Okay, so I got this idea in my head about Andre Agassi. Not about him playing padel, obviously, but you know, his whole vibe. The comeback, the intensity. It got me thinking, maybe I could bring a little of that fire to my own padel game. So, I decided today’s practice session would be all about that.
Hitting the Court
I grabbed my racket and headed down to the local club. Didn’t really have a specific plan, just wanted to hit the ball hard, move my feet, and try to play with a bit more… well, guts. Like Agassi attacking a return.
Started off just warming up, hitting against the wall. Felt okay. Then my usual practice partner showed up. We decided to skip the gentle start and just get into some points. First few points? Terrible. I was trying too hard, thinking about Agassi’s baseline power, and forgetting this is padel. The ball kept flying off my racket, hitting the back glass way too high.
It wasn’t working like I imagined. Agassi made it look easy, right? Just pure timing and power. Padel needs more touch, more using the walls.
Finding a Rhythm (Sort Of)
We decided to do some drills instead. Focused on volleys first. Tried to be aggressive, punch them deep. That felt a bit better. Then we worked on the bandeja. Mine is usually pretty weak, more of a defensive lob. Today, I tried to hit it flatter, harder. More like an attack.
- Tried to keep my feet moving constantly.
- Focused on hitting the sweet spot, less wild swinging.
- Attempted some faster reactions at the net.
- Still struggled with hitting off the back glass properly. That thing is my enemy.
There were moments, you know? A couple of volleys felt really crisp. One bandeja actually went where I wanted it, with some pace. Felt good. But then, I’d shank one, or get caught out of position trying to be too aggressive. It’s a balance, isn’t it?
Sweat was dripping. My arm started feeling it. It’s funny, you watch guys like Agassi play for hours, full intensity. Me? After an hour, I was feeling the burn. Shows the difference!
Wrapping Up
We played a final practice set. I tried to keep that aggressive mindset, but smarter this time. Using the walls more, picking the right moments to attack. It was better. Still lost plenty of points, my partner is pretty solid. But I felt like I was playing with more purpose, not just reacting.
So, did I turn into Agassi on the padel court? Absolutely not. Not even close. But thinking about that intensity, that refusal to just play defensive, it did push me a bit. Made me try things I usually wouldn’t. Even if I failed half the time, the effort felt good.
Packed up my gear, feeling tired but pretty satisfied. Maybe tomorrow I’ll just focus on the basics again. But it was fun trying to channel a bit of that legend’s spirit into my game today. Even if it was just in my head.