The Bandeja Magazine Issue 1

coaching
feature
Coaching
Basics for beginners
For The Bandeja’s first coaching
feature we are starting from the
beginning, with padel coach
Ewan Ramsden talking through eight
fundamentals to help new players to
win more games.
1. Play with better players
This works for all sports and padel is
no different. If you play with stronger
players your game will improve. You’ll
be forced to work harder and have
to contend with tougher balls, which
means learning to cope and return the
balls. And don’t give up when balls go
past you – think about what you could
have done differently.
2. Take regular lessons
Booking time with a decent coach
will help improve your technique and
make your shots more consistent,
stronger and faster. It may also help
avoid injuries, including the dreaded
padel elbow.
I’d advise a one-on-one session
each week plus matches to put your
learnings into practice.
3. Learn the walls
This is key to improving your game,
If you don’t learn how to play balls
off the wall and constantly volley you
will improve but only to a point. The
wall can be your best friend, helping
you defend and attack and making
opponents easier to defeat. When
faced with picking a ball off the wall
stay relaxed, let the ball come in front
of you and don’t take it too early.
4. Learn positioning
Two absolute basics are to avoid no
man’s land (the area between the
service line and the net) and get to
the net at the right time. If you find
yourself in no man’s land it will be
difficult to volley and tricky to get a
ball off the wall. Getting to the net at
the right time (always after serving)
will allow you to play winning volleys
and overheads.
5. Racket grip
I advise using the continental grip
for accuracy, control, power and
technique. I demonstrate it in the
video or you can find it by ‘shaking
hands’ with your racket. Some players
make marks on their racket handles
to ensure their hand stays in position
while they are learning this grip.
6. Get the right racket for
your game
This is really important. A good coach
or racket supplier will be able to
advise, after which it does come down
to personal preference.
7. Play consistently with
consistency
If you play intermittently it will be
difficult to improve, so set a target
of consistently playing (at least once
a week for example) and then aim to
play the percentage game, so
keeping the ball in play as much as
possible rather than going for winners
and missing. Let your opponents
make the errors.
Consistency - a good tactic is to
hit the ball down the middle. If you
get it wrong you still have a good
chance of the ball going in. You
will also find that if you constantly
hit down the middle opponents
will slowly move in and gaps in the
corners and down the line will open
up for finishing the point.
8. Take the pace off your shots
Don’t hit the ball too hard! It’s very
tempting, particularly if you come
from a tennis or squash background,
but playing more slowly and hitting
less hard but with consistency will win
points. This is especially so if
you play more experienced players
- hitting hard balls that bounce off
the glass will be an easy pick for them
rather than a winner. Learn to play
slow and soft and prioritise learning
spin over power.
As well as being a padel
coach, Ewan has established
EverythingPadel, an online padel
racket and equipment store.
Follow him on YouTube here
10% off
until 30 June 2022
use code:
PADEL10
www.flanciactivewear.co.uk
44 thebandeja.com the UK padel magazine
@flanci @flanciactive @flanciactivewear
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