Match play tactics: positioning and shot selection
Key takeaway from our Guru
How can I improve my tactical decision-making during a padel match?
Stop rushing your final steps before hitting the ball. Arrive at the ball early, pause for a moment, and then execute your shot with control.
What this lesson covers
Effective match play relies on court positioning that limits opponent options. When serving, prioritize depth over power to prevent opponents from attacking the ball early. If a serve lands short, the server remains vulnerable to lobs and aggressive returns. Players should aim to hit the ball back to the corner it originated from rather than crossing the court, as cross-court shots from the corners often leave the court wide open for a winner.
Movement requires arriving at the ball early to ensure a stable contact point. Avoid rushing the final steps before a shot; instead, arrive early, pause, and hit with control. When receiving a fast ball, block it flat rather than slicing, as excessive slice on a high-speed ball causes it to float. If the ball drops below net height, play soft to maintain control. The coach emphasizes that players often mirror the speed of the incoming ball, which leads to rushed footwork and poor timing. Instead, move quickly to the ball's destination, then slow down to set up the shot.
New lessons, in your inbox
We add lessons from the creators we learn from every week. Get the new ones, our racket reviews and what the creators are making, every other week.
Original video
Added on Sep 22, 2026
I Played With Random Padel Players… And Coached Them Mid-Match
Description
Please subscribe and hit the notification bell, let's get 100K subscribers this year! In this video, I head to Destination Padel in Cheadle, near Manchester, for a very different kind of padel match. I played with three random padel players who knew they were going to be filmed, but had no idea what the video was actually going to be about. During the match, I started coaching them in real time — looking at their positioning, shot selection, tactics and decision-making on court. This video gives you a real look at the things I notice as a padel coach during an actual match: what I would change, what I would leave alone, and which small adjustments can make the biggest difference. If you want to improve your padel tactics, positioning and match play, hopefully you can take some of these tips into your own games. Filmed at Destination Padel, Cheadle, Manchester, UK. ~ Use code " otronivel5 " on justpadel.com to get 5% discount! ~ Would you like to learn more? Become a Otro Nivel channel member or special member, support us and become better! 👊🏼 Click & join ➠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrMuJTshdLiaUmbYJy8lSkA/join ~ Also find us on: Our Facebook group ➠https://www.facebook.com/groups/padeltips Our Facebook page ➠https://www.facebook.com/otronivelpadel 👊🏼 Become a supporter ➠https://www.facebook.com/becomesupporter/0tronivel ~ Our instagram page ➠https://www.instagram.com/0tronivel/ Sven's instagram page ➠https://www.instagram.com/svenboele/ Sven's tiktok➠ https://vm.tiktok.com/ZScj6vNr/
Good for
Skill level
Court position
Both sides, Net, Service line, Backcourt, Corner
Play style
Tactical
Secondary shot
Return
Support Otro Nivel Padel
Every lesson on this page is Otro Nivel Padel's work. If it helped your game, subscribe on YouTube and tell them.
Subscribe on YouTube