Padel Project UK

𝐒𝐨, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐎𝐀𝐓 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐥? 🐐 The King of Tennis is worried about the future of his sport. Citing the economic advantages of the two new trending racquet sports, Novak stated that grassroots tennis clubs are going to "convert all the tennis courts into padel or pickleball." Is he right to be fretful? Padel is indeed more economical than tennis—you can fit 2.5 padel courts into a tennis court. This means more players on court and greater revenue for clubs. 𝐋𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 🚧 Tennis has long been seen as an elitist sport due to its highly technical nature. Simply put, to become a good player, you need a lot of lessons—a luxury most can't afford. On the other hand, on a technical level, padel has a much lower barrier to entry. Players can start enjoying competitive matches as soon as they grasp the basic rules of the game. Padel is a game for all. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐥𝐢𝐩 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞 - 𝐏𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲 ☮ Many tennis clubs view padel as an upstart, an inferior version of their beloved sport. Whilst we believe this to be categorically false, the opinions of tennis club committee members aren't going to change anytime soon. Some clubs think more progressively. Rather than seeing padel as a threat, they see padel as an opportunity. Tennis isn't on the rise; in fact, it has seen reduced participation in recent years—tennis courts are often lying empty. More entrepreneurial clubs see padel as an opportunity to convert SOME of these 'dead weight' courts into more profitable space while simultaneously broadening their offer to members. In Spain and Italy, otherwise known as 'The Old Padel World' (to coin Ben Nichols' phrase), padel is an established national sport. In both countries, tennis is doing better than ever. With Carlos Alcaraz, Lorenzo Musetti and Jasmine Paulini, both nations are being represented in the semi-finals at Wimbledon and Jannik Sinner is the world number one. Tennis is very much alive, but due to how technical it is, it remains a sport reserved for the wealthy. Lots of questions remain for the future of these two sports in the UK, but one thing's for sure—padel is here to stay. If you are involved with a tennis club (or any other sports club for that matter) and see the opportunity in padel, please feel free to reach out to [email protected].

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗞 𝗣𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹 🎾 In 2011 the first padel court landed on British shores. Thirteen years later we're home to c.450 courts. The sport is still very much in it's infancy. 👶 When asked about padel the majority of Brits tend to look slightly bemused before answering "ahhh... do you mean paddle boarding??". 😕 Yes, we need more courts, but having knowledgable and enthusiastic coaches championing the game, is just as important for padels' growth. 📈 Without further ado, PPUK are thrilled to announce a full complement of coaches at our Potters Bar courts - George Hollings and Searle Goott. 🎉

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗯 𝗼𝗿 ‘𝗘𝗹 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗼’ 🎈 The lob is without a doubt one of the most used shots inside the 20 x 10, it’s a vital weapon in any player's arsenal. Very often however, it is hugely undervalued and misunderstood. 🤔 A good lob will send the opposition scurrying to the back of the court giving your team time to advance upon the net and take control of the point. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘆 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗯 💭 The key to a successful lob is to play it on an easy ball. This means less risk, more accuracy and a greater chance of taking that all important position at the net. If you start playing lobs defensively, when you’re out of position and under pressure, you’ll get into a world of  trouble by gifting your opponents easy overheads at the net. For this reason, start to think of the lob as an ATTACKING shot. Wait for that easy ball to play it. Check out coach Mauri Andrini's advice for mastering the stroke. https://lnkd.in/e72nU9hQ

𝐀 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲?? 👨👩👧👦 Padel is extremely accessible. The technical barrier to entry is far lower than tennis. An underarm serve and a racquet that's easy to handle allows players to start playing real games within minutes of stepping on court. 🎾 With 4 players occupying a 20m x 10m court, the game can be played in a way that isn't demanding on the body. If you're worried about your joint health, padel could be the sport for you! 🏃♀️ Teamwork and communication are padel prerequisites as it's played exclusively in doubles format. 🗣 All this goes to say is that a game of padel makes for the perfect family outing. To celebrate Father's Day, on Sunday the 16th we're hosting a tournament at our Potters Bar courts. If you'd like to sign up with a loved one follow the link below! ⬇ https://lnkd.in/eq4WZYbw

𝙄𝙨 𝙐𝙆 𝙋𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙎𝙖𝙛𝙚 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨? 👐 🇬🇧 🎾 In 2019 the LTA first took the helm of UK padel. Five years on things have changed. We've taken a look at four 'emerging' padel markets and their respective governing bodies: Sweden, Italy, Belgium and France. In all four countries, padel has seen significantly higher rates of adoption than the UK. Being far behind the curve, UK padel needs all the help it can get, starting with a committed governing body. What are the next steps for the UK padel?? Alexander Inglot, thanks for getting the ball rolling on this one! https://lnkd.in/dKPmHi5v

We have been working hard on our website design, so that our tournaments, sessions and club nights are easy for people to see and book. We are running a great array of events for June, including a Father's Day Tournament at Potters Bar on 16th June. They are always good fun with great prizes on offer. Have a good weekend and try to get out on court! 🏆 🎾 ☀ https://lnkd.in/ewjnbb7v

We are delighted to announce that from 3rd June, we will have a qualified BPCA padel coach available to book. George Hollings will be able to run private lessons and group sessions and he will also lead on our initiative to get school children and retired members of the community into this wonderful sport. This is part of our ongoing initiative to make padel an accessible sport for all. To book a court at either of our sites please visit our website below; www.padelprojectuk.com #PPUK #GrowthSport #Access4All #CommunityMovement

🎾 𝗣𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹 & 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 🎾 To mark the beginning Mental Health Awareness Week, last Sunday, we co-hosted a fundraising tournament with the wonderful Suicide&Co. Sport, exercise and movement are invaluable tools in maintaining a happy and healthy mind. 🔧 PLAYTOMIC found that a massive 38% of users played with strangers. By its very nature, padel is a sport in which people interact and create new relationships. 👭 A recent study in Australia found that when treating conditions such as depression, prescribing exercise was more effective than counselling or medication. 🏃♂️ If you're interested in hosting a charity or corporate event at one of our venues please don't hesitate to reach out to [email protected]

🎾 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 - 𝗟𝗮 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗷𝗮 🎾 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁❓❓ Bandeja means tray in Spanish - at the point of impact you will resemble a waiter holding a drinks tray at a 3 star Michelin restaurant. It’s a defensive overhead shot played with slice, it occupies the grey area between a forehand volley and a smash. If you’re a tennis player you’ll need to work on the technique as it’s unique to padel. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 🧐 The net is where you want to be in padel. It's the water-cooler at the office, the smoking area at the club. The bandeja makes sure you stay in that place. It’s played at a slower pace because it gives you sufficient time to come back into the net. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘁? 🥣 You've got to wait for the goldilocks lob (please bear with me…).   You’re at the net and your opponent plays a lob, but you're not ready to leave the water-cooler and go back to your desk. The lob isn’t short enough that you hit an all out smash but it’s also not deep enough that you’ve got to turn tail and retreat to the back. For the bandeja however, it’s just right. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁? 🤷♂️ Rather than explaining the nitty gritty of each individual step required to hit the shot (we appreciate your time on LinkedIn is finite), we’ve linked a short video showing former world no.1 Sanyo Gutierrez hitting some perfect bandejas. Enjoy! https://lnkd.in/e6Nzu6Nw

So why is padel everyone's new favourite sport?? 🎾 Born in Acapulco in 1969, padel first cultivated a loyal following in the hispanic world. In the past 10 years that loyal following has ballooned, crossing borders and languages in rapid succession. According to FIP (International Federation of Padel), padel is now played in over 100 countries. So here’s why padel is taking the world, and now the UK, by storm… 🌐 Quick to learn, fun to play! The technical barrier to entry is far lower than tennis. An underarm serve means players can start playing actual competitive games within minutes of stepping on court. The game itself is extremely dynamic. Surrounded on all sides by glass, rallies are 60-70% longer than in tennis. Four players in the tight confines of a 20m x 10m court makes for points that are often played out in close quartered, exhilarating volley battles. The close proximity makes for easy communication between all players.  🗣 It’s good for you! A combination of cardio, coordination and communication padel encapsulates both physical and mental health. Whether in your prime or picking it up later on in life,  padel provides a thorough workout for all. COVID highlighted how critical human connection is for mental health. With a uniquely social element the 20m x 10m court facilitates easy interactions and new friendships.  ❤️ Shorter racquets and smaller courts means padel demands much less of the body than tennis. Padel provides a low impact, low strain form of exercise for those worries about joint health. 🏃♂️ It's very sociable! Padel is almost exclusively played as doubles which mean that teamwork and good communication are integral parts of the game. Literally anyone can play meaning that padel courts and clubs serve to foster diverse and vibrant communities. 👫 If you're still not convinced have listen to what our players at Potters Bar have to say 👇 Blue Flag Visual