Player type
Which player type are you? The four types in padel, their strengths, their typical mistakes and the racket that suits them.
By Yves Richel ·
In padel the hardest hitter rarely wins. The player who knows how they score does. We use four types: the attacker who finishes points, the builder who constructs them, the counter player who waits for the error, and the all-rounder who adapts to the situation. No type is better than another. What matters is knowing yours, because it decides which partner suits you, which side you play and which racket makes the game easier for you.
Prefers to finish points personally, hits hard and moves to the net early.
Places the ball, keeps the error count low and creates the situations to finish.
Defends well, lobs a lot and lives off the opponents' mistakes.
Switches between building, finishing and patience depending on what the situation asks for.
| Type | How to spot it | Preferred side |
|---|---|---|
| Attacker | Finishes the point | usually left |
| Builder | Constructs the point | usually right |
| Counter player | Waits for the error | either side |
| All-rounder | Adapts | either side |
We work with four: attacker, builder, counter player and all-rounder. They describe how someone wins points, not how well they play. A beginner attacker and a tournament attacker are the same type at different levels.
Yes, and it usually does. Most players start out patient because they lack the strokes to finish a point, and become more offensive as their technique improves. That is why we date your answers and let you retake the test whenever you want.
Not sure which type you are?
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