As coaches say again and again, “matches reflect what you train. And, except for athletes who are touched by a magic wand, if you don’t train and work hard like the hardest, your good results on the track will shine with their absence.
From Playtomic we encourage you to add paddle training to your weekly calendar. The sacrifices, if you are in love with paddle, are few and the satisfaction very high because the improvement is almost immediate. The ideal is to sign up for private or group classes but you can also do them yourself if you are constant and have the necessary means.
Before starting paddle training
As with any initiative we set ourselves, we must know where we are and where we want to go. For that, here we indicate a series of points that you must have clear and that interests to compare them months later.
- The objectives you’re going to set yourself: do you do it for pure entertainment, because it’s the sport you’ve chosen to be in shape, to win those friends who always boast of being better, why do you really want to compete? Each of us has a goal. Define yours.
- Your current level: It is very important to be aware of your level and your ability to improve in order to know which exercises are the most suitable or which you have to work on the most intensely.
- The aptitudes to strengthen: In order to continue improving your level as a paddle player, some of the qualities that you must work with paddle training exercises, apart from the blows and their technique, are purely physical: flexibility, speed, power, strength and endurance.
Planning is important
If you decide to train on your own, also determine what availability you have and plan your time and your workouts since, in some of them, you don’t need to be at the paddle tennis court itself.
- What exercises to start with: It is recommended to start with more general exercises to adapt to the body again in case of being out of shape or with a very prolonged inactivity. The continuous race is the most recommended and then go to more specific exercises such as strength and speed.
- Repetitions of the exercises. At the beginning it is always better to do more repetitions with less intensity in order to, later on, increase that intensity and move on to the next level of physical condition…
- Duration of the paddle training session: In line with the previous point, we recommend starting with short sessions the first few days to gradually make longer and more intense sessions with a shovel in hand.
Exercises for paddle training
We will divide the exercises according to the improvements you pursue during paddle training and that you have previously marked. These exercises are for those of you who have finally decided to improve on your own without a trainer and who are also looking for training within the paddle tennis court itself.
Coordination exercises
To improve paddle coordination, specific materials are often used to help make the exercises easier. But if you don’t have them, you can use alternatives such as adhesive tape and stick it on the court to simulate, for example, an agility ladder.
They are very important to achieve movements with technique and aimed at achieving good results.
Jumping with hoops
It distributes the hoops by the track, varying the positions and distance between them. Once done, start jumping from one to the other with legs together or to the lame paw. Another alternative is to make quick movements of feet to move from one hoop to another and with changes of direction. Powers speed, agility, endurance and coordination.
Cone circuit
Place the cones in line and play the first one with your hand squatting. Return to the initial position so that one of your teammates can pass you a ball so that you can finish the exercise by sending it to the other court with your shovel. Then do it with the next cone and so on.
Low-impact plyometry with coordination ladder
It is recommended to start (right after the warm-up) with this type of exercises to gain power in the legs, coordination and improve the movements in paddle.
You can use a coordination ladder and perform exercises such as small jumps to the lame leg, opening and closing the legs while jumping into the squares…
You can also do this type of exercise with your partner. For
Start moving your feet alternately between the squares (without stepping on the edges). Once you are at the end of the ladder, get into position. Since, from the other side of the court, your partner will be ready to throw the ball at you and you will have to return it.