In a lot of sports there are certain physical attributes that can give you an advantage over other players that you come up against. If you’re a fast bowler in cricket, it helps to be quite tall in order to extract more bounce from the pitch. If you play on the wing in football, being pacy and having a quick sprint speed can give you an advantage when you’re trying to burst past a defender. Similarly, in boxing, you’ll be a much more dangerous boxer if you have a natural ability to hit harder than the average person! We know there are so many cases like these in other sports, but what about padel?
I’ve talked with many people over the years about what makes a great padel player, and one of the things that always interested me was whether there was any inherent advantage to being taller. To put it simply, does having extra height give you an extra edge over smaller players? That’s what I’ll be explaining in this post!
So, is height important in padel?
Height can give you advantages in some situations in padel, but it isn’t required to be a great player. Being taller may allow you to cover ground quicker, reach shots that others can’t, & smash the ball out of the court easier. However, your technique, strategy, agility & co-ordination are arguably just as important.
You could have a really tall padel player that uses their height to maximum effect when reaching for high balls and getting a high degree of bounce on their smashes, but if that same player has a poor technique, doesn’t read the game very well and is not agile, they probably aren’t going to be a player that anyone is afraid of. In fact, they would probably be a player that opposing teams would target!
If you’re a padel player and you consider yourself to be above average height, then this is great for you! You already have a fantastic natural tool at your disposal. All you need now is to work on building out your padel technique and making yourself into the most well-rounded player possible. Once you have that well-rounded padel foundation in place, being tall and being able to hit harder and reach further can really give you the x-factor that you need to become an excellent player.
In the rest of this post we’ll look at some of the advantages and disadvantages that being tall can offer you, and explore why all of these are important.
What Are The Main Advantages Of Being A Tall Padel Player?
Being Taller Allows You To Cover More Of The Court
This advantage is fairly obvious, but the taller you are, the larger your reach is likely to be. This means that you will be able to cover more of the court, making it much harder for your opponents to get the ball past you, both vertically and horizontally.
For example, when your opponent attempts to play a smash, they will need to get much more height and extreme angles on the ball in order to get it past you. Similarly, if you are stood close to the net, they’ll have to play a very fast, accurate shot in order to get the ball past you. A player with a large reach playing close to the net can be a very powerful strategy for any padel duo!
More Height Can Give You Slightly Better Serving Angles
If you didn’t know already, a padel serve must be struck when the ball is at waist height or below. If you are taller, your waist height is probably going to be higher than someone who is smaller than you. This means that taller players can hit their serves at a higher point than smaller players!
So, how does hitting a serve from a higher point benefit you? Basically, it is easier to hit the ball over the net and get it down into the receiving box when you’re hitting the ball from a little higher up. The diagram below should explain why! The difference isn’t huge of course, but a couple of extra inches of height could help you avoid a few serves into the net over the course of a game – which may save you a point or two!
It Can Allow You To Generate More Bounce When Hitting Smashes
As we just discussed, in padel there are certain benefits that hitting the serve at higher points can give you. The same goes for hitting smashes!
Basically, if you strike the ball at a higher point when playing a topspin smash (click here if you’re not sure what that is), there is a better chance that you’ll be able to get the ball to bounce out of the court after it hits the ground on the opponent’s side of the court. If you’re wondering why this is the case, the diagram below should explain everything! Basically, when a smash is hit from a higher point, you can achieve a greater angle on the smash and as a result, a steeper bounce! Smaller players won’t be able to reach as high up to strike the ball, which will result in a shallower angle on their smashes.
The goal when playing the topspin smash is to get the ball to bounce out of the court, so being a bit taller definitely makes this easier to achieve!
What Are The Main Disadvantages Of Being A Tall Padel Player?
Some Taller Players May Lack Agility
Taller padel players may not be as agile as smaller players, and as a result they will struggle to move around the court as quickly. Smaller players have lower centres of gravity, meaning they can change direction much quicker as a result. Being able to change direction quickly is a very important quality in padel, so less agile players will struggle in this area!
Of course, not every tall padel player will suffer from a lack of agility. If you can maintain a good level of agility while being an above average height, you will be a far more effective player!
It May Be More Of A Struggle To Hit Lower Bouncing Balls
Hitting balls that bounce low is a common tactic in padel. Balls that bounce in this way are slightly harder for taller players to get down and hit, as they have to bend down further than the smaller players! This may not be much of an issue at the start of a match when players are fresh and full of energy, but as matches wear on and players become tired, reaching down for the ball becomes that bit harder. And when you’re taller and you have further to reach down, this could lead to simple mistakes!
They May Be Vulnerable To A Well-Placed Lob
This ties in to my earlier point about a lack of agility, but some taller players can struggle when they get drawn in towards the net and the opponent plays a well-placed lob over their heads. When this happens, a player needs to quickly change direction and sprint back to where the ball is going to land. This can be tough for some taller players who aren’t very fleet of foot and have high centres of gravity!
Conclusion
So, to summarise, increased height can definitely offer advantages in padel, such as better court coverage and ability to hit smashes. However, it is not the sole determining factor in being a good player! Padel is a sport that requires a combination of skills, including technique, strategy, agility, coordination, speed, and mental focus. While taller players may have certain advantages, players of varying heights can excel in padel through a well-rounded game that encompasses all aspects of the sport. It is essential to develop a comprehensive skill set, regardless of height, and maximize your potential through training, experience, and understanding of the game. This is something that I do my best to provide you with here on Padeld!
Feel free to check out some of my other posts here on the site if you’d like to learn more about the game and come on this journey with me!