The Padel Playbook

You can rally, you know what a bandeja is, and you win your share of club matches. Then you meet a pair who never seem to miss, always seem to be at the net, and make you hit the shot you least want to hit. The Padel Playbook shows you how to become that pair.

Written for intermediate and advanced players (roughly level 3 to 6 on the 0–7 scale used by clubs and booking apps), this 2027 edition skips the basics and goes straight to the tactics, shots and patterns that decide competitive padel. Every chapter gives you something to change in your next match: a position, a target, a pattern or a habit.

Inside you'll learn:
• Where you really stand on the level scale, and which chapters will raise your level fastest
• The rules that decide close matches, and the gear choices that suit an advanced game
• Playing drive or revés at a higher level, and how to beat a left-hander
• Advanced positioning, movement as a pair and owning the net
• The wall game, including how to defend the double-wall lob
• Overheads that win points: the bandeja, the víbora, the x3 and the controlled smash
• Net and touch play: volleys, chiquitas and lobs under pressure
• Patterns and tactics that win points, and how professional pairs build them
• Partnership and communication on court
• Drills and structured training plans, plus fitness and injury prevention for padel
• The mental game, competing in tournaments, and the mistakes that stall players at your level
• Shot-selection tables, a glossary and match-day checklists

Whether you're a solid club player chasing your next category or a competitor fine-tuning your game, this is the padel tactics book that takes your game to the next level.

Updated for 2027. By The Padel Academy.