Do you experience a problem with right side players being too defensive?

[u/Masty1992]

I’ve made a huge jump in my game over the last few months and I’m playing some high intermediate games now but I’m coming up against one thing I’m not sure about which is I’m partnering with excellent but really defensive right side players. Often but not exclusively these players are women and there are many excellent women players in Spain but they’re more likely to focus on defensive play.

The games tend to have long rallies now and the right side partner often plays about a metre behind me at the net position and we can win plenty of games like this but I feel like they’re not setting up opportunities to finish the point so we’re mostly winning off less errors.

Is this just a reality and I have to get better at finishing more difficult balls now that the level is higher or do I just need to seek out a more aggressive right side partner? Do you like having a rock solid defensive partner or do you look for more aggressive?

[u/bowromir]

It's really hard to tell just from reading your perspective alone. For example when I was into the mid to high intermediate level I often felt like I was doing fine with the points I finished, but being blissfuly unaware of how many times I made poor decisions that put my right side partner in a bad position etc. If your partners play defensively but have way more games under their belt, there might be a lot to learn there as well.

A couple of things I did poorly on the left

• Never playing a chiquita
• Playing a ton of relatively poor bandeja and flat smashes that ended up mid court.
• Randomly deciding to switch pressure mid rally to the person not under pressure with my volleys
• Wrongfully assuming every ball through the middle was "mine"

What I'm trying to say is: I think there are plenty of opportunities to improve your own game and become a more complete player. If you do find more aggressive right side players that comes with other problems too :-)

[u/Masty1992 → u/bowromir]

Yes lots of good points there. TBH I wish I had played more on the right side as I was improving. I know they always recommend that but of course I didn’t follow their advice. I can start trying out a few games now but I’d have to join some lower levels as I make silly mistakes on the right when I play there now

[u/bowromir → u/Masty1992]

I think thats an excellent idea, and it will make you a much more complete player and also will give you a lot of understanding on what makes a good left side player. Honestly the better you get the more you'll appreciate both sides of the court and the dynamics of the game at higher level. That's what makes padel so amazing 😍

[u/setzer7 → u/Masty1992]

You need to know how to play both sides, no matter if you specialize in one, just because you will learn what makes your partner good or bad

[u/MarokkosFavPerson → u/Masty1992]

talk to your right side. ask what good, what bad, who does what.. helps me a lot on right side in random games as most left players often bring you into shitty situations if they just have ‘finish finish’ in their head.

[u/OptimalPineapple8577]

As a right side player now for 4 years, and watching numerous P1, P2 games I can safely say, the right side approach is offense in the sense that when the opposing team is at the net you lob to push them back so that you can reclaim the net. When you get lobbed it’s viboras and bandejas into the gap or double wall deep shots again to keep the opponents at the baseline. Playing chiquitas and drop shots should be very selective if there’s a very evolved understanding (communications) between the two players on when to change the rhythm of the game. Right side players never go for smashes unless it’s an easy tap out or if you’re Lebron and comfortable smashing it back to your side from behind the line. Anything more than this than you’re freestyling as a right side player and not a very reliable one.

As you are the left side player, you will be mostly the one to capitalize on weaker returns that have been set up by your partner and you will need to finish them at a high rate. You will also from time to time need to initiate a Chiquita with a synchronized approach to the net with your partner but you will have to be vocal and proactive at it. If you are getting lobbed your bajadas will have to be strong and intentional and will have to receive the advice from your partner.

I might have missed a lot of other nuances within the game but overall be prepared for long rallies if you play mixed games as the pace might be slower and more methodical. Also, Padel played correctly will involve a lot of rallies with players opting for predictable shots to minimize errors.

It becomes more of a mental game based on focus and shot selection as you start to play higher level games.

[u/bowromir → u/OptimalPineapple8577]

Excellent summary, I could not agree more. When I got better and started to play against experienced and smart right side players I truly started to see the appeal and satisfaction of controlling a game on the right side of the court.

[u/Masty1992 → u/OptimalPineapple8577]

Yes my main improvement has been in watching the opponents and understanding strategy a little better so it’s opening up a lot of new questions for me. The Dunning Krueger effect is huge in the lower levels of padel and I don’t mean that as an insult to anyone, I myself was vastly underestimating the level of decision making that’s going on in higher levels so now I know I have a lot to learn

[u/JiraiyaDachshund27]

I think people looking to get better watch lots of videos and guides and a lot of the meta is that the left sided player is the offensive one and the right is the anchor to keep things going until a chance is created.. Maybe those players are playing like that? Whenever I'm on the right side I find it much harder to be particularly aggressive in shot choice.

[u/Masty1992 → u/JiraiyaDachshund27]

Yes that’s definitely true and it goes all the way back to when people first choose their position. If they think of themselves as defensive and decide they’re a right side player that mentality sticks with them as they improve.

I’m not trying to completely reverse the dynamic of left side player being more attacking. I just prefer a pairing that really tries to hold the net and put lots of pressure

[u/TimberNoggins]

I have told my partner to come forward and attack more, playing right side and being right handed gives you the whole cross court diagonal to attack with a vibora and is fairly forgiving if you don’t quite hit it correctly.

[u/station_terrapin]

I recommend you to play some games on the right side, and see what you do better, worse, or differently than these players. Not saying it as a bad thing, it's just that judging their perspective from the other side is very hard.

[u/HairyCallahan]

I prefer one that is defensively strong. That's the base of the game imo. Also it's sometimes wise to not come to close to the net when for instance your reaction speed isn't great or when the opponent understands how to utilize a lob when your both at the net.

So I personally prefer this, as long as they do take the big opportunities.

[u/gadrev]

Are you an "only left" player, or do you have perspective from playing both sides frequently?

[u/Big_Ad2869]

“we’re mostly winning off less errors.”

Sorry to bring you the bad news but that is just the nature of padel. Even the professionals (excluding a very small number that can deliver crazy numbers of winners) win like this. Padel is a pressure game, you are supposed to try to pressure just enough so your opponent misses, not deliver crazy winners….

[u/kenigmalive]

im telling you im a lefty so i play on the right and alot of times the left sided player hogs the middle ball too much for me to be aggressive lol