Move as a pair (the diamond)

In one minute

Padel is always doubles, and at club level where you stand beats how you hit. The default pair shape is the diamond: both players on the same line — both at the net when you're attacking, both behind your service line when you're defending. Move as one unit. The pair that holds the net wins most points, so the whole game becomes: earn your way to the net (usually with a lob) and stop your opponents doing the same. The classic club mistake — one player up, one back — leaves a hole down the middle. Fix that and you'll jump a level.

The diamond — your default shape

Both players sit on the same line, one slightly forward depending on where the ball is. From above, the four players form a diamond, not a square.

• Attacking: that line is at the net, roughly a metre behind the cord.
• Defending: that line is behind your own service line.
• In between: you're moving through the transition — together.

Why it works is geometry: two players side by side at the net cover the cross-court angles one net player never could; two side by side at the back cover the lobs and deep balls one defender can't.

The net pair wins — that's the whole game

The pair that holds the net wins the majority of points. This isn't a preference, it's built into the court:

• From 2–3 m behind the net your opponents are only 7–8 m away — your volleys arrive faster and angles to the side glass open up.
• Any ball you hit below net height can't be attacked from deep — it dies short.
• From the baseline you're just reacting to whatever they give you.

So every decision comes down to one question: does this shot help us get to the net, or stop them getting there?

Why one-up-one-back loses

One player at the net and one at the back is the most common club formation — and the most punished:

Problem	What opponents do
A hole down the middle	Hit between you — neither player is set to take it
Split depth	Aim at the gap between the levels — a free target
No shared plan	The back player feeds the opposing net player

It's a transition state, not a home. If you're caught one-up-one-back, make a quick call: can we both push up right now? If not, both drop back together and look to advance as a pair.

Move as one unit (the shadow)

When your partner moves, you move too — like a shadow keeping the shape:

1. Partner pulled wide to the side glass → you slide across to cover the middle.
2. Partner steps in to attack a high ball → you step in with them.
3. A deep lob threatens → you both retreat together, staying level.
4. Closer player takes the middle. Hesitation down the centre is what creates the corridor opponents target — decide early and call it ("mine" / "yours").

Where to stand, exactly

At the net (attacking):

• About a metre behind the net cord, each partner covering their half.
• Split-step (a small jump landing on both feet) as your opponent strikes, so you can push off in any direction.
• Racket up at chest height before the ball arrives — arriving with the racket down is the classic club error.

At the back (defending):

• Start behind your service line, both level, about a metre each side of the centre.
• Don't run forward to cut off a ball before it bounces off the back glass. The wall is on your side — let it come back to you (using the walls).
• Stay patient and look for the lob that pushes the net pair back so you can move up.

Serve & return positioning

• Serving pair (most aggressive start): the server stands behind the service line; the server's partner is already at the net. Plan: serve, then volley from the net to keep opponents pinned back. (Serve rules → serve & return.)
• Returning pair: the returner plays deep (the serve must bounce first); the returner's partner usually starts back too, because the opposing net player is waiting to attack. Start as a back pair and lob your way up.

Try this next time

1. Pick a depth and commit. Before each ball, ask: are we both up, or both back? Never one of each for more than a moment.
2. Shadow your partner. When they move sideways, slide with them to keep the line — practise it for a whole game.
3. Lob to advance. When you're stuck at the back, don't go for a winner — lob deep, then walk to the net together.

Common mix-ups

• "I'll camp at the net and let my partner cover the back." That's one-up-one-back — the formation you're trying to escape.
• "Get to the net as fast as possible." Only when a ball lets you. Charging in off a weak shot gets you smashed at your feet.
• "Whoever's nearest the ball should always take it." Down the middle, yes — but the bigger rule is move together so there's no middle to exploit.