THIS IS WHY YOU SUCK AT PADEL

Summary

In this instructional video, Gonzalo, the coach of Rocket Paddle Bristol, addresses common struggles in paddle play and offers advanced tips for improvement. He emphasizes the importance of playing from the back, volley, and overheads, providing specific techniques such as using the back glass as a reference and maintaining a compact position for volleys. Gonzalo also stresses the significance of early preparation, proper footwork, and body positioning. He encourages players to embrace their current skill level, seek coaching, and stay motivated for continuous improvement, highlighting the sport's inherent challenges and the potential for personal growth.

Takeaways

• 🏓 The coach, Gonzalo, emphasizes the importance of improving three key areas in paddle play to become a better player.
• 🎯 The first area of focus is playing from the back of the court, specifically using the intersection of the glass as a reference point to decide when to play with the glass and when to play in front.
• 👟 Gonzalo suggests that players should be patient at the back and aim to win the net rather than trying to win the point directly.
• 🤔 The coach highlights the importance of early preparation and having enough space to swing the racket properly when playing off the glass.
• 👀 Gonzalo advises players to ensure the racket tip is pointing to the side glass when hitting, indicating proper spacing and not hitting too close to the body.
• 🔄 An advanced tip for playing off the back is to wait for the ball to be in front before pushing or playing fast, to maintain control and power.
• 🌟 The second area discussed is volleying, where Gonzalo stresses the importance of a good ready position with the racket pointing up and knees slightly bent.
• 🏆 At the net, the focus shifts from winning the net to looking for opportunities to win the point, especially when an easy ball is spotted.
• 💪 Gonzalo recommends playing with elbows close to the body for a compact position, which improves control and power in volleys.
• 👋 The coach advises on the importance of adjusting the point of impact depending on the direction of the shot to avoid wrist adjustments that can compromise control.
• 🚀 The third area of improvement is overheads, which requires good coordination and technical skill that comes with practice.
• 👣 For overheads, Gonzalo emphasizes the importance of quick footwork and facing sideways to allow for body rotation and proper hitting.
• 🧠 Lastly, the coach offers a personal opinion on the importance of humility and self-improvement in paddle sports, suggesting that admitting one's weaknesses can be a powerful motivator for getting better.

Q & A

What is the name of the coach featured in the video?

The coach's name is Gonzalo, who is the coach of Rocket Paddle Bristol.

What is the primary focus of the video?

The video focuses on three main areas where most people struggle in paddle, and it aims to provide tips to improve those areas.

What is the significance of Post Number Four in Gonzalo's coaching?

Post Number Four is the intersection of both glasses on the court, and Gonzalo uses it as a reference point to teach when to play with the glass and when to play in front of it.

Why is it important to be patient when playing from the back of the court?

Being patient is crucial because the goal is to win the net, not the point, which requires waiting for the right moment to play the ball effectively.

What is the correct early preparation technique when playing off the glass?

The correct technique involves bringing the racket back from the very beginning, ensuring readiness to hit the ball and saving time.

How should a player ensure they have enough space to swing properly when playing off the glass?

A player should ensure the tip of their racket is pointing to the side glass, which indicates they are giving themselves enough space to swing properly.

What is the recommended ready position for volleying in paddle?

The recommended ready position for volleying is standing between post number one and post number two, with the racket pointing up in an 'H' shape.

Why is it advised to play with elbows close to the body when volleying?

Playing with elbows close to the body helps maintain a compact position, which improves control and power when hitting the ball.

How can adjusting the point of impact help in volleying?

Adjusting the point of impact allows a player to change the direction of the ball effectively, preventing the need to adjust with the wrist, which can reduce control and power.

What are the key concepts for improving overhead shots in paddle?

Key concepts include starting the motion from a ready position, quickly moving into the correct footwork, facing sideways, and ensuring the point of impact is at the height of the eyes with enough space to rotate the body.

What is Gonzalo's personal opinion on the importance of being good in paddle?

Gonzalo believes that being good in paddle is important, but he emphasizes that admitting one's weaknesses and having a growth mindset is crucial for improvement, rather than focusing solely on ego and ranking.

How can viewers improve their paddle skills according to Gonzalo?

Viewers can improve their paddle skills by attending coaching sessions, like the ones offered by Gonzalo at Rocket Paddle Bristol, where they can work on the areas discussed in the video.

Outlines

00:00

🏓 Backcourt Play and Glass Strategy

Gonzalo, the coach of Rocket Paddle Bristol, starts the video by addressing common struggles in paddle play. He emphasizes the importance of understanding when to play with the back glass and when to play in front of it. Gonzalo suggests using the intersection of the glasses (Post Number Four) as a reference point for positioning. He explains that if the ball bounces at or behind the player's feet, it should be played towards the back glass, while balls that bounce in front can be taken before reaching the glass. The coach stresses the importance of patience and waiting for the right moment to play the ball ('L' shot) and move to the net. He also advises on early racket preparation and ensuring enough space for a proper swing, with tips on racket positioning and how to avoid hitting too close to the body.

05:01

🤾‍♂️ Volley Techniques and Tactics

The second paragraph focuses on volley play, where Gonzalo highlights the importance of a good ready position, standing between post numbers one and two with the racket pointing up. He advises against extending the arm too far and instead recommends approaching the ball to maintain a compact position with elbows close to the body. Gonzalo also discusses the importance of adjusting the point of impact based on the desired direction of the shot, whether parallel or crosscourt. He warns against relying on wrist adjustments, which can compromise control and power. Gonzalo provides a tip to improve the volley shot by keeping the elbows close to the body and emphasizes the need to play with tactical awareness, looking for opportunities to win points at the net.

10:03

🚀 Overhead Play and Advanced Tips

In the final paragraph, Gonzalo discusses overhead play, noting its technical difficulty and the need for coordination. He stresses the importance of initiating the motion quickly and the necessity of facing sideways rather than forward. Gonzalo provides an advanced tip on the point of impact, suggesting that it should be at the height of the eyes and that players should give themselves enough space to utilize body rotation effectively. He demonstrates the correct footwork and body positioning for overhead play and emphasizes the importance of not hitting too close to the body. Gonzalo also shares his personal opinion on the importance of humility and continuous improvement in paddle sports, encouraging viewers to attend coaching sessions for improvement.

Keywords

💡Paddle

Paddle, in this context, refers to a sport similar to tennis but played on a court with walls. It is the central theme of the video as the coach discusses techniques and strategies to improve one's game. The sport is also known as 'Paddle Tennis' or 'Platform Tennis' and is gaining popularity in the UK.

💡Rocket Paddle

Rocket Paddle is mentioned as the largest paddle center in the UK, where the coach, Gonzalo, works. It serves as a key location for the video's content, indicating the setting for the coaching and the sport's community.

💡Game from the back

This phrase refers to the strategy and techniques used when a player is positioned at the back of the court. The coach emphasizes the importance of understanding when to play with the back wall ('glass') and when to play in front of it, which is crucial for developing a strong paddle game.

💡Post Number Four

Post Number Four is a specific location on the court, the intersection of both back walls. Gonzalo uses this as a reference point to teach players when to play the ball against the back wall and when to play it in front, which is essential for strategic play in paddle.

💡Forehand

A forehand in paddle, as in many racket sports, is a stroke played with the palm of the hand facing the direction of the swing. Gonzalo advises players to prepare early for a forehand shot, bringing the racket back from the start to save time and ensure readiness.

💡Volley

A volley in paddle is a shot taken before the ball bounces on the court. Gonzalo discusses the importance of a good ready position and tactics for playing volleys effectively, aiming to win points at the net rather than from the back of the court.

💡Ready position

The ready position is a stance that a player adopts to prepare for an incoming shot. Gonzalo describes the correct ready position for volleys, with the racket pointing up and knees slightly bent, which allows for quick reactions and powerful shots.

💡Overhead

An overhead shot in paddle is a high-arching shot typically used to hit balls that are above the player's head. Gonzalo highlights the importance of footwork and body positioning for effective overhead shots, which are technically challenging and require coordination.

💡Point of impact

The point of impact refers to the location where the racket meets the ball during a shot. Gonzalo provides advice on adjusting the point of impact for different shot directions, emphasizing the need for space and body rotation to execute powerful and controlled shots.

💡Ego

Ego, in the context of the video, refers to the competitive nature and personal pride that can influence a player's performance and attitude towards the sport. Gonzalo suggests that recognizing one's own weaknesses and being open to improvement is healthier for personal growth in paddle.

💡Coaching sessions

Coaching sessions are recommended by Gonzalo as a way to improve one's paddle game. These sessions provide personalized feedback and instruction, which can help players identify and work on specific areas of their game, contributing to their overall development.

Highlights

Introduction to Gonzalo, the coach of Rocket Paddle Bristol, and the three key areas of paddle improvement.

The importance of playing with a hook paddle racket and the correct game positioning at the back of the court.

Understanding when to play with the glass and when to play in front of you in paddle.

The rule of staying in Post Number Four at the back of the court for better game strategy.

The concept of playing to win the net, not the point, when at the back of the court.

Importance of being patient and waiting for the right moment to play the ball.

Technique of early preparation by bringing the racket back from the start of the play.

Ensuring enough space for a proper swing when playing off the glass.

Avoiding hitting the ball too close to the body for better control and power.

Advanced tip on waiting for the ball to be in front for better push and fast play.

The significance of volley and the correct ready position for effective play.

Tactic of playing with elbows close to the body for a compact and powerful volley.

Adjusting the point of impact to play in different directions effectively.

Common mistakes in overheads and the importance of early and correct footwork.

The necessity of facing sideways and not forward when playing the Vanda overhead.

Advanced tip on the importance of point of impact height and space for powerful overheads.

Personal opinion on the importance of admitting skill level for continuous improvement in paddle.

Recommendation to attend coaching sessions for improvement and overcoming ego in paddle sports.

Invitation for viewers to share their thoughts on the topic of personal skill level and improvement in paddle.

Closing thoughts and an invitation to the next video.

Transcripts

hi paddle drivers how you doing I'm

Gonzalo the coach of Rocket paddle

Bristol the biggest paddle center of the

UK and today we are going to cover the

three areas where almost everybody

struggles in paddle the things that

we're going to be talking today is super

important that we fix them if we want to

become a good paddle player in the

future as always we will be giving some

Advanced tips throughout the video so

make sure that you watching until the

end to be the best paddle player

possible so the first reason why you py

at paddle is because you don't play with

a hook paddle racket wait a second Karim

which racket do you

use forget about this

then okay so now jokes asides the first

area that we need to work on is our game

from the back so we're going to go to

the back of the court because the first

thing that we need to understand is when

are we going to play with the glass and

when are we going to play in front of us

so the rule that I always give I want to

stay when I'm playing at the back in

Post Number Four which is the

intersection of both glasses why because

now I can use my feet as a reference to

know when I'm going to play with the

glass and when I'm going to be playing

in front of me if I'm standing in this

position I know that everything that

bounces at my feet or behind is always

going to make it to the back glass

however everything that bounces in front

of me I can generally take it before it

touches the glass super important

concept when we are at the back of the

Court we are not trying to win the point

we are trying to win the net so it's

very important that we are patient okay

I'm going to be playing from here and

I'm going to be basically waiting my

time to play the L okay these ones are

quite hard so I can play like this this

one I take in front this one is easy so

it's my time to play the L and get to

the net now focusing on the glass the

first thing that we need to fix is the

early preparation okay I need to bring

my racket back from the very beginning

okay what I cannot do is wait till the

end and then I hit super important as

soon as I know that I have a forehand I

bring the racket back so that I'm ready

and I can save a lot of time for

myself the second thing that we need to

be very careful with when we play off

the glass I want to give myself enough

space so that I can swing basically I

don't want to end up hitting like this

so I give myself enough space so that I

can swing properly however if the ball

is too close to me and I have to move

away from the ball I will never be able

to push the ball

[Music]

comfortably

a really good way to see if you are

doing this correctly is to see the tip

of your racket if when you are hitting

the tip of your rocket is pointing to

the floor it usually means that you are

hitting too close to your body however

the tip of the racket is pointing to the

Side Glass it means that you are giving

yourself a nice space and now I'm going

to give you an advanced tip that is

going to change completely the way you

play off the back super important the

ball is going to tach the glass and is

key that I wait for the ball to be in

front of me from here I can push and I

can play Fast if I want to however if

I'm hitting a little bit behind me I'm

going to start playing with my wrist and

this is going to affect my control and

my

[Music]

power and now we're going to go to the

second area of the game by the way if

you like this last tip it would really

help us if you could leave a like And

subscribe if you haven't cuz we really

appreciate it the second area is the

volley so the first important thing that

we need to be careful here is my ready

position okay I'm going to be standing

between post number one and post number

two okay with my racket pointing up in

this H ready position I wouldn't like to

see the racket here or of course here

because it will take a lot of time to

hit the ball in the right position so

racket in this position knees a little

bit bendy so I can have a little bit of

tension when the ball comes to me and

this is how I play a really nice B when

we talk about tactics remember that at

the back we said that we were not trying

to win the point we were trying to win

the net now we are at the net we can

start looking for opportunities to win

the point so whenever we spot an easy

bow it might be a good time

to put a little bit of a

[Music]

spice the best tip that I can give you

to improve your B 100% is that you play

with your elbows close to your body okay

I'm going to be in a compact position if

the ball comes far away from me I don't

want you to stend your arm really far I

want you to approach and hit in a

compact position with elow close to my

body of course we cannot do this all the

time because if I don't have time I'm

just going to attach it there and of

course if it goes a little bit higher

it's hard to keep the the elbow close to

my

body and a very important tip to improve

your body is to play around with the

point of impact so in this case let's

say I have a for hand B if I want to

play to the parallel Direction I will

have to play around here however if I

wanted to play crosscourt I would have

to move the point of impact behind me so

that it allows me to play there if I

don't do this the problem is that I will

start adjust in the Direction with my

wrist and this is way worse because

again we won't be able to play with good

control and with good

power

and the third area of your paddle game

that definitely needs improving is the

overheads so I see so many mistakes here

of course is something technically quite

difficult because it needs a lot of

coordination and it will come with time

but the most important concepts are the

ones that we're going to mention here

for me is super key the first moments of

the motion okay I start from this ready

position and I qu quickly go back here

it's important that this footwork I do

it as soon as possible because I can

always adjust from wordss but it's way

harder if I adjust backwards because I'm

going to be with my weight backwards and

then I takes me a lot of time to recover

my

position the other tip that is super

important when we are playing the Vanda

is that our body is not facing forward

we have to be facing sideways okay so

this also relats with the footwork I'm

not going to be running like this I'm

going to turn to a side position from

the very beginning so let's do a few

demos what is that feeling

Karim

and now an advanced tip that for me

changed completely my Vanda is the point

of impact it's very important that we he

at the height of my eyes and also that I

give myself enough space so that we can

translate all this body rotation if I

hit quite close to me I won't be able to

push the ball properly so my

recommendation is that you give yourself

enough space with the ball it's always

easier to adjust and get closer than to

move away okay so Karim please from here

enough distance with the ball and I'm

going to swing forward with all the

[Music]

K he's so bad at feeding

terrible when you do a good intruction

that's what I

[Music]

actually okay guys so now I would like

to share with you a personal opinion on

this topic about the real importance of

being good in paddle because I feel it

is a sport where H there is so much ego

and everybody cares a lot about the

platonic level H being better than this

person or this other person and I think

the worst enemy in this sport can be

yourself I think there is nothing wrong

with being bad we would really need to

admit that there is a lot of room for

improvement and this is actually

something very good because you will be

motivated to get better every day this

being said I really recommend that you

go to the coaching sessions if you live

in Bristol you can come to my coaching

sessions here in rocket paddle and we

can try to take a look at these things

that will improve your game remember if

you think you are too good it will be

hard for you to get better so let's

admit that we are all very bad cuz

otherwise we will be professional

players of course this is my personal

opinion but I would be very interested

to see in the comments down below your

thoughts on this topic this being said

thank you for watching and see you in

the next one

b