We recently had the pleasure of attending the World Padel Tour (WPT) Final in Barcelona and the event was epic! From the venue to the incredible padel on show, it was one of the best WPT events I’ve ever been to. But the biggest takeaway for me was the reminder of how important it is for recreational players to watch professional padel matches live.

If you’ve never watched professional padel matches live, make it part of your 2024 plans. Trust me, it will be the best decision you’ll make – not only for the entertainment on show but also for developing your own padel game. From our recent trip to Barcelona, here are few aspects I really noticed from watching professional padel matches live.

The Speed Of Play

Perhaps the biggest realisation when watching professional padel matches live is the speed of play. Many recreational players assume professional players play very hard and fast but in fact, it’s the opposite. They play slow and controlled padel, using all the angles and aspects of the court to their advantage in order to create the chance to attack. When the chance comes, that’s when they play fast. So fast their opponents have no chance of retrieving the point. This is perhaps the most important benefit of watching professional players play live. Once recreational players see it for themselves, they will understand why padel coaches are always saying to slow shots down and use control, versus pure power!

Ball Control

At The Padel School, when we do training sessions with players all over the world, typically in the warmup our first exercise is usually focused just on ball control. It involves hitting softly to a marker with the goal of simply controlling the ball as much as possible.

The reason for doing this – and is something the professional players make look so easy when they play – is because in padel as you go up the levels, players don’t hit harder and faster. Their ball control improves. They hit more accurately and consistently. When you watch the professional padel players in matches, their ball control is nothing short of remarkable. No matter what ball they receive, they are able to return it with control and aimed to a tiny target on the court. And they’re able to do this over and over again for a few hours!

The Physicality

As padel has evolved over the years and become more professional, so has the physicality of the players. It’s safe to say now the top players in the world are physical beasts! When you watch professional padel matches live, you see how quickly players are recovering the net and how explosive they are when hitting fast smashes.

For recreational players, if you want to keep going up the levels, putting time into the physical side is important. It will keep you injury-free and give you the edge in the game. Watching professional padel players live can give you that spark to get back on your physical regime for padel.

Watch The Pros Live

With Premier Padel announcing the new calendar of events for 2024 this week, now is a good time to plan when you will next watch the professionals live in action. Not only will you be on the edge of your seat, you will learn so much that you can take onto the court for your own game!