Types of Padel Players

Let's be honest, which player type do you identify with? And, if not you, you must have had one of them as a partner or opponent. There are several different types of players in padel and that’s the thing… its magic lies in diversity. But nobody said it would be easy to find yourself next to or against one or the other. Let's look at who they are and how they act.

Let's start with the most hated type to have as a partner:

THE TEACHER 

This player knows it all: they know exactly what shot their partner should have hit and when, what their partner did wrong… they even motion the right shot to correct it. But they only detect the mistakes of the person next to them and never see their own - what a coincidence! 

THE APOLOGISER

This is the polar opposite to the previous one, and I must say that this type of player is rarer: the ones who say sorry for everything! With their partner, they always have a "No, no, sorry, my mistake" on the tip of their tongue. They also apologise to their opponents if they win an easy point, or if they hit the ball too hard… They say sorry for everything.

THE PRO

They are characterised by having all the equipment, from wristbands to overgrips, in true professional style. They arrive before everyone else and put on cream (so strong it can be smelt from the furthest court, even though they’re playing on the first one). They do warm-ups and run around the court edge. They finish the match and repeat an exact, complete stretching regime. Very professional. 

THE MOANER

The moaner may be another of the most awkward player types, especially for their opponents who get tired of hearing excuses and complaints. If they lose a point, it’s because the other player got lucky, or because they were blinded by the sun, or because a pigeon flew by right at that moment. Anything not to admit that their opponent played better and beat them. 

THE OPTIMIST 

This character is able to claw back a match from one set down and 5-2. Because we all know it can be done and we’ve seen it, of course we have (what great, enjoyable matches those are). But they’re not the most common, which makes them all the more admirable. Turning the match around and winning is the sweetest taste of victory!

 THE PESSIMIST

This player, whether male or female, has lost the match even before it starts. This is quite a feat because I don’t believe that anyone can totally predict the future. It’s one thing to more or less guess something that may end up coinciding and happening, but guessing everything with total confidence and conviction? Impossible.

 THE CELEBRATOR

With the celebrator, we’re talking about the typical player who revels in just winning the serve toss. Something so simple is already cause for a huge celebration. And not a subtle one, no. An air punch and a defiant glance. They make it clear from the outset that the match will be ‘vocal', with shouting, various different celebrations, chest bumps, hand slaps and all the other triumphant gestures that come to mind. 

THE CHEAT 

We’ve come to the most difficult one: the cheat.
If you have them as a partner and you’re not the same in nature, you know they will make you blush more than once, calling balls that were clearly out, serves that bounced a metre inside the box… As a partner they’re pretty bad and as a rival you know in advance that the match will be a constant challenge to hold your nerve amongst so many disputes.

THE HUMBLE ONE

There aren’t many of this type either, but we can also come across the typical player who doesn’t seem totally humble, but they actually are! This is someone who turns up not very well-equipped, who seems calm and who has a rather old racquet and the like. We’re talking about someone who you can’t score a point against when they step onto the court. They play really, really well and, when you mention it, they answer with a: “No… I can just get by”. And you’re left wondering if they’re related to Sanyo Gutiérrez or something.

 
And lastly, but by no means uncommon, we have the dreaded padel player type:

THE WHACKER 

We definitely prefer to have this player as a partner and not as a rival because that way they can’t take our eye out! As an opponent, though, it’s best not to feed them a very easy ball when they’re at the net, because we know we’re sure to get hit. They shoot to kill. And watch out! Some players do it on purpose and some don’t mean to, out of lack of control - I don't know which scares me more. 
And you, which player do you identify with?

Words by Valeria Pavón

Former professional padel player and former world number one