Training Padel: Academy-Sourced Drills for Volley Decision-Making
This week, Training Padel's platform highlighted a set of pro-sourced drills worth adding to your rotation. Coach Gaby Reca's first-volley-after-serve exercise — practiced by Chingotto and González — trains the critical transition between serve and net position. The drill conditions players to approach the net with a clear first-volley target before the serve is even struck. A complementary set from Gustavo Pratto varies ball difficulty between consecutive volleys, forcing real-time decision-making rather than pattern repetition. Both drills are indexed at trainingpadel.com.
M3 Padel Academy: Defensive Warm-Up and High-Intensity Sequences
M3 Padel Academy — whose technical staff trained alongside Chingotto, Galán, and Delfi Brea — contributed defensive warm-up protocols and a high-intensity combination drill to the coaching conversation this week. The featured sequence: alternate a vÃbora attempt with a free-volley reset. Players who cannot complete the vÃbora still finish the sequence without stopping — no pausing on error — which builds the shot and the error-recovery habit simultaneously. The academy ran its Assistant Coach L1 course in Madrid on October 9–10, and session content from the course has begun circulating through the international coaching community. Details at m3padelacademy.com.
The Switch Drill: Building Adaptability in Doubles Pairs
Competition academies continued promoting the switch drill format this week: mid-rally, a coach calls a role change — both partners shift positions, exchanging who attacks and who defends. The drill builds symmetry, reduces over-specialization, and replicates the spontaneous partner adjustments that define high-level doubles. It layers into any standard doubles session at no cost, and the psychological demand intensifies sharply when the coach calls switches at the highest-pressure moments of a rally.
2026 FIP Rule Changes: Tactical Implications for Your Sessions
The new FIP tiebreak rule — in effect since the start of the 2026 season — is now producing concrete data from professional matches. At 40-40, players have two advantage cycles; if neither team converts, a single sudden-death point decides the game. The 20-second rule between points is being more strictly enforced at P1 and P2 events. For coaches: both changes reward rhythm, mental reset speed, and point-ending shot selection. Consider incorporating timed intervals between drills and game-point pressure scenarios into regular sessions.
Padel MBA — Certified Padel Coach (La Palma, October 16–18)
The Padel MBA residential Certified Padel Coach course runs in La Palma, October 16–18, 2026. A compact, intensive format for working coaches seeking internationally recognized credentials in a focused three-day block. US-based coaches willing to travel for professional development have found this one of the most efficient certification investments on the fall calendar. Details at padelmba.com.
RPP Professional Padel Week — Miami, November 8–13, 2026
The Registry of Padel Professionals (RPP) has confirmed its first Professional Padel Week in Miami from November 8 to 13, 2026. The event is designed as a professional development week for coaches and players at the most advanced career stage. Confirm program details and registration directly at rppadel.org.
RB Padel Academy — Padel Boston (February 13–15, 2027)
The next US-based RB Padel Academy certification event is confirmed at Padel Boston for February 13–15, 2027. All three certification levels will be available. USA Padel endorses this program as a principal development path for coaches in the United States. Registration at padelusa.org/certifications/rb-padel-academy.
USA Padel: Verify Your PCO Before Enrolling
USA Padel does not run its own certification courses — it endorses independent Padel Coaching Organizations (PCOs) that meet its quality standards. Before enrolling in any program, confirm it appears on the current USA Padel endorsed list at padelusa.org/certifications.