Sizing Up Your Competition and Getting Your Mojo Right in a Padel Match

Reading the Game: What to Watch for When You Start a Padel Match

Even before you step onto a padel court, your mindset should be half-player, half-detective. The match doesn’t begin with the first point — it starts in the few moments you meet. Smart players use those few minutes first to connect with their partner (especially if he/she is new to them). Then, in the warm-up, you and your partner need to gather vital clues about their opponents’ strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies. The more you connect together with your partner, open the channels of communication, and observe early on, the better the flow and your tactical decisions will be once the game begins. I’ve written previously about establishing the communication codes/calls together. Now it’s time to get warmed up.

The Warm-Up: Gathering Intelligence

The warm-up is your first opportunity to study your opponents. Don’t just go through the motions. Instead, use it like an audition where you’re casting your rivals into clear roles.

– How do they handle the wall? Many players, especially those coming from tennis, struggle with the back glass. Watch whether they avoid it or embrace it. If they seem uncomfortable, you already know where to drag them when the real game starts. Pango Pro Tip: Make sure to hit the ball to the service line. See how your opponent manages those balls. Observe: does he/she let the balls through or half-volleys? Do they know how to manage low balls off the back wall?
– Overheads. When serving up lobs, check how clean and controlled their bandejas and víboras look. Do they attack recklessly or settle for accurate ball-placing? A shaky overhead often signals someone you can pressure with deep lobs early. Pango Pro Tip: Start training your eye to see the ball off your opponent’s racquet.
– Volleys. Pay attention to how well they handle the different types of volleys, like the ones that dip over the net, the shots at the body, high on the backhand, etc. All this is data for when the game begins!

In addition, it’s worth noting if the players are communicators or not. If they don’t talk, you know that the centre will be a great option!

“Teams that don’t communicate, tend to hallucinate!”

By the time warm-up ends, you should have a working hypothesis: who attacks first, who defends better, who loses focus, and who gives energy to their partner. That’s your foundation.

Early Games: Testing Your Opponents

Once the match begins, the goal is to confirm or refine those first impressions. The first few games are less about winning points outright and more about testing patterns. Check in with your partner to discuss what you’ve observed.

– Handling of your lobs. Does your high ball force them back or invite an overhead winner? Some pairs retreat too much, giving you precious time to take the net. Others are aggressive and punish lobs immediately — against them, it’s smarter to play slower, more controlled shots.
– Who lobs from the back court — and off what balls? If an opponent consistently lobs after your deep volleys, you can anticipate and get into position quickly. Similarly, if they half-volley or take difficult balls early, that probably indicates they don’t like the wall… They like pace (and are likely ex- or current tennis players). Adjust your tempo accordingly. Pango Pro Tip: Step in to punish the half-volleys from the baseline!
– Service returns. Track where each opponent stands when returning serve. Do they hug the glass or stand up at the service line? A deeper returner may prefer defensive patterns (giving you more time to get to the net); a more advanced one takes time away (usually with a drive return). Tailor your serve to disrupt that comfort zone. Pango Pro Tip: For the pros, 90% of first serves are in. Your objective with the serve is to gain the net. 

The first three or four games give you a clear tactical map — if you’re observant enough to read it.

Understanding Opponent Synergy

Padel is unique because you’re essentially facing a unit, not two individuals. That makes communication one of the richest areas for observation.

Are they constantly talking between points, planning plays, and encouraging each other? Good teams pulse with invisible communication. But when chatter dries up — or when one partner scolds the other — you can feel the tension. That’s your cue to increase pressure, vary pace, and force errors through frustration. Pango Pro Tip: hit a few more shots down the middle!

Body language matters, too. Notice if one player takes extra time between points, adjusts wristbands obsessively, or avoids looking at their partner — all small telltale signs of nerves or superstition. Those are psychological entry points you can quietly exploit.

Patience, Errors, and Momentum

Every pair has a rhythm. Some thrive on long rallies, absorbing pace until you crack; others need short bursts of dominance to feel in control. Notice how long rallies affect their confidence. Do they get impatient after five or six exchanges? Or do they relish the grind?

Equally important: measure their unforced error rate early. If a team is already gifting you one or two easy points per game, don’t overcomplicate your play. In padel, consistency beats brilliance far more often than not. Make balls, stay solid, and let their errors do the work. Pango Pro Tip: We say in Spanish: “La pared es su amiga!” The wall is your friend!

The Advanced Layer: Deception with Purpose

As your tactical maturity grows, you’ll start adding deception to your game — but only when you’ve earned the right to use it. A fake smash won’t fool anyone until you’ve shown you can actually finish points with your overhead. The same goes for disguised drop shots or feigned cross-court plays. Establish credibility in the basic versions first; then the variations become lethal.

Padel rewards pattern recognition. Once your opponents believe you’re predictable can you start bending that expectation — and that’s where true artistry begins.

Closing Thought

The best padel players are constantly observing. Every rally, every lob, and every subtle shift in positioning tells a story. Mastering the art of reading that story — and responding with calm, clever adjustments — is how you turn a match from a battle into a chess game.