I've coached hundreds of beginners and these same three mistakes come up every single time.

1. Standing too far from the back glass

New players are scared of the glass. They stay in no-man's land and end up reaching for every ball. Get comfortable with the glass behind you — it's your teammate, not your enemy. Stand about an arm's length away and let the ball come to you off the bounce.

2. Swinging like it's tennis

Padel is about control, not power. If you're winding up for big forehand drives, you're going to overshoot the court every time. Shorten your swing, use more wrist, and focus on placement. A well-placed bandeja beats a smash 9 times out of 10.

3. Ignoring the lob

The lob is the most underrated shot in beginner padel. When you're under pressure, a deep lob to the back glass resets the point and buys you time. Practice it until it's second nature.

Master these three things and you'll be better than 90% of players who've been "playing for years."

If you want structured coaching to fast-track your padel game, The Padel Lab breaks everything down step by step — from grip to game strategy.