A player sends another volley into the net. The coach responds immediately: “Push through the ball.” On the next attempt, the player pushes harder. The ball goes long.
The instruction changed the swing. It may have missed the problem.
One of the most important ideas in my book, Mastering the Art of Coaching Padel, is that coaching begins with diagnosis. Before we ask a player to change something, we need to understand what is causing the mistake.
That takes observation, curiosity, and the discipline to resist giving an instant answer.
Watch the pattern
A single missed shot tells you what happened once. Several repetitions begin to tell you why.
When a player struggles, I encourage coaches to observe three to five attempts before offering a correction. Look beyond where the ball lands. Notice the preparation, the feet, the spacing, and the decision that came before contact.
A player who appears to have a late swing may be arriving late to the ball. A short volley may begin with delayed preparation. A rushed overhead may reflect an attempt to attack a ball that calls for a more patient response.
Those situations need different solutions. Repeating the same technical cue will not address all of them.
Choose one useful change
Observation often reveals several things worth improving. The next responsibility is choosing where to begin.
Ask yourself: which adjustment could help the rest of the movement fall into place?
Earlier preparation, for example, may give a player more time to establish spacing, find a comfortable contact point, and select a target. That makes it a more useful starting point than separate instructions about the arm, wrist, feet, and finish.
Give the player one clear focus. Demonstrate it. Then create a manageable situation in which they can try it.
The purpose of the next few repetitions is to test your diagnosis. If the correction does not help, observe again. A coach needs to be willing to revise an explanation as readily as a player needs to revise a movement.
Include the player's perspective
“What did you feel on that shot?” can reveal something a technical instruction will miss.
Perhaps the player felt crowded. Perhaps they were worried about the opponent at the net. Perhaps they were trying so hard to avoid another error that they stopped moving freely.
Their answer gives you information. It also invites them to participate in solving the problem. Over time, that participation helps players recognise patterns for themselves during matches, when the coach is no longer standing beside them.
Try this in your next session
Choose one recurring error and watch several repetitions without interrupting. Identify a likely cause, ask the player what they noticed, and test one correction. Then return to a rally or point situation to see whether the improvement holds.
For players, the same idea offers a useful question to bring to a lesson: “What is happening before I make this mistake?”
The answer may change what you practise. And it may turn a frustrating cycle of corrections into progress you can understand.
Adapted from Chapter 1, “The Identity of a Great Padel Coach,” and Chapter 5, “The P.A.D.E.L. Framework — Stage by Stage,” in Mastering the Art of Coaching Padel.
Explore Padel Coach Certification
Take your coaching skills to the next level
Master the Art of Coaching Padel
A global methodology for developing players, empowering coaches and growing the sport.
Purchase the book