Tennis vs Padel: What Transfers, What Does Not, and What Trips Most People Up

Padel is rarely a player''s first sport. For a huge share of new players coming into the game in the UK, the previous racket is a tennis racket. Tennis gives you hand-eye coordination, racket control and match experience - all huge advantages. But the habits that win in tennis often cost you points in padel.

What tennis players bring with them

The trap: power

Tennis rewards power. Padel punishes it. The shorter court, the walls and the slower ball mean that every time you try to hit through a point, you are handing your opponents time. Hard, flat shots are the easiest to return in padel - especially at the net.

The glass changes everything

In tennis, the ball off the back fence is dead. In padel, it is alive and often the best shot you will get in a rally. Tennis players tend to attack any ball that reaches them, missing the fact that a ball off the back glass can be reset with almost no risk.

What to unlearn first

1. Stop swinging hard. Shorter, more compact strokes win points.
2. Stop staying at the baseline. The net is where points are decided, not the back.
3. Stop ignoring the walls. Let the ball come to you when it bounces toward the glass.

Tennis players usually pick up padel faster than most. They also plateau faster, because the things that made them good at tennis stop working. The sooner you let go of swinging for winners, the faster you will improve.