Move as a Pair: The Padel Positioning Habit That Wins More Points

You can have the best racket in the building and still lose to a pair who barely hit the ball hard. I watch it happen every week at the Park. The reason is almost never technique — it's position. Two players who move as a unit beat two better hitters who don't, nearly every time. If you only fix one thing in your padel this winter, fix where you stand and when you move. Here's how.

The invisible rope

Picture a short rope tying you to your partner, maybe three or four metres long. When one of you steps forward, the rope drags the other forward. When one of you is pushed back, the other drops back too. You move together, always, like you're connected — because effectively you are.

The classic beginner scene: one player charges the net, the other stays glued to the back glass, and now there's a canyon of open court between them. Good opponents don't even need a winner — they just roll the ball into that gap and watch you both arrive a second too late. Keep the rope tight and that gap never opens.

Who takes the middle

More padel points are won through the middle — the seam between you and your partner — than down the lines. It's where the doubt lives. Both of you hesitate, each assuming the other has it, and the ball drops between you untouched. I've seen entire matches decided on that one square metre.

The fix is a rule you agree on before the first serve, not in the middle of a rally: the player whose forehand is in the middle takes the middle ball. On the most common right-hander pairing, that's usually the player on the left. Decide it, say it out loud, and then trust it. Hamish drills this with our beginners constantly — "call it, take it, done" — because the indecision is what kills you, not the shot itself.

Start behind the service line, not on top of the net

New players either camp at the back like it's tennis, or sprint to the net and get lobbed into next week. The safe home base is just behind the service line, side by side. From there you can step in to attack a short ball or drop back to defend a lob without being caught flat-footed. It's the ready position the whole game flows out of.

The goal is still to win the net — the team controlling the net wins most padel points — but you earn it gradually, off good shots, not by charging up there and hoping. Get there together, hold it together.

Spacing: not too close, not too far

Roughly three to four metres apart is the working range, adjusting as the ball moves. Drift too close and one wide shot leaves half the court naked. Spread too far and the middle's wide open again. As the ball goes to one side, both of you shuffle that way a touch — you're shading the court as a pair, closing the angle the ball can come back at.

A simple cue: watch your partner's feet in your peripheral vision, not just the ball. If you can always roughly sense where they are, you'll naturally keep the spacing honest.

Move with the ball, settle when you hit

The pattern that ties it together: when your opponents are about to hit, you and your partner take a small split step and settle, balanced, ready to go either way. As the ball travels, you move. When it's your turn to strike, you're set. Beginners do the opposite — they stand still while the ball travels, then scramble at the last second. Move early, arrive on time, and the game slows right down.

A drill you can do tonight

Next time you're on court, forget winners for one game. The only job: stay roped to your partner. Every time one of you moves forward or back, the other mirrors it within a second. You'll lose a few points early and then something clicks — suddenly the gaps you used to leak points through just aren't there. Do that for three sessions and people will swear you've had lessons.

None of this needs new gear, but a racket that suits your level makes holding position easier — a forgiving, manoeuvrable frame lets you react late and still control the ball. If yours is fighting you, the team at shop.padelpark.nz can point you at something that helps, or you can demo a couple at the Park.

Read next: The 5 Biggest Mistakes Beginners Make When Starting Padel — positioning is number one, but the other four cost you just as many points.

FAQ

Where should I stand when I'm serving in padel?

Serve from behind the service line, then move forward with your partner to take the net as a pair once the return is dealt with. Don't stay pinned at the back.

Who should take balls down the middle?

Agree before the point: the player with their forehand in the middle takes it. Call it early and trust the call — hesitation loses more middle balls than bad technique does.

Why do my partner and I keep leaving gaps?

Almost always because one of you moves and the other doesn't. Treat yourselves as roped together — when one moves forward or back, the other mirrors it. The gaps close on their own.

Is padel positioning the same as tennis doubles?

Similar instincts, but padel rewards getting to the net together far more, and the back walls change how you defend. Most tennis converts over-stay at the baseline at first.

How far apart should we stand?

Around three to four metres, shifting together as the ball moves side to side. Too close exposes the lines, too far exposes the middle.

Written by Nicholas Woods — owner of Padel Park Hamilton & accredited padel coach.