Julian Wortelboer

Insights by Julian Wortelboer

Ideas to move padel forward.

Lessons from decades on the court and inside the business—created for club owners, operators, coaches and people building the future of padel.

Drawing on more than 25 years of experience running padel and racquet clubs—and creator of the Padel Club Blueprint, a practical manual for operational success.

01

Club Strategy
& Operations

Practical guidance for investors and operators—from positioning, planning and opening a club to programming, member experience and sustainable performance.

5 min readThe Team Is the Club: Why People Make a Padel Club Succeed9 min readWhat Happens When the Courts Are Full? The Zig & Zag Strategy7 min readProgramming Excellence: Why Your Best Programs Still Sit Half Empty7 min readPremium vs. Chinese Padel Courts: What Actually Makes the Difference (and What Doesn’t)7 min readThe AI Operations Layer: How We’re Running Every Department at Icon Padel Club5 min readIf You Build It, They Might Not Come5 min readThe Small Habits That Build a Padel Club Community6 min readThe Real Business Model Behind a Profitable Padel Club8 min readYour Most Important Hire: What to Look for in a Padel Club General Manager5 min readPeople + Process = Service: The Philosophy Behind Every Great Padel Club6 min readWhen to Open Your Second Padel Club (and When Not To)
02

Coaching & Player
Development

Methods, teaching principles and on-court ideas that help coaches communicate better, develop stronger players and create more meaningful learning experiences.

6 min readThe Coach’s Eye: Observe Before You Correct5 min readBefore You Fix the Shot, Find the Problem5 min readWhy Your Padel Shots Work in Practice but Disappear in Matches5 min readWhat Should You Get from a Padel Lesson?5 min readGive Young Padel Players a Reason to Come Back7 min readThe 52 Shots of Padel: Why We Built a Complete Coaching System Instead of a Style Guide

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