Padel tactics in doubles: the best team strategies for more points
Padel is more than just technique and ball control. If you want to be successful as a team, you need the right tactics. In doubles, it's your teamwork that decides whether you win or lose points. In this guide, you will learn the most important padel doubles tactics for effectively winning points as a team. Padel pro Lana shows you how to optimise your positioning, avoid mistakes and play cleverly with your partner - ideal for beginners and advanced players.
Why team tactics make the difference in padel doubles
Padel is played almost exclusively in doubles and that's exactly what makes tactics so crucial. Unlike in singles, it's not enough just to hit the ball. "The right padel doubles tactics combine communication, movement and the right teamwork," says padel expert Lana, who has played many successful matches. If you complement each other on the court, you win points - if you stand in each other's way, you lose them. She also adds: "If you really want to score points, you need a feeling for the right moment and togetherness on the court."
Padel strategies in doubles: how to score points as a team
A successful padel doubles match relies on team tactics in which you support each other. Lana reveals the best doubles strategies for your padel match.
Find a suitable team partner
The choice of your padel partner is already part of the tactic. After all, you need to understand each other, without talking much. But there's more to it than that: "Ideally, look for a team mate who has a similar level of play to you, the same applies to your opponents, of course. That way, you can train on an equal footing and stay challenged - but no one will be overwhelmed," advises Lana.
Act as a unit
For Lana, this is the number one basic rule. "Defend together, attack together - never one player alone," says the experienced padel player. "It sounds simple, but especially in heated game situations, it's easy to go it alone. Make a conscious effort to move as a team and position yourselves together." Play on one line, either both at the back or both at the net. Why? So you cover the court more efficiently and avoid gaps.
Use lobs as a tactical tool
The lob is a particularly high ball that can be a clever tactical advantage in padel strategy. "It allows you to move back to the front of the net, giving you control of the point," explains Lana. At the same time, if you are praised or a ball lands behind you both of you go back to the baseline immediately. "Because you play attack at the net and defence at the baseline. That's the golden rule."
Communication is a tactic
Many ball losses occur because both players hesitate or want to play the same ball. Clear communication is part of your doubles tactics. "Short, clear announcements such as 'mine' or 'yours' not only prevent you from getting in each other's way, they also ensure that someone meets the ball in the first place and that you don't both hesitate," says our padel pro. Also talk to each other between rallies if something is unclear."
Assign tasks beforehand
Who takes the centre and who looks after the boards should be clarified as a team before the match, according to Lana. "If everyone knows what their job is, you avoid misunderstandings and don't just play alongside each other, but really as a unit. Because good coordination is often the key to winning points."
Exercises for better coordination
It's worth practising your padel doubles tactics and communication as a team, especially as a beginner. Lana has a simple exercise that can be used to improve team coordination. Here's how it works:
1.Start on the baseline and play a few controlled balls back and forth to get into it. This will help you find your rhythm together and familiarise yourselves as a team.
2.As soon as a ball comes high enough, seize the opportunity and advance to the net as a team. That's where you have the best control over the point - that's where you want to go when the opportunity presents itself.
3.After the attacking ball, you then return to the baseline together. This trains your dynamics, keeps you flexible and strengthens your teamwork - just like in a match when your opponent suddenly counters.
4.These changes between attack and retreat are extremely common in padel - the better you practise this in training, the more confident and effective you will be in the game.
Success on the padel court with clever team tactics
Whether you're a beginner or an advanced player, anyone who scores points in padel doubles not only plays technically well, but also thinks tactically as a team. The best padel players are not necessarily the fastest or strongest, but those who read their partners, understand the game and act cleverly together. Clear coordination, good positioning and the targeted use of tactical tools such as the lob will give you a decisive advantage on the court. Train your coordination, remain flexible in attack and defence, and above all, always stay connected during the game. Because that is the essence of successful padel tactics in doubles. Not only will you score more points, you'll also really enjoy playing.
Frequently asked questions about padel tactics in doubles.
Practise specific game situations with your partner: advancing to the net together after a lob or coordination for balls through the middle.
