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  1. News
  2. Do you unconsciously adapt your level to your oppo...
❔ Question ❔

Do you unconsciously adapt your level to your opponents ?

3519 commentsu/Acceptable_Month48251w ago
I’ve noticed something in my matches, especially in tournaments: I tend to adapt my level depending on who I’m playing against. When the opponents are weaker, I sometimes slow down too much, rallies become short, and I lose intensity. On the other hand, when I play against stronger teams or seeded players, I often raise my level and manage to really challenge them, sometimes more than I expected. The issue is that those “easy” matches can end up dragging on, and we even risk going to a tie-break, when we probably could have closed it much earlier by sticking to our own rhythm. Do you experience the same thing? And how do you stay consistent regardless of the level in front of you ?
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Comments (19)

u/nightboy19911w ago
Same happens in any sport. Watch when big football teams lose to weaker teams. It’s about motivation, and the fact that you expect a weaker player to lose anyways.  It happens to me a lot at pool, I expect the opponent to miss and I relax. Skill can get you only so far, mental strength is an important differentiator
26
u/schuine1w ago
If you find the solution, let me know! So often, I win the first few games against a weaker opponent and then get bored, lose focus, and they turn it around.
14
u/Acceptable_Month4825OP1w ago
I'm waiting for someone to give it to me :D
6
u/Hieronymus231w ago
Had the same today. Mixed game: 6-1 then 14-12 (no tiebreak). Fun game, but had the same effect. Good players, but bit lower level than me (not that I’m high or anything, it’s all relative). Somehow, it’s so hard to get into any kind of flow then.
3
u/LooseCandidate1w ago
For me it is very had to activate my leggs so to say when I play against weaker oponents. When I am outclassed or play at a competitive level, I feel like I get forced to activate my leggs and move a lot more. I'm trying to find a solution for this myself...
9
u/Hieronymus231w ago
I get you. Very recognizable.
3
u/11111v111111w ago
What are "leggs"
-1
u/LooseCandidate1w ago
The thing that magically happens when you double tap the g on a keyboard by accident. Good catch tho detective, what a bright man you are!
2
u/xAeroMonkeyx1w ago
100%, I’ve lost a few games to people clearly worse than me because I just didn’t have my head in the game
5
u/HairyCallahan1w ago
I think you might think they are weaker, while they play more of an 'all or nothing ' type of padel. Some players try to hit winners all the time and their playstyle is hard to read. Other players don't play much risky shots. This leads to long rally's and it may feel like it's a higher level.
5
u/bachaterol1w ago
When I play against obviously weaker opponents, especially in a friendly match, my brain switches to "show mercy" mode, where my shots become softer and weaker. Because somehow, I think I should not hit hard against them and I should make life easy for them. So I start playing like them, making silly mistakes, hitting balls out or sending easy balls that they can easily return, losing points and sometimes even sets. Lol. I think my solution is to give it at least my 80%, finish the match quick and see if we can mix teams to have a more even match.
1
u/GnarlyBear1w ago
Yes, harded part for me after all these years. I think mentally I can't get into it if my opponent's only defence is lob and the play is slow
1
u/Monkli111w ago
All the time, me and my mate seem to slow down or become complacent. Moving less for shots etc. Just today, we went from 4-1 up to 4-6 in 1st set (which then meant we drew due to running out of time for 3rd set...) 😭😭
1
u/mavric221w ago
I find not only is not being switched on an issue. I sometimes get conservative against weaker opponents (I'm not that great myself!) - knowing that if I play the percentages, limit the unforced errors, just get it in - then a win is assured. However it tends to keep the game much closer than it should be. Yesterday won 6-3, 6-4 - then started playing more naturally and won the dead set 6-0. Its all a head game!
1
u/GabrielQ19926d ago
I think this happens because you are better technically than tactically/strategically and you are losing sight that, ultimately, padel is a game about sending the ball where your opponent isn't. Your opponent's are weaker, understanding this as **technically** weaker,so they are playing smart and slowing the rhythm and lowering the instensity of the match. this is a solid **strategy** from their part. If you rely on fat balls and the opponent proposing, you might be good **technically** but you are missing on either **tactics** or **strategy.** So what should you do? first acknowledge that you are being beat by a superior strategy and not because you are bored or whatever. second think about your own counterstrategy, what do you want to happen? you are not going into details so I will broadly assume you are better than the "bad" players at transition, volley duels and viboras. So you need to detect what's happening, your opponents managed to slow down the game, how? using lobs? stopping your transitions with balls that go somewhere where you don't expect them? you need to decide if you are going to try to force the game into a more elevated pace or take advantage of the passivity. Once you decide you need to focus on the tactics you are going to use, one thing is realizing that your opponents are lobbing too much and too comfortably and another one is knowing what to do to stop them, are you targeting the fence? that helps with lobbing, deep bandejas and volley? those help too, are you rushing to the net as soon as you can? believe it or not, lobs too. So, imagine that you are being lobbed a ton and you need to stop that, you need to make shallower shots that do not bounce too much on the back wall and force your opponent to lob more uncomfortably, you need to pace your climbing to the net to deactivate a first lob that forces to move you back. Another scenario, you are trying to force your opponents into moving more, you need to incorporate dejadas, flat smashes that can force them to come up with the counter, strong shots to the line of the body to force more blocks, etc. One thing you could to help you is not always playing matches were you are challenged technically or physically, can you play with guys that are a category lower than yours and win without abusing your superior technique/speed/whatever?
1
u/Dry_Transition_63321w ago
You cant lose to someone much weaker than you, I think youre overestimating your skill and theyre only slightly worse players if at all
-5
u/bachaterol1w ago
You very well can. GOATS of any sports lost to those weaker than them at least once. Are you watching robot sports?
2
u/FlatulistMaster1w ago
Especially in Padel, it happens all the time. Depends on your definition of "much weaker" and the levels we are talking about, but if we talk about decently large differences where both parties are intermediate or better, then it is most certainly possible.
1