
Our aim is to bring elite padel
coaching to you via Mauri’s Hello
Padel Academy, probably the world’s
best online padel coaching portal.
Hello Padel has 300+ online lessons
delivered by a team of top-class pros
(including GB’s very own Sam Jones),
fitness coaches, tacticians and Mauri
himself, who will be on hand to offer
tips and tactics to readers.
Mauri has had a long and successful
padel career, starting at the age of
6 years at Club Atlético San Martín
in Pehuajó city, Argentina with
coach Martin Pato Estruch (also the
first coach of star player Fernando
Belasteguín - Bela - who was born
in Pehuajó city).
He won his first world title in
Argentina in 2000 with partner
Francisco Severo, maintains a World
Padel Tour ranking and now travels
the world coaching, commentating,
taking padel clinics and participating
in exhibition matches.
Drills: neutral shots
If you find yourself on court with a few
minutes before a match starts, or have
access to an empty court, then take
the opportunity to practice neutral
forehand and backhand shots agains
the back wall.
These controlled shots are not intended
as winners, they just return the ball to
your opponents and should make up
the majority of your game. Not only
do they put the pressure back on your
opponents to return the ball, neutral
shots also allow you to begin building
the point towards playing a winner. It
goes without saying that the more you
control the timing of your shots the
better player you become.
For this drill keep it simple and see how
many consecutive shots you can do,
hitting the ball gently against the wall
(keep it on one glass panel only). If you
want to make it more challenging place
tape at net height on the glass and
practice getting it just above the net.
The idea is that as you keep control of
shots you will start hitting them close -
but just above - the tape line.
You can then add another tape line
about 1m above the first and practice
keeping the ball between both. This drill
also works well with two people taking it
in turns to return the ball.
50 thebandeja.com