When starting out with the game of padel, learning the basics of where you can stand on the court will help you to thoroughly enjoy a game on your very first day. That is how it was for me.
Where to stand on a padel court? The two basic positions on the padel court for beginners are both about six feet from the sidewall/fence. The back-court position is six feet from the back wall and the volley position is about ten feet from the net.
Let’s talk about the basic positioning for yourself and your partner on the padel court. Luckily there are only two basic positions to learn making it very easy to get a good feel for those positions on your very first day as a padel player.
The Theory Behind The Two Basic Positions On A Padel Court
When we first start out with the game of padel we don’t yet have a feel for how to move effectively on the court as a pair.
When I first started playing padel these two basic positions allowed my partner and I to cover much more of the court than I thought possible.
When you stand in the basic back court position you are no more than a step to a step and a half away from covering your whole side of the back court.
Likewise, when you stand in the basic volley position you are also a step to a step and a half away from covering the whole volley area on your side of the court. The basic volley position is also far enough back that it might discourage your opponents from attempting to play a lob.
The Basic Back Court Position In Padel
The back of the court is where we all start when stepping onto a padel court for the first time. Therefore it is a good idea to begin with the basic court position for when you are at the back of the court.
Most padel courts have five glass panels across the back wall. Your basic position will be in line with the seperation between the first and second panels out from the corner.
You will also want to be in line with the first seperation between glass panels forward of the corner as well.
This will give you a start position that is roughly six feet from both the back wall and the side wall.
From this basic position you can easily cover everything behind the service line on your side of the court.
The Basic Court Position At The Net In Padel
When it comes to the basic court position when playing at the net, I always count the posts in the fence coming back from the net.
Almost always the third post is where the fence contacts the glass. Your basic net position is in line with the second post back from the net. In other words, one segment of fence forward of where the glass ends.
Again, I want to be about six feet away from the side fence. That way I can cover the volley area on my side of the court by making no more than a single step most of the time.
Many beginner padel players have a tendency to stand much closer to the net. This leaves a massive space behind them and a very simple lob anywhere into that space will have them scrambling back to fetch the ball.
If you are in the basic volley position and you receive a short volley you are still only one step away from the net to be able to cover that as well.
Beware Of The Diagonal Line Of weakness On A Padel Court
This is something that beginner padel players often struggle with.
Ideally either both you and your partner are playing at the back of the court or both of you are at the net. This is to prevent massive gaps on the court that your opponents can exploit.
For instance, imagine that you are at the net and your partner stays at the back of the court. There will be a massive diagonal channel that starts at the net on your partner’s side of the court and extends cross-court to the corner behind you. A fairly easy cross-court shot will be able to stay out of reach for both you and your partner.
That is why, both you and your partner should be at the back of the court together, or at the net together.
If you start at the back of the court together and one of you plays a really good lob that forces your opponents into a defensive position then the two of you should move up to the net together. Conversely, if the two of you are at the net and your partner gets lobbed it is a good idea to move back on the court with your partner.
This concept of moving on the court as a pair is covered in much greater depth in the article that I wrote here on World Padel Insider.