Padel Tactics: What Is The Fridge In Padel?


I can remember a game of padel I played on an outdoor court last winter. We were under floodlights and with snow on the mountains, things were rather crispy. At one stage my opponents started playing only to my partner and with the lack of movement, I started feeling cold – like I was in a fridge.

During a game of padel a player is put into the fridge when the opponents play all of the balls to his/her partner. The player who has been put into the fridge feels the frustration of being left out in the cold and unable to contribute to the point.

What Is The Fridge In Padel?

When a padel player is put in the fridge, it means he is “cold” – the opposing team is hitting all the balls to his teammate, and he isn’t getting any. It can be frustrating for both teammates because one of them is doing all the work, and the one in the fridge can’t do anything to contribute.

The rival team typically targets the stronger player to put in the fridge as they focus on hitting all the balls to the weaker player. The fridge is a slick strategy to dominate a match of padel tennis.

How To Get Out Of The Fridge

If you find yourself caught in “the fridge,” you’ll be glad to know there is a way out of the situation. When your teammate is in the battle of attempting to hit all the balls coming at him, tell him to do this: Hit a high and long lob down the centerline.

Then your teammate should have time to run to the net to prevent your opponent from hitting it back on his side. That will get you out of the fridge and force the opponents to switch directions and hit the ball to you instead.

How To Get Your Teammate Out Of The Fridge

When your teammate is in the fridge, he is getting “cold.” You’re doing all the work, and he could be in the fridge for quite some time unless you help him out.

One way is to use the high lob mentioned above, but there is another way to get your teammate involved as well. Tell him to cover part of your area as well as his own, which means he will be covering roughly three-quarters of the court. This tactic will give your opponents a smaller area to aim for if they try to hit the ball only to you.

Is Putting A Player In The Fridge A Good Strategy?

If you want to score some extra points in your game of padel, putting one of your opponents in the fridge is an excellent strategy. You should target the weaker player because he is more likely to be shaken up, and it keeps the stronger player from scoring as many points.

Get inside your opponents’ heads by using the fridge. If they can’t maintain a calm enough composure to get themselves out, it’ll throw them off enough to give you some extra points.

When To Use The Fridge Strategy

If you’re playing in a competitive padel match and the game is close, or you are behind, it’s an excellent time to use the fridge strategy. You’ll want to play more aggressively to stay in the game or gain a few points. If you’re already winning by a significant amount, it wouldn’t be considered very sportsmanlike to use the fridge against your opponents.

Likewise, in a casual game of padel with your friends, it wouldn’t be very nice to pound one player with balls and put the other one in the fridge – unless your friends know you’re practicing the strategy on them to prepare for a more competitive match.

Eduardo

I've been playing padel since 2015, although I first saw a padel court when I visited Spain in 2008. Living inland from the Costa Del Sol means playing padel all year round.

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