Ask any padel coach what they notice in the first ten minutes of a lesson, and the answer is rarely about talent. It comes down to a handful of common padel mistakes that can appear again and again, regardless of a player’s age or sporting background. The good news is that once these patterns are identified, they’re straightforward to correct, and correcting them is often the fastest way to move from a hesitant beginner to a confident player on court.
Here’s what coaches see most often and how they coach players through it.
What are the most common padel mistakes beginners make?
Most padel beginner mistakes fall into three categories: positioning, technique, and shot selection. Below are the five most often made mistakes and what to do instead.
Padel mistake #1: Standing too far back from the net
New players often stay close to the baseline because it feels safer and gives them more time to react. But padel is a net-forward game, and staying back leaves the entire court open to opponents. Coaches address this early by walking players through simple approach patterns: after a serve or return, both partners move forward together to claim the net. It can feel unfamiliar at first, but it is where most points are ultimately won.
Padel mistake #2: Swinging like it’s tennis
Coaches see a steady stream of former tennis players, and this is usually the first habit they address. Tennis rewards a long and full swing. Padel does not, since the enclosed court punishes a wide stroke with balls that hit the glass or sail out of bounds. Coaches teach a shorter and more controlled swing that favors timing and placement over power. Once players adjust to the smaller motion, their consistency improves noticeably.
Padel mistake #3: Ignoring the walls
For beginners, the walls often feel like an obstacle rather than a tool, and it’s a padel mistake to avoid early on. Hesitating around a ball coming off the glass is a natural reaction, and it is also one of the main things holding new players back. Coaches introduce wall play early through simple, low-pressure drills, helping players learn to read the bounce and turn defensive positions into scoring opportunities. Once this skill develops, the wall becomes one of the most enjoyable parts of the game rather than something to avoid.
Padel mistake #4: Poor positioning with your partner
Padel is a doubles game, and one of the quickest ways to lose points is drifting out of sync with a partner, with one player at the net while the other stays back. Coaches refer to this as “splitting,” and it creates significant gaps across the court.
The fix is a simple mirroring principle: when one partner moves up, the other moves up as well, and the same applies when falling back. Practicing this as a pair, rather than as two individuals, is often the single biggest improvement coaches see in a player’s first few sessions.
Padel mistake #5: Going for power over placement
Most beginners are drawn to the big smash. It feels exciting and looks like progress. But padel rewards precision more than power, and a well-placed soft shot into an open gap will win more points than a hard shot straight at an opponent. Coaches redirect this instinct early, encouraging players to focus on where the ball is going rather than how hard they can hit it.
Get professional coaching at Padel Pro to avoid common padel mistakes faster
Reading about these fixes is useful, but feeling them on court makes the real difference. That is where a coach adds the most value: identifying a player’s specific pattern and correcting it in real time, rather than allowing a habit to take hold.
At Padel Pro, we offer private and semi-private coaching to help players work through these patterns one-on-one, alongside group training for those who prefer a more social setting. Book a session with our Dubai coaching team and start correcting these common padel mistakes in your very next lesson.
