MENTAL GAME · 2 MIN READ

The 20 seconds nobody coaches

There's a window in every match almost no amateur trains: the time between points. The best players treat it as sacred. Most of us waste it, replaying the miss, rushing the serve, snapping at our partner.

Jim Loehr found elite players run the same four steps between every point. It works in padel too.

  1. 1

    Walk it off

    Racket down, shoulders back, walk to your spot with purpose, especially after a lost point. Your body language is information your partner reads.

  2. 2

    One slow breath

    Three seconds. A long exhale on the way to position. It drops the heart rate and brings focus back online before the next serve.

  3. 3

    Pick one thing

    Not the whole game plan. One thing for the next point. "Serve to the body." "We lob first." One clear decision the brain can hold.

  4. 4

    Same ritual, every time

    Bounce the ball the same number of times. Tap the racket. Make it identical. The brain reads consistency as calm.

Twenty seconds. Most points have it. Almost nobody uses it. Try it next time you play.

The Daily Version

Train this between every point — in the app, every day.

A new 2-minute read, a between-points rep, and the rituals your coach never teaches you.

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Used by padel players who want the mental edge.

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