The Bandeja summer 2024 issue

Making the shift
from tennis
to padel
Padel is the world’s fastest growing sport and on a massive upward
trajectory in the UK, with its popularity and demand at an all-time high. It’s
often described as a cross between tennis and squash so it’s no surprise
that many players from both sports are giving it a go. But tennis players
particularly need to adjust their game, as Emily Thomas reports.
Tennis players are at a natural
advantage when picking
up a padel racket, with their
established hand/eye coordination
and armoury of lobs, volleys and
ground strokes
They may initially find the glass walls
constrictive, claustrophobic and
slightly impossible but quickly learn
to love the exciting and dynamic
opportunities the walls present to
keep points alive. The game has an
addictive quality and there’s little
choice but to improve.
However, tennis players may step
onto the padel court with a bag full
of shots and plenty of racket sport
experience but their years of top spin,
hard hitting and preparing early for
sweeping ground strokes can work
against them. And while both games
are strategic, padel has a larger
variety of shots to learn.
So, tennis players, there are five key
points that most padel aficionados
agree upon when switching sports:
• Power is not rewarded, placement
of the ball is
• Move up and down the court
as a team.
• Lobs are a vital element of padel
• Make your racket swing smaller
• Invest in coaching
Slow burn
I had the pleasure of speaking to
former tennis pro and Octagon sports
agent Abigail Tordoff about her rise in
the padel world. Abigail contributed
greatly to the GB tennis community,
representing her country on several
occasions. She is now CEO of tennis
charity Give It Your Max, which
enhances the lives of disadvantaged
and vulnerable children in the UK
through tennis. Abigail has also
turned her hand to padel and in just
two years ascended to being a padel
pro, playing regularly for senior and
open international sides and hosting
coaching clinics.
But it wasn’t love at first hit for Abigail:
“I first picked up a padel bat in 2012,
just before the London Olympics when
I was out in Barcelona for work. I was
invited to play with Spanish former pro
motorcyclist Sete Gibernau in his back
garden. I didn’t really enjoy it and kind
of thought what is this game?”
She didn’t play again until lockdown,
when her love for the game
blossomed. Having retired from
professional tennis in 2000 she found
she did not miss the tour. However,
once playing padel regularly her
competitive spirit shone through and
she was hooked. “I got the padel bug
that everyone talks about,” she said.
“I’d had quite a lot of time out of
competitive sport and I hadn’t realised
that I had missed competing. Once I
started competing in padel I thought
this is amazing fun.”
In her first year she partnered with Lisa
Phillips and the duo dominated the UK
padel scene, winning the vast majority
of tournaments they entered. “We
also played a couple of tournaments
abroad, which was a huge eye
As a tennis player
“
you think if you
whack it hard
enough they won’t
get it back but to my
initial surprise it kept
coming back...
”
opener,” she said. She tries to play most
days whether that be early in
the morning, evenings or lunch breaks:
“I work my padel sessions around my
job and children, so it is a bit of
a juggling act, but it is my passion
and I absolutely love it.”
Unlearning
Tennis gives players a free pass into
padel and Abigail’s game benefitted
from years on the professional tennis
tour. She acknowledged this ‘huge
advantage’: “You have good hand eye
coordination, you know how to volley,
split step and move around the court
and, most importantly, compete.”
But even she had to unlearn some old
tennis habits, as she explained: “As a
tennis player you think if you whack
it hard enough they won’t get it back
but to my initial surprise it kept coming
back.” A mental shift was required, with
Abigail telling herself ‘you can’t whack
this ball, less is definitely more in padel’.
Room for two
Abigail still loves tennis and believes
the two sports can co-exist and
complement each other. She’d like to
see more tennis players make the shift,
particularly semi-professionals nearing
the end of their tennis journey, and is a
firm advocate for getting more women
and girls into padel.
“There are so many benefits both
mentally and physically,” she said.
“Especially when women get older,
in terms of muscle loss, the benefit
of playing any racquet sport is
just so great.” •
Abigail organises female-focussed
coaching clinics through her company
SET. For more information email
hello@setpadel.club
Shorter, flatter
& off the glass
Manchester Padel Club coach Rachel Thomas
shares her top tips for making a successful
transition from tennis to padel.
1. Adapt shots and swings to the smaller court
The smaller court in padel means there is much less time to prepare
to hit the ball compared to tennis. This means your racket take-back
needs to be shorter, a challenge for some players, particularly on the
forehand where you can end up connecting with the ball later than
intended. If you find that happening, focus on guiding the ball rather
than hitting it.
2. Reduce pace and topspin
I would describe my tennis style of play as ‘aggressive baseliner’.
I use topspin and pace on my groundstrokes to create an opportunity
to go for a winner from the back of the court. In padel, this
style of play is likely to lose you points. Pace and topspin
can make the ball bounce higher, making it easier for
your opponents to retrieve and counterattack. Instead,
hit the ball flatter or with slice, which will cause it to
bounce lower or die off the glass.
3. Make use of the back glass
The back glass can take some getting used to for
players transitioning from tennis to padel. When I first
started playing padel I would try and hit everything
before the glass and end up hitting a difficult
half volley, which would often lead to errors
from me or an easy volley for my opponents.
I’ve worked on this and now, by allowing
the ball to hit the glass, I have more time
to hit a better shot.
4. Master the different
overhead shots
Mastering the different overhead
shots in padel can be the difference
between winning and losing. In tennis
my strategy typically involves delivering
a powerful smash to quickly conclude
a point. In padel I use multiple overhead
shots during a rally.
Start by honing specific shots, such as the
‘Bandeja’ and ‘Rulo’ overheads. Each of these
shots demands a distinct technique and leads
to a different outcome. Even after mastering
them in practice, the decision-making process
during a match scenario might take additional
time. Therefore, try and allow yourself the
necessary time to make the right choice in
the heat of the game. •
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