8 TIPS FOR WHEN YOU PLAY AGAINST A BETTER OPPONENT
We've all experienced it, you step on the field and the opponent turns out to be almost a professional. However, when an opponent is better, this does not immediately mean that you and your partner have no chance. So how do you ensure that you play a good game and that you also continue to have fun in a seemingly difficult game? We have again listed a number of tips that should help you when you play against a better opponent.
DON'T GIVE UP!
When you play against a better opponent you may think about giving up. You may think that the chances of winning are slim anyway, so why bother? Very simple, a match can always go either way. It is not certain that a better opponent will also be the winner. That is why it is important to always give everything. In addition, playing against a better opponent is a good exercise. You can always learn a lot from someone who is better than you. In this, you can play well with a control racket. Some examples for good controlling rackets are; HEAD Zephyr, Nox ML10 Pro Cup Black Edition and Dunlop Speed Attack.
BE ON TIME
Make sure you are on time with your partner. By being present earlier, there is a good chance that there is still a free track so that you can warm up in advance. You can also use the extra time to discuss the strategy with your partner. This way you are optimally prepared for the competition.
GO BACK IN TIME
It's probably not the first time you've played against an opponent who is better than you. So go back in time and analyze the last match where you played against a better opponent. Try to remember what went wrong in that match and what went right. You can use this experience to make sure you don't make the same mistakes as you did then.
From the moment you are on the court you have to start analyzing the opponent. You do this so that you find out the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent. Once you understand what these points are, you can anticipate them. Together with your partner you have to come up with a strategy in which you try to avoid the stronger points of your opponent as much as possible and instead seek out the weaker points.
TIP: Did your match end earlier and are you waiting for the next opponent? Then check out the other matches, this is the best chance to analyze your potential new opponents before the match.
SET GOALS
Before or during a match it is useful to set goals. Setting goals provides extra motivation. These goals can be very different from each other. It can relate to the minimum number of points you want to get to conquer the net position for a certain time. Think about which goals are realistic and strive to achieve these goals.
KEEP YOUR FOCUS
During a competition you always have a moment when your concentration decreases. However, a better opponent can immediately use this and score points. Therefore make sure that you play with full concentration throughout the match. A good tactic can be to hit the ball as close to the glass as possible. Read how best to do that here.
ENSURE CONNECTION
Chances are that if the opponents are aware that they are better than you and your partner, they will play less intensively. They already expect that they will emerge as the winner of the competition. However, this is not certain, so ensure that you have a maximum bet so that you have a chance of connecting with the opponent from the start of the match. In this way, the opponent has to increase their own intensity again, but this is difficult to adjust during a match.
STAY POSITIVE
Make sure you stay positive. It may happen that the match does not go as you would like. However, there is no point in getting grumpy/angry about this. By staying positive you keep motivating yourself to continue and get the best out of you and your partner. In addition, every match is a learning moment, so don't see it as a loss but as a good experience that you can use in the future.
Finally, it is important to play padel with a racket that suits your level and type of player. For optimal performance check out our racket collection.