Anthropometric and Physical Fitness Profiles of World-Class Male Padel Players.

The aims of this study were to describe and compare the anthropometric and physical fitness attributes of male padel players according to their competitive level, and to establish a functional anthropometric and physical profile. A total of 60 males participated in the present study. Athletes were grouped according to competition level, forming an elite group (n = 25) and a subelite group (n = 35). Anthropometric variables, hand grip and lumbar isometric strength, flexibility, and lower-body muscular strength were measured. Elite padel players were significantly older and showed significantly lower values for the thigh and calf skinfolds, the sum of six and eight skinfolds, and the sum of lower-limb skinfolds than the subelite group. Elite padel players also had significantly lower values than subelite players for body fat percentage and thigh fat area, whilst showing significantly higher values for lumbar isometric strength. Somatotype of the elite padel players could be defined as endo-mesomorphic. Results suggest that training and talent identification of padel players should focus on their anthropometric characteristics and physical fitness, with these being different between elite and subelite athletes. Normative data could help coaches throughout the talent identification process and in the design of training programs when seeking to optimise sports performance.

Game Performance and Length of Rally in Professional Padel Players.

The purpose of this study was to analyse differences in rally length considering attack effectiveness, a players' location and a game outcome in professional padel players. A total of 1527 rallies from 10 male matches of the 2013 Masters Finals of the World Padel Tour were registered through systematic observation. Data treatment included non-parametric mean comparisons (Mann-Withney and Kruskal-Wallis tests), and association analyses (crosstabs and Chi square analysis). In overall, 40% of unforced errors were made within the first 4 s of the rally, over 50% of points were scored between the 5th and 11th s, and 30% of forced errors occurred after the 11th -s of the rally. Hence, the ability to score in rallies of over 11 s duration and not making unforced errors within the first 4 s contributed to the rally outcome. More specifically, winners played longer rallies compared to losers (10.42 ± 7.77 s vs. 8.42 ± 6.43 s); particularly at the net, when scoring from the baseline (11.04 ± 7.64 s vs. 8.90 ± 5.41 s) and making forced (8.86 ± 7.44 s vs. 6.86 ± 6.24 s) and unforced errors (11.91 ± 9.47 s vs. 8.33 ± 6.92 s). Such knowledge may have implications in the design and structure of specific training programmes for padel players according to competition requirements.