Here’s what I try to achieve week after week as I strive to become a level 5 padel player.

Technical Training

• 3x with a padel coach on court (I rotate between 3/4 coaches)
• 4 hours reading padel books or watching video tutorials
• 3 hours watching pro padel matches

Physical Training

• 3x strength training with PT (30 min per session, plus 30 min on my own after)
• 1x yoga (for flexibility and all-around strength)
• 2x agility sessions (30 min each using skipping rope, cones and agility ladder)
• 4x stretching sessions at home

Mental Training

• 1x psychologist
• 4 hours of reading sports psychology books

Competition and Matches

• 2x friendly matches
• 1x competition (once or twice a month)

Recovery and Growth Aids

• 1x deep tissue massage
• 2x sauna sessions for 20 minutes each (here’s why)
• 4x EMS sessions at home / Theragun daily

All of the above is of course accompanied by a healthy and varied diet. I love food and different cuisines so rather than stick to a very specific diet I just make sure that whatever cuisine I try the dishes are healthy and in line with my overall goals.

I use the Apple watch to track my hours of sleep, and I try to reach 7.5 hours to 8 hours on average daily in order for my muscles to be able to recover and grow.

While I love watching the men’s pro matches, it’s important to say that for amateur players it’s actually more beneficial to watch the women’s matches, as their style of playing is much closer to that of amateur players. This is not to say that women’s padel is not of a high level, it’s just that their style is not as frenetic and focused on bursts of speed and power and incredible shots. It’s a much plainer tactical game with a lot of emphasis on lobs and carefully places shots aimed to displace the opposing pair and then define the point.

I’ll come back to this post to expand on some points, but for now, I just want to put it out there for feedback and for its potential usefulness to other serious amateur padel players.

Here are a few videos of exercises you can try to improve your reaction times in padel. This is a crucial aspect of your game so it is important that you train it.

While important, keep in mind that there are more important things, such as better general physical preparation, technical skills, and tactical awareness.

If you’re already a top player, however, and are looking to gain that little sliver of advantage over your opponents, improving your reaction time might bring some advantage.

If you’re not a top player, then your time will be better spent elsewhere. It’s also worth differentiating between reaction time and shot anticipation. If you can read your opponent and you are aware of the possible shots he might come up with, then you will naturally react and position yourself quicker than those with an untrained eye, even if they have better reaction times.

I recently invested in a TENS/EMS machine, mostly to aid in my recovery between padel and physical training sessions.

I’ve used such machines during physiotherapy sessions before, but until recently I assumed that they belong in the physio room and that as an athlete I couldn’t get one to use in the comfort of my own home. Turns out it need not be that expensive, nor is it complex to use.

First, let’s talk about how these devices work.

Electrical muscle stimulation is exactly what it sounds like: using an electrical current to stimulate your muscles. This can be done because your muscles naturally contract in response to electrical signals sent by your brain, and TENS/EMS machines replicate these impulses, causing muscles to contract on command.

TENS is the most universally known modality of electrical stimulation. Used widely for pain relief, TENS sends a series of electrical pulses across the skin and along nerve strands. These electrical pulses “distract” the brain from the pain signal, according to the Gate Control Theory. The Gate Control Theory of Pain says that non-painful stimulus or input closes the “gates” to the Central Nervous System, preventing it from feeling any pain. TENS also stimulates an endorphin release, which likewise mitigates pain.

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