5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Padel Game
Most padel players do not need a completely new technique.
They need to make the technique they already have simpler, calmer and more repeatable.
A lot of unforced errors come from the same basic problems: rushing the preparation, overusing the wrist, swinging too big, changing the racket face at the last second or simply trying to hit everything too hard.
The good news is that those are all things you can improve.
Here are five simple ways to improve your padel game without trying to rebuild every shot from scratch.
1. Make your swing smoother
One of the easiest ways to improve your padel technique is to stop treating the swing like a series of separate movements.
A lot of players prepare slowly, suddenly flick the wrist, accelerate too sharply and then lose control of the racket face.
That is usually where the strange misses come from.
The better approach is to make the swing feel more connected.
Your shoulders, arm and wrist should work together rather than one part suddenly taking over.
You still want acceleration, but it should feel controlled rather than rushed.
That gives you:
- better timing
- more consistent contact
- fewer balls into the net
- fewer wild misses long
- better feel on volleys and overheads
This is especially important on shots such as the bandeja, vibora and volley, where a small change in racket angle can completely change the result.
A simple cue is:
Smooth first. Fast second.
If the swing feels rushed, take a little pace out and see whether the quality of contact improves.
2. Prepare early, but do not rush the backswing
There is a difference between preparing early and preparing quickly.
You absolutely want the racket ready before the ball arrives.
What you do not need is a huge, frantic backswing.
For most club players, the preparation should be controlled and compact.
Then you can accelerate naturally through the ball.
Why?
Because the later and faster your preparation becomes, the more last-second adjustments you have to make.
And more adjustments usually means more mistakes.
Try this:
- recognise the shot early
- get the racket into position
- keep the backswing calm
- accelerate through contact
- finish under control
This works across almost every padel shot.
You do not need to copy the enormous preparation you sometimes see from elite players. They have the timing and technique to get away with it.
Most of us will play better padel by keeping things simpler.
If movement and preparation are areas you struggle with, our guide to padel movement, positioning and anticipation is a useful next read.
3. Short preparation, longer follow-through
This is one of the most useful changes you can make.
A lot of players do the opposite.
They take the racket too far back and then have very little room left to control the ball through contact.
In padel, it is usually better to think:
small preparation → clean contact → controlled extension
Your preparation does not need to be enormous.
You just need enough space to create the shot.
Then let the racket travel through the ball.
That helps with:
- control
- slice
- direction
- consistency
- feel
It is particularly useful on volleys.
If your arm starts too straight and too far away from your body, you lose control before you have even hit the ball.
Keep the preparation compact, then extend through the shot.
The same idea applies to overheads.
You are not trying to create the biggest swing possible.
You are trying to create the cleanest contact possible.
4. Finish towards your target
Where your racket goes after contact matters.
If you want to hit the ball down the line but your racket finishes off to the side, you are making your job harder.
A good follow-through should generally continue towards the direction you want the ball to travel.
That gives you a more predictable racket path and helps keep the racket face stable through contact.
For example, on a backhand volley, avoid dragging the racket sideways across your body.
Instead, let it move forwards towards the target.
That will normally give you better control and cleaner backspin rather than unnecessary sidespin.
The same applies on the forehand.
Try to think about the racket moving through the ball, not around it.
A useful practice drill is to hit simple volleys while deliberately aiming your follow-through towards a target on the other side of the court.
Do not worry about power.
Just watch where the racket finishes.
Once the direction becomes more consistent, your placement usually follows.
5. Stop trying to hit everything at 100%
This might be the biggest improvement of all.
You do not need maximum power on every shot.
In fact, most recreational and club players would probably improve immediately if they simply played at around 70% of their maximum pace more often.
At full speed, little technical flaws become much bigger.
You start:
- over-rotating
- losing balance
- changing the racket face
- mistiming contact
- forcing winners that are not really there
Take some speed off and suddenly the whole game feels easier.
You see the ball better.
You place it better.
You recover faster.
You make fewer unforced errors.
And perhaps most importantly, you give yourself another shot.
Padel rewards patience far more than many players realise.
A good 70% shot that lands deep and keeps your position is often far more useful than a 100% shot that clips the net.
If you are already playing regularly and want your equipment to give you more consistency rather than simply more pace, it is also worth understanding how racket choice affects control and feel. Our guide to choosing the right padel racket explains that in more detail.
You can also compare the full OLIVER padel racket range, including options designed for control, power and all-round play.
One extra tip: record yourself
You do not need fancy equipment.
Put your phone behind the court and record a few points.
Then look for:
- Is your preparation too big?
- Are you rushing the backswing?
- Is your wrist doing most of the work?
- Does your racket finish towards the target?
- Are you losing balance after contact?
- Are you swinging much harder than you thought?
What a swing feels like and what it actually looks like can be very different.
Watching yourself is one of the quickest ways to spot habits you did not realise you had.
How to improve at padel faster
If you want to improve at padel, do not try to change ten things at once.
Pick one.
Work on it for a few sessions.
Then move on.
For most players, I would start with this order:
- Slow the swing down
- Make the preparation smaller
- Follow through towards the target
- Stay balanced through contact
- Add speed back gradually
That is far easier than trying to completely rebuild your forehand, backhand, volley and overhead all at once.
And remember that technique is only one part of getting better.
Positioning, movement, decision-making and communication with your partner matter just as much.
For more on that side of the game, read our padel movement, positioning and team flow guide.
And if you are wondering whether your racket is helping or holding you back, our article on whether more expensive padel rackets really make a difference is worth a read too.
You can browse all OLIVER padel rackets or explore the wider OLIVER padel range.
The biggest thing to remember is simple:
Better padel usually comes from making fewer unnecessary mistakes, not hitting more spectacular shots.
Get the basics calmer, cleaner and more repeatable, and the rest of your game starts to improve with them.