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Citation: Villar-León, A.; Muñoz, D.;
Sánchez-Alcaraz, B.J.; Martín-Miguel,
I.; Conde-Ripoll, R.; Escudero-Tena, A.
Playing High: Strategic Use of the Lob
in Professional Padel. Appl. Sci. 2024,
14, 8261. https://doi.org/10.3390/
app14188261
Academic Editors: Adela Badau,
Philip X. Fuchs and Dana Badau
Received: 11 August 2024
Revised: 9 September 2024
Accepted: 11 September 2024
Published: 13 September 2024
Copyright: © 2024 by the authors.
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This article is an open access article
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Attribution (CC BY) license (https://
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4.0/).
applied
sciences
Article
Playing High: Strategic Use of the Lob in Professional Padel
Antonio Villar-León1, Diego Muñoz 1, Bernardino J. Sánchez-Alcaraz 2,* , Iván Martín-Miguel 1,
Rafael Conde-Ripoll 3and Adrián Escudero-Tena 1
1Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain;
avillarl@alumnos.unex.es (A.V.-L.); diegomun@unex.es (D.M.); ivanmartinmiguel97@gmail.com (I.M.-M.);
adescuder@alumnos.unex.es (A.E.-T.)
2Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Murcia, 30700 Murcia, Spain
3
Faculty of Sport Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Madrid, Spain; info.conderipoll@gmail.com
*Correspondence: bjavier.sanchez@um.es; Tel.: +34-868888812
Abstract: The aim of this study was to analyze the lob in professional padel, taking into account
sex, the player’s side of play, the direction of the lob and the efficiency of the lob. For this purpose,
2063 lobs (933 in men’s and 1130 in women’s) corresponding to 10 matches of the 2024 season of the
Premier Padel circuit were analyzed through systematic observation. The results indicated that there
is no association between the player who makes the lob according to the side of play in professional
padel (p= 0.796) and the category of play (men’s and women’s). The distribution of lobs in these
categories, both men’s and women’s, was distributed 50% between both players from the same
pair. On the other hand, in men’s professional padel, right-side players made more cross-court
lobs (
RTC = 3.3
), while left-side players made more down-the-middle lobs (RTC = 2.0). In addition,
in women’s professional padel, right-side players made more cross-court lobs (RTC = 3.6), while
left-side players made more down-the-middle lobs (RTC = 6.0). Finally, in men’s padel, the lobs
tended to overpass the opponents when they were down the middle (RTC = 4.1) and tended to
not overpass when they were cross-court (RTC = 2.5). In conclusion, there are differences in the
characteristics of lobs in professional padel according to sex. These results can be very useful for
coaches for performing specific training on the lob according to the sex of their players.
Keywords: racquet sports; performance analysis; game actions; strokes; effectiveness; game analysis;
technique; tactic
1. Introduction
Padel has experienced exponential growth in recent times [
1
], likely due to its simple
rules and the ease with which players can start enjoying the game from their first day of
practice [
2
,
3
]. Recently, the International Padel Federation (FIP) announced that it now has
affiliations with more than 80 countries [
4
]. Premier Padel, a professional circuit under the
FIP, has emerged as the leading professional circuit following its acquisition of the World
Padel Tour, which was the main professional circuit from 2013 until 2023. Nonetheless, the
game dynamics in Premier Padel competitions have been scarcely studied [5].
Thus far, research on padel has predominantly centered around performance analy-
sis [
6
,
7
]. The majority of these studies have focused on professional players [
1
,
8
,
9
]. These
investigations have yielded valuable insights into the sport’s dynamics and are categorized
into four key domains: (1). Temporal structure analysis (playing time, rest intervals) [
1
,
10
];
(2). Movement analysis [
11
]; (3). Examination of game scores [
12
]; and (4). Examination of
technical–tactical actions [13,14].
Regarding technical–tactical actions, the focus of the present study, volleys and over-
head shots are the most frequently executed shots during a professional padel match,
regardless of sex [
15
]. Specifically, in men’s padel, the backhand volley is the most executed
shot [
15
,
16
], whereas in women’s padel, the bandeja (a type of overhead shot characteristic
Appl. Sci. 2024,14, 8261. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14188261 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci
Appl. Sci. 2024,14, 8261 2 of 9
of the sport) is most common [
15
]. Concerning the efficacy of the final shot in each rally,
male professional players predominantly produce winners with the smash, followed by
backhand and forehand volleys [
17
]. Female players, on the other hand, generate the
majority of winners with the forehand volley, followed by the smash and the bandeja [
17
].
Conversely, these authors observed that male padel players tend to commit more errors
(both forced and unforced) with volleys (forehand or backhand) and direct forehands,
while female padel players most frequently commit errors (both forced and unforced) with
the bandeja, followed by the forehand volley and direct backhand [17].
The lob, which is a technical–tactical action that involves sending the ball in an
upward trajectory to pass over opposing players to overtake them and force them back into
defensive positions, has become the main alternative to recover net position [
18
]. Therefore,
due to its importance, it constitutes between 15.8% and 26.2% of shots in a match [
11
],
producing approximately 80% of the points, at least 2–3 lobs [
19
], with around 50% of
the shots being made directly after a bounce [
20
]. Research to date has mainly focused
on analyzing the differences in usage between genders, indicating that female players
make more lobs than male players [
21
] due to anthropometric differences between the
two sexes [
22
] and as a result of differences in usage that result in changes in playing
characteristics. Secondarily, the type of stroke most commonly used to make the lob has
been analyzed [21].
Therefore, given the limited research conducted on the lob in padel, particularly
considering its decisive role in the game and the narrow scope of its analysis beyond
comparing the frequency of use between genders and the types of strokes employed,
the aim of this study was to analyze the lob in professional padel, taking into account
sex, player’s side of play, direction of the lob and the efficiency of the lob. The primary
hypothesis was that the direction of the lob is influenced by the location from which it
is executed. The secondary hypothesis suggested that the effectiveness of the lob varies
depending on the direction in which it is performed.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Research Design
The design of this research is framed under empirical methodology and, more specifi-
cally, it is a study with a descriptive strategy. Likewise, it is included within the observa-
tional category, being nomothetic, punctual and multidimensional [23].
2.2. Sample
A total of 2063 lobs (933 lobs in the men’s category and 1130 lobs in the women’s category)
were analyzed corresponding to 10 matches of the 2024 season (5 matches in the men’s
category and 5 in the women’s category), from the quarter-final, semi-final and final rounds
of the Premier Padel circuit 2024. The male players (n = 12;
laterality = 2 left-handed
and
10 right-handed
) and the female players (n = 12;
laterality = 2 left-handed
and
10 right-handed
)
had a minimum experience of 5 years competing at professional level in tournament of the
International Padel Federation. No injuries were reported from
6 months
before the first match
or during the matches under study. All procedures were conducted according to the ethical
standards in sport and exercise science research [24] and the local ethics committee.
2.3. Study Variables
The following variables were defined and analyzed based on their categorical core
and degree of openness [25]:
•Sex: a distinction was made between male and female players.
•
Side of play: differentiating between right-side players and left-side players
(Figure 1) [26]
.
•
Lob direction: the classification proposed by Ramón-Llín et al. [
26
] was taken, distin-
guishing three possible directions of 3.33 m each: down the line (the ball is hit straight by
the player to the same side of the court from which they are playing), cross-court (the
Appl. Sci. 2024,14, 8261 3 of 9
ball is hit diagonally by the player to the opposite side of the court from their position)
and to the middle of the court (the ball is hit to the central zone of the court) (Figure 1).
•Lob efficacy: a distinction was made between the lobs that overtook the opposing pairs
(the ball bounced behind the opposing players before being hit) and those that did not
overtake the opposing players (the ball was hit before bouncing in the opponent’s court).
Appl.Sci.2024,14,xFORPEERREVIEW3of9
Lobdirection:theclassificationproposedbyRamón‐Llínetal.[26]wastaken,distin‐
guishingthreepossibledirectionsof3.33meach:downtheline(theballishitstraight
bytheplayertothesamesideofthecourtfromwhichtheyareplaying),cross‐court
(theballishitdiagonallybytheplayertotheoppositesideofthecourtfromtheir
position)andtothemiddleofthecourt(theballishittothecentralzoneofthecourt)
(Figure1).
Lobefficacy:adistinctionwasmadebetweenthelobsthatovertooktheopposing
pairs(theballbouncedbehindtheopposingplayersbeforebeinghit)andthosethat
didnotovertaketheopposingplayers(theballwashitbeforebouncingintheoppo‐
nent’scourt).
Figure1.Sideofplayandlobdirections.
2.4.Procedure
TheanalyzedmatcheswerestreamedandsubsequentlyhostedonthePremierPadel
sectionofRedBull’swebsite(https://www.redbull.com,accessedon1May2024).We
downloadedandsavedthesematchesforobservationaldatacollectionandanalysis.For
systematicobservationduringtherecordinganddatacollectionprocess,weutilizedthe
specializedLINCEvideoanalysissoftwarev2.1.0.[27],anddevelopedanad‐hocinstru‐
menttoanalyzethevariablesunderstudy.Additionally,weemployedtheopen‐source
softwareKinovea(v.0.8.15;www.kinovea.org,accessedon5May2024)tooverlayvisual
gridsonthevideoimageofthecourtareafordatarecording.Thesegridsdifferentiated
betweentherightandleftsidesofthecourt,aswellasthedown‐the‐line,cross‐courtand
middle‐courtdirections,therebyenablingobjectiveobservationbasedonprecisemeas‐
urementsofeachzone.APhDstudentinsportssciences,whoisalsoacertifiedpadel
coachwithextensivepublishedresearchrelatedtothisstudy,servedastheprimaryob‐
server,recordingallstudyvariablesduringthematches.Uponcompletingthedatacol‐
lectionprocess,weconductedanintra‐observerreliabilityanalysisusingCohen’skappa
toensuretheaccuracyofthecollecteddata[28].Theobserverthenreanalyzedarandom
sampleof310lobstosecurearepresentativedataset,constituting10–20%ofthetotal
studysample[29].Themeanintra‐observerreliabilitywas0.89,whichisconsideredal‐
mostperfect[30].Tofurthervalidatethefindings,asecondobserver,alsoaPhDinsports
sciencesandacertifiedpadelcoachwithextensiverelevantpublishedresearch,analyzed
thesamerandomsampleof310lobs.Thisenabledthecalculationofinter‐observerrelia‐
bilitybetweenthetwoobservers,resultinginakappavalueof0.86[30].Accordingto
Altman[31],thesekappavaluesindicateaverygoodstrengthofagreement(>0.80).
Figure 1. Side of play and lob directions.
2.4. Procedure
The analyzed matches were streamed and subsequently hosted on the Premier Padel
section of Red Bull’s website (https://www.redbull.com, accessed on 1 May 2024). We
downloaded and saved these matches for observational data collection and analysis. For
systematic observation during the recording and data collection process, we utilized the
specialized LINCE video analysis software v2.1.0. [
27
], and developed an ad-hoc instrument
to analyze the variables under study. Additionally, we employed the open-source software
Kinovea (v.0.8.15; www.kinovea.org, accessed on 5 May 2024) to overlay visual grids on
the video image of the court area for data recording. These grids differentiated between the
right and left sides of the court, as well as the down-the-line, cross-court and middle-court
directions, thereby enabling objective observation based on precise measurements of each
zone. A PhD student in sports sciences, who is also a certified padel coach with extensive
published research related to this study, served as the primary observer, recording all study
variables during the matches. Upon completing the data collection process, we conducted
an intra-observer reliability analysis using Cohen’s kappa to ensure the accuracy of the
collected data [
28
]. The observer then reanalyzed a random sample of 310 lobs to secure a
representative dataset, constituting 10–20% of the total study sample [
29
]. The mean intra-
observer reliability was 0.89, which is considered almost perfect [
30
]. To further validate the
findings, a second observer, also a PhD in sports sciences and a certified padel coach with
extensive relevant published research, analyzed the same random sample of 310 lobs. This
enabled the calculation of inter-observer reliability between the two observers, resulting in
a kappa value of 0.86 [
30
]. According to Altman [
31
], these kappa values indicate a very
good strength of agreement (>0.80).
2.5. Statistical Analysis
First, The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was performed to determine the normality of the
data [
32
]. An inferential analysis was performed to develop contingency tables, including
the Chi-square (
χ2
) statistical test to obtain the association between variables. The strength
of association between variables was also calculated, for which Cramer’s V coefficient (Vc)
was used [
32
]. Crewson [
33
] differentiates the strength of association according to the value,
considering a small (<0.100), low (0.100–0.299), moderate (0.300–0.499) or high (>0.500)
association. Contingency tables allowed the identification of associations between variable
Appl. Sci. 2024,14, 8261 4 of 9
categories through corrected standard residuals (CSR). Residuals > |1.96| betrayed cells
with more or fewer cases than there should be [
32
]. The significance level was set at
p< 0.05
and the statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS 27.0 statistical package
for Windows.
3. Results
Table 1shows the comparison between the player ’s side of play and gender in the use
of lobs in professional padel. There is no significant association between which players,
depending on the side of play, hit the lob in professional padel (p= 0.796) and the category
of play. The distribution of lobs across male and female categories shows an approximately
50/50 equal split between sides.
Table 1. Lobs in professional padel: degree of association between player’s side of play and sex.
Right Side Left Side
N % CSR N % CSR p
Men 471 50.5 0.3 462 49.5 −0.3 0.796
Women 564 49.9 −0.3 566 50.1 0.3
Note. N: number; %: percentage; CSR: corrected standard residuals.
Figure 2shows comparison between the player’s side of play and directions in the
use of lobs in men’s professional padel. There is a significant association between the
player’s side of play and the lob direction (
χ2
= 11,033; df = 2; p= 0.004; Vc = 0.109) in the
men’s category. There is a higher probability than expected (CSR = 2.0) that the player on
the left side makes down-the-line lobs, while the player on the right side makes a higher
percentage of cross-court lobs (CSR = 3.3).
Appl.Sci.2024,14,xFORPEERREVIEW4of9
2.5.StatisticalAnalysis
First,TheKolmogorov–Smirnovtestwasperformedtodeterminethenormalityof
thedata[32].Aninferentialanalysiswasperformedtodevelopcontingencytables,in‐
cludingtheChi‐square(χ
2
)statisticaltesttoobtaintheassociationbetweenvariables.The
strengthofassociationbetweenvariableswasalsocalculated,forwhichCramer’sVcoef‐
ficient(Vc)wasused[32].Crewson[33]differentiatesthestrengthofassociationaccord‐
ingtothevalue,consideringasmall(<0.100),low(0.100–0.299),moderate(0.300–0.499)or
high(>0.500)association.Contingencytablesallowedtheidentificationofassociationsbe‐
tweenvariablecategoriesthroughcorrectedstandardresiduals(CSR).Residuals>|1.96|
betrayedcellswithmoreorfewercasesthanthereshouldbe[32].Thesignificancelevel
wassetatp<0.05andthestatisticalanalysiswasperformedusingtheSPSS27.0statistical
packageforWindows.
3.Results
Table1showsthecomparisonbetweentheplayer’ssideofplayandgenderinthe
useoflobsinprofessionalpadel.Thereisnosignificantassociationbetweenwhichplay‐
ers,dependingonthesideofplay,hitthelobinprofessionalpadel(p=0.796)andthe
categoryofplay.Thedistributionoflobsacrossmaleandfemalecategoriesshowsanap‐
proximately50/50equalsplitbetweensides.
Table1.Lobsinprofessionalpadel:degreeofassociationbetweenplayer’ssideofplayandsex.
RightSideLeftSide
N%CSRN%CSRp
Men47150.50.346249.5−0.30.796
Women56449.9−0.356650.10.3
Note.N:number;%:percentage;CSR:correctedstandardresiduals.
Figure2showscomparisonbetweentheplayer’ssideofplayanddirectionsinthe
useoflobsinmen’sprofessionalpadel.Thereisasignificantassociationbetweenthe
player’ssideofplayandthelobdirection(χ
2
=11,033;df=2;p=0.004;Vc=0.109)inthe
men’scategory.Thereisahigherprobabilitythanexpected(CSR=2.0)thattheplayeron
theleftsidemakesdown‐the‐linelobs,whiletheplayerontherightsidemakesahigher
percentageofcross‐courtlobs(CSR=3.3).
Figure2.Lobsinmen’sprofessionalpadel:degreeofassociationbetweentheplayer’ssideofplay
(blackline:leftside;blueline:rightside)anddirection((A):down‐the‐line;(B):centralzone;(C):
cross‐court).
Figure3showsthecomparisonbetweentheplayer’ssideofplayanddirectionsin
theuseoflobsinwomen’sprofessionalpadel.Thereisasignificantassociationbetween
theplayer’ssideofplayandthelobdirection(χ
2
=38,509;gL=2;p<0.001;Vc=0.185)in
thewomen’scategory.Thereisahigherprobabilitythanexpected(CSR=3.6)thatthe
playerontherightsidemakesdown‐the‐middlelobs,whiletheplayerontheleftside
makesahigherpercentageofdown‐the‐linelobs(CSR=6.2).
Figure 2. Lobs in men’s professional padel: degree of association between the player’s side of
play (black line: left side; blue line: right side) and direction ((A): down-the-line; (B): central zone;
(C): cross-court).
Figure 3shows the comparison between the player’s side of play and directions in the
use of lobs in women’s professional padel. There is a significant association between the
player’s side of play and the lob direction (
χ2
= 38,509; gL = 2; p< 0.001; Vc = 0.185) in the
women’s category. There is a higher probability than expected (CSR = 3.6) that the player
on the right side makes down-the-middle lobs, while the player on the left side makes a
higher percentage of down-the-line lobs (CSR = 6.2).
Figure 4shows the comparison between lob efficacy and direction in men’s profes-
sional padel. There is a significant association between the lob efficacy and the lob direction
(
χ2
= 16,611; gL = 2; p< 0.001; Vc = 0.133) in the men’s category. There is a higher probability
than expected (CSR = 4.1) that the overpassed lobs are directed down the middle, while the
lobs which do not overpass the opponents are cross-court (CSR = 2.5).
Figure 5shows the comparison between lob efficacy and direction in women’s pro-
fessional padel. There is no significant association between the lob efficacy and the lob
direction (p= 0.779) in the women’s category.
Appl. Sci. 2024,14, 8261 5 of 9
Appl.Sci.2024,14,xFORPEERREVIEW5of9
Figure3.Lobsinwomen’sprofessionalpadel:degreeofassociationbetweentheplayer’ssideof
play(blackline:leftside;blueline:rightside)anddirection((A):down‐theline;(B):centralzone;
(C):cross‐court).
Figure4showsthecomparisonbetweenlobefficacyanddirectioninmen’sprofes‐
sionalpadel.Thereisasignificantassociationbetweenthelobefficacyandthelobdirec‐
tion(χ
2
=16,611;gL=2;p<0.001;Vc=0.133)inthemen’scategory.Thereisahigher
probabilitythanexpected(CSR=4.1)thattheoverpassedlobsaredirecteddownthemid‐
dle,whilethelobswhichdonotoverpasstheopponentsarecross‐court(CSR=2.5).
Figure4.Lobsinmen’sprofessionalpadel:degreeofassociationbetweenlobefficacyanddirec‐
tion.
Figure5showsthecomparisonbetweenlobefficacyanddirectioninwomen’spro‐
fessionalpadel.Thereisnosignificantassociationbetweenthelobefficacyandthelob
direction(p=0.779)inthewomen’scategory.
Figure5.Lobsinwomen’sprofessionalpadel:degreeofassociationbetweenlobefficacyanddirec‐
tion.
Figure 3. Lobs in women’s professional padel: degree of association between the player’s side of
play (black line: left side; blue line: right side) and direction ((A): down-the line; (B): central zone;
(C): cross-court).
Appl.Sci.2024,14,xFORPEERREVIEW5of9
Figure3.Lobsinwomen’sprofessionalpadel:degreeofassociationbetweentheplayer’ssideof
play(blackline:leftside;blueline:rightside)anddirection((A):down‐theline;(B):centralzone;
(C):cross‐court).
Figure4showsthecomparisonbetweenlobefficacyanddirectioninmen’sprofes‐
sionalpadel.Thereisasignificantassociationbetweenthelobefficacyandthelobdirec‐
tion(χ
2
=16,611;gL=2;p<0.001;Vc=0.133)inthemen’scategory.Thereisahigher
probabilitythanexpected(CSR=4.1)thattheoverpassedlobsaredirecteddownthemid‐
dle,whilethelobswhichdonotoverpasstheopponentsarecross‐court(CSR=2.5).
Figure4.Lobsinmen’sprofessionalpadel:degreeofassociationbetweenlobefficacyanddirec‐
tion.
Figure5showsthecomparisonbetweenlobefficacyanddirectioninwomen’spro‐
fessionalpadel.Thereisnosignificantassociationbetweenthelobefficacyandthelob
direction(p=0.779)inthewomen’scategory.
Figure5.Lobsinwomen’sprofessionalpadel:degreeofassociationbetweenlobefficacyanddirec‐
tion.
Figure 4. Lobs in men’s professional padel: degree of association between lob efficacy and direction.
Appl.Sci.2024,14,xFORPEERREVIEW5of9
Figure3.Lobsinwomen’sprofessionalpadel:degreeofassociationbetweentheplayer’ssideof
play(blackline:leftside;blueline:rightside)anddirection((A):down‐theline;(B):centralzone;
(C):cross‐court).
Figure4showsthecomparisonbetweenlobefficacyanddirectioninmen’sprofes‐
sionalpadel.Thereisasignificantassociationbetweenthelobefficacyandthelobdirec‐
tion(χ
2
=16,611;gL=2;p<0.001;Vc=0.133)inthemen’scategory.Thereisahigher
probabilitythanexpected(CSR=4.1)thattheoverpassedlobsaredirecteddownthemid‐
dle,whilethelobswhichdonotoverpasstheopponentsarecross‐court(CSR=2.5).
Figure4.Lobsinmen’sprofessionalpadel:degreeofassociationbetweenlobefficacyanddirec‐
tion.
Figure5showsthecomparisonbetweenlobefficacyanddirectioninwomen’spro‐
fessionalpadel.Thereisnosignificantassociationbetweenthelobefficacyandthelob
direction(p=0.779)inthewomen’scategory.
Figure5.Lobsinwomen’sprofessionalpadel:degreeofassociationbetweenlobefficacyanddirec‐
tion.
Figure 5. Lobs in women’s professional padel: degree of association between lob efficacy and direction.
4. Discussion
The aim of this study was to analyze the lob in professional padel, taking into account
sex, the player’s side of play, the direction of the lob and the efficiency of the lob.
Irrespective of the sex, players from the right and left sides play a similar proportion
of lobs during a match (Table 1). To the best of our knowledge, there is no prior research
which focused on this particular aspect at the professional level. Nevertheless, in high-level
male players (1st category from Spain), right-side and left-side players also hit a similar
proportion of lobs [
26
]. This uniformity in lob usage may be attributed to the tactical
versatility and adaptability required at professional levels, where players must employ a
wide range of shots effectively, regardless of their position.
Appl. Sci. 2024,14, 8261 6 of 9
In men’s padel, right-side players tend to play cross-court lobs, whereas left-side
players tend to play down-the-line lobs (Figure 2). Even though most of the padel shots
are hit cross-court [
16
], this could be attributed to the fact that players try to lob to the
right-side player so as to avoid the left-side player to play an overhead shot due to their
more aggressive performances on these shots [
34
]. Regarding differences between strokes
on each game side, Ampuero et al. [
5
] found that right-handed, left-side players play more
backhand lobs than right-handed, right-side players, while the latter play more forehand
lobs. These findings suggest that the tactical choices in lob direction are influenced by both
the need to counteract the strengths of opponents and the inherent stroke preferences of
players based on their position and handedness, highlighting a nuanced layer of strategy
in high-level padel.
In women’s padel, right-side players tend to play more down-the-middle lobs, whereas
left-side players tend to play more down-the-line lobs (Figure 3). This strategy suggests
that female players on the right side might be aiming for the backhand shoulder of the
opposing right-side player, assuming they are right-handed, which is the most common
scenario. Conversely, left-side players might be aiming down the line so that right-side
player, who is usually the less skilled player, is the one hitting.
Regarding lob efficacy in terms of successfully passing over the opponents, only
16.3% of lobs in men’s padel achieve this purpose. In other words, 83.7% of lobs are
intercepted and hit with an overhead shot by the opposing pair. The primary reason for
this high percentage of ineffective lobs is that pairs positioned close to the net choose not
to abandon this offensive position, as 80% of points in padel are won by the pair in the
net zone [
35
]. Directing the lob down the line appears to be the most effective option in
men’s padel for surpassing the opposing pair, whereas aiming cross-court seems to be the
least effective option (Figure 4). This seems logical because the opposing player directly
in front of the hitting player is typically closer to the net than his partner. Additionally,
the distance the ball needs to travel is shorter down the line than if the lob were aimed
cross-court. Therefore, the player in front has less time to react and respond to the lob with
an overhead shot.
Regarding lob efficacy in terms of successfully passing over opponents, only 26.1% of
lobs in women’s padel achieve this purpose. In other words, 73.8% of lobs are intercepted
and hit with an overhead shot by the opposing pair. However, it appears that the direction
of the lob does not affect its ability to surpass the opponents (Figure 5).
4.1. Practical Applications
Playing a good lob may have several tactical intentions, such as gaining time to
reposition, wearing down the opponent by playing many lobs, or gaining the net. To
increase their chances of winning, players should aim their lobs either to surpass their
opponents without leaving an easy ball for them to counterattack, thereby gaining the net,
or forcing them to hit an uncomfortable overhead shot.
Tailoring training sessions to suit the distinct playing styles of male and female athletes
is crucial. Emphasizing on-court exercises aimed at refining lobs to enhance decision-
making and execution is encouraged. By recognizing and addressing sex-specific nuances
in training approaches, players can optimize their preparation strategies for improved on-
court success. Coaches and players should work together to ensure that players, regardless
of their playing position, master the lob, as it is a key shot in padel. To achieve this, they
could consider the findings of the present study, which can be very useful for coaches in
designing specific lob training according to the sex of their players.
Coaches may integrate on-court drills that emphasize the depth of the lobs by propos-
ing exercises where overhead shots can only be hit from behind the service line, with
penalties for non-compliance. Furthermore, implementing simulated match scenarios or
pressure situations during practice sessions can enhance players’ lob executions in real
game situations. For example, coaches can encourage left-side male players to lob down
the line if the goal is to surpass the opponents.
Appl. Sci. 2024,14, 8261 7 of 9
4.2. Strengths and Limitations
This study is one of the few that focuses solely on the lob, making it a pioneering study
in the context of Premier Padel. However, there are several limitations to consider. The
sample size could be larger and more representative, as it included only 10 matches (5 men’s
and 5 women’s) from the same tournament. Expanding the sample to include more matches
and a higher number of players would be beneficial. Additionally, it would be interesting
to conduct similar research with non-professional players to compare the findings.
5. Conclusions
This study provides several relevant conclusions about the execution of the lob in
padel, a key technique for creating advantageous situations during play. The analysis
shows no significant differences in the number of lobs executed from different sides of the
court, regardless of player gender, indicating that the side of play does not influence the use
of the lob as a tactical option to approach the net. However, notable differences between
men’s and women’s padel were observed in terms of the effectiveness and direction of
the lobs.
In men’s padel, right-side players predominantly use cross-court lobs, while left-side
players show a slight preference for down-the-line lobs. The right-side player receives
most of the lobs, likely due to the higher proportion of right-handed players and the lower
effectiveness of returns from this side. In contrast, in women’s padel, the predominant lob
direction is toward the middle from both sides, aimed at causing indecision between the
opponents regarding who will take the shot.
This study also shows that lobs surpass opponents more frequently in women’s padel,
suggesting that the lob is more effective for women for gaining control of the net. In men’s
padel, the highest success rate comes from down-the-line lobs, while cross-court lobs are
less effective, likely due to the differences in reaction times. The middle lob is the most
commonly used lob in women’s padel but is also less effective as it aims to reduce the
success of smashes by making it more difficult for opponents to return the ball cleanly.
In conclusion, this study highlights significant differences in lob execution between
genders and court positions, providing valuable insights for improving technique and
decision-making in padel.
Author Contributions: Conceptualization, A.V.-L. and D.M.; methodology, B.J.S.-A.; software, R.C.-R.;
validation, I.M.-M., A.E.-T. and R.C.-R.; formal analysis, D.M.; investigation, A.V.-L.; resources, A.V.-L.;
data curation, D.M.; writing—original draft preparation, R.C.-R.; writing—review and editing, B.J.S.-A.;
supervision, B.J.S.-A. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding: This research received no external funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement: The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration
of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of University of Extremadura (protocol code
163/2023 and 08/02/2024).
Informed Consent Statement: Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.
Data Availability Statement: The data analyzed were streamed and subsequently hosted on the
Premier Padel section of Red Bull’s website (https://www.redbull.com, accessed on 1 May 2024).
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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