10 Common Mistakes in Padel Training

Padel training mistakes are usually habits repeated without noticing: skipping the warm-up, only playing matches, trying to speed up without correcting technique. These mistakes both slow progress and raise injury risk. Most players who play regularly at Beytepe make a few of these mistakes without realising, and even correcting just a few brings a visible leap in performance.

Below we explain step by step the 10 most common mistakes and how to correct them; our aim is both to improve your game and to keep you on court for the long run. Although most of these mistakes look small on their own, when stacked up they both slow the rate of progress and, as load built up over the years, set the stage for injuries.

1. Skipping the warm-up

Jumping straight into hard shots with cold muscles is one of the most common causes of muscle and tendon injuries. Explosive movements before the body has warmed up are especially risky during Ankara’s cold winter months. An 8-10 minute dynamic warm-up with light jogging, hip openers and shoulder rotations gets your muscles ready for the match. Even on an indoor court the air temperature is lower than your body temperature, so skipping the warm-up with “the court is indoors anyway” is a mistake. A warm-up prepares not only the muscles but also the nervous system for court tempo, so light ball feeding and short rallies should be a natural part of it.

2. Only playing matches, never working on technique

Playing matches is fun, but it does not build technique. Players who only play matches without isolating and repeating shots such as the bandeja, víbora and serve get stuck at a certain level. Adding at least one technique-focused lesson or training session to your weekly routine speeds up progress. Players who only play matches without technical work usually hit a plateau at intermediate level and struggle to break through it.

3. Overloading (overtraining)

Playing day after day without rest leads to accumulated muscle fatigue and a drop in performance. Your body needs time to recover; planning at least 1-2 rest or light-activity days a week protects long-term performance. Chronic fatigue also sets the stage for overuse injuries such as tendinitis.

4. Using the wrong grip

Using a forehand or western grip out of tennis habit instead of the continental grip makes it harder to learn technical shots like the bandeja and víbora in padel. The right grip habit should be established from the very beginning; our article on this topic how to hold a padel racket will be useful. Once a wrong grip habit has set in, it can take weeks to change.

5. Not giving footwork enough importance

Most of the quality of a padel shot comes from getting into the right position. Players who focus on the racket and neglect their footwork reach the ball late and hit off balance. It is essential to practise basic footwork such as side steps, crossover steps and the split-step regularly. Balance and proprioception work also contribute directly here; you can find detailed information in our article on balance training for padel .

6. Focusing only on powerful shots

Most beginners try to impress with hard smashes and powerful shots, yet in padel patience, placement and tactical shots like the lob are often more decisive. Prioritise control and positioning over power. The balls that trouble your opponent are the ones that go to the right place, not the fast ones.

7. Neglecting flexibility and mobility work

Hip, shoulder and wrist flexibility directly affects both shot quality and injury risk. Static stretching after training and weekly mobility work play a critical role in protecting joint health. This matters even more for players over 40; for detailed recommendations, see training principles for padel players over 40 .

8. Skipping balance and stability work

Sudden changes of direction and handling rebounds off the glass require balance. Players who neglect this become more prone to ankle sprains. Even simple exercises such as single-leg stands a few times a week noticeably reduce this risk.

9. Ignoring breath control

In long rallies and intense matches, irregular breathing leads to early fatigue and loss of concentration. Practising breath control between points helps bring your heart rate back to normal faster; we covered this topic in detail in our article on breathing techniques for padel . Players with no breath awareness lose focus in the third set and start making simple mistakes.

10. Not taking recovery seriously

Not making time for recovery after intense training or a tournament leads to chronic fatigue and a performance plateau. Sleep, nutrition and active recovery methods (such as sauna and contrast therapy) help you come back stronger for the next session. If you would like to explore this topic in depth, post-padel recovery guide .

The practical order for fixing these mistakes

Trying to fix ten mistakes at once usually does not work; your brain and body cannot handle that many changes at one time. Instead, it makes sense to target the riskiest ones first: habits that carry a direct injury risk, such as skipping the warm-up and overloading, come first. Once those two are fixed, moving on to technique-focused mistakes (grip, footwork) and then to fine-tuning areas like breathing and recovery is a more sustainable approach.

Focusing on one or two mistakes each week and consciously working to correct them throughout that week is enough to permanently change most of the items on the list within three months. This approach is far more effective than trying to fix everything at once and making no lasting progress on any of it.

The common denominator of these mistakes: lack of planning

Most of the 10 mistakes above actually point to a single root problem: the lack of a structured training plan. Players who play randomly, without knowing when to do technique work and when to rest, slow down their own progress and increase their injury risk. A simple weekly plan could be set up as two days of technique/lessons, one day of matches, and one day of rest or light activity, and then adapted to your personal needs over time.

How do you avoid these mistakes at Beytepe?

When playing on Beytepe's indoor padel courts if you play regularly, you can easily overcome most of these mistakes with a structured training plan. Joining one-to-one or group lessons is the fastest way to fix your technical gaps under an instructor’s supervision. To recover after matches, the recovery packages offered by O’Spa Beytepe reduce muscle fatigue and help you arrive better prepared for your next session.

Given Ankara’s dry climate and cold winters, being able to train in the same conditions all year round is a big advantage. Regularly applying warm-up and cool-down routines in an indoor court environment reduces injury risk regardless of the weather outside. For players preparing for tournaments, this consistency is also valuable for avoiding a loss of form during the season; our tournaments page you can follow upcoming events. Many of the regular players coming from around Hacettepe, Bilkent and Ümitköy attend lessons at the same times, forming a small community that gets to know each other and gently reminds one another of their mistakes; this creates a far more sustainable environment for improvement than training alone.

Choosing a training partner can also be a source of mistakes

Constantly playing against players far below your level makes it easy to stay in your comfort zone but slows your progress. Likewise, constantly playing against much stronger players can shake your confidence and reinforce basic mistakes. The ideal is to play regular matches with players close to your level while occasionally testing your limits against slightly stronger players. If you find it hard to strike this balance, joining the club’s level groups or pairing up with different players at organised events such as social match nights is a good solution.

Bonus: two small mistakes often overlooked

In addition to the 10 points above, there are two more small but high-impact mistakes players often make. The first is always repeating the same shot with the same hand and never working on the weaker side; this becomes a weakness that opponents can easily spot and exploit. The second is neglecting hydration before a match; especially on indoor, heated courts you can lose fluids even when you do not feel yourself sweating, which causes a performance drop that is noticed late.

Fixing these two small details raises the quality of your training without requiring a big investment. Keeping your water bottle with you and adding a few repetitions for your weaker side to your weekly training are simple steps that make a difference in the long run. Having a light snack before a match also helps prevent an energy dip, especially in long matches played in the evening; on this topic, healthy drink options in the lounge area healthy menu options offer a practical solution.

The role of video analysis in spotting mistakes

Some mistakes are subtle technical details that are hard to notice on court; for example, it is almost impossible to see with your own eyes while playing whether your body weight is transferred correctly on the serve or what angle your arm is at on the bandeja. This is where video analysis comes in: when an instructor records a few of your shots and plays them back in slow motion, mistakes that are hard to explain in words become clear in seconds. Repeated technical errors such as grip, footwork and trunk rotation in particular are corrected much faster with video.

When playing on Beytepe's padel lessons, the video analysis option offered serves exactly this purpose. Having one of your lessons recorded and watching it with your instructor clearly shows which of the mistakes listed in this article apply to you.

How to track mistakes: a simple training log

Keeping a simple training journal is useful for seeing objectively which mistakes you are making. After each session, noting down a few questions in a few sentences, such as “did I warm up today, which shot did I work on, how much did I rest”, lets you spot recurring patterns over time. This small habit also helps you discuss more clearly with an instructor what is working and what is not.

Next step: a planned training routine

Being aware of these 10 mistakes means removing the biggest obstacle to your progress. The next step is to review your current habits with an instructor and create a personalised plan. With a trial lesson or the video analysis option in Beytepe, you can see clearly where you are going wrong; you can start by booking an appointment through our WhatsApp line. Remember, the best players are not those who never make mistakes, but those who make noticing and correcting them a habit.

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