Defensive preparation and tactical court positioning

Jul 5, 2021

Key takeaway from our Guru

How can I improve my defensive consistency and tactical decision-making?

Prepare your backswing before the ball bounces to gain time and space. Keep your elbow in front of your body or at your side, never behind you, to ensure you make contact with the ball in front of your body.

What this lesson covers

Effective defense relies on early preparation. The backswing must occur before the ball bounces to ensure the player reaches the ball with sufficient space. Keep the racket close to the body during preparation to allow for quick adjustments. When the ball is low, move the racket down to meet it rather than dropping the elbow, which causes late contact. Maintain the elbow in front of the body or at the side throughout the preparation phase.

Tactical choices depend on opponent positioning and ball quality. When under pressure, play higher balls to the backhand side to buy time. If the opponent hits a deep lob, play a slower ball to force them to cover more distance. When accelerating, target the opponent's body or the open space to force them to move. If the opponent is well-positioned, avoid hitting directly to them. During rallies, alternate the target between cross-court and center to prevent the opponent from anticipating the play. Analyze the opponent's strengths and weaknesses during the warm-up to adjust the strategy accordingly.

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Original video

Otro Nivel Padel

Added on Apr 2, 2026

14 PADEL Tips That Improve YOUR game INSTANTLY! By Fede Vives

Description

Our goal is 20.000 subs before the end of the year! Can you help us out with that? A very special video today! For the advanced padel players! Technical and tactical tips that are going to improve your game right now! Fede Vives will be our coach today! Padel director of Royal club tennis Barcelona! Would you like to see more videos with special guests and high level? Let us know in the comments below! Hasta luego, ciao, adioss! ~ 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/0tronivel 👊🏼 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/ ~ Best playlists: Padel Tips https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpEMQGAKiBXu0t3SreOefrFD4X9Gd7Ex_ Padel Tests https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpEMQGAKiBXvckqPCb18a7UMCctv0j2MC

Good for

Skill level

Intermediate, High Intermediate, Advanced, High Advanced

Court position

Backcourt

Play style

Tactical

Keywords

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