Could Padel be the key to Cricket success?

When Michael Vaughan let it slip that he was “a bit obsessed” about Padel, cricketers could be heard putting down their bats and start taking note - after all, it’s not a sport that you would associate with the former England captain.

Played on fields since the 16th century, Cricket has been known to be a little slower paced. With test cricket lasting weeks and even your local village game lasting hours, the unusual pairing of cricket and Padel may seem a bit unobvious.

As we have discovered at The Padel Club, we know first-hand that Padel isn’t just for the enthusiast off the street, it’s for most sports people - including cricketers!

From footballers to olympic athletes, tennis legends to Formula One aces, Padel is the sport of the sport stars and it’s hard not to see why.

With the quick rallies, fast adaptation to play - at all levels - and the fact that it is competitive whilst remaining fun, Padel is almost one of the perfect sports whether it’s to warm up - like Carlos Sainz before a race, warm-down - like Liverpool FC players after training or to unleash some stress in a healthy way.

But why would cricket legends like Michael Vaughan and Jos Buttler (who has been known to knock a few balls at our beloved Wilmslow home) be so obsessed with the game and what could the rest of the cricket fold learn from this sport of the sportspeople?

In Michael’s own words, “it’s an easier sport (than tennis) to play so it gives more opportunity for more people to play it.”

They’re not alone as another former England legend, Andrew Strauss is holding a tournament later this year featuring Michael and even football superstar Andriy Shevchenko.

Whilst it still hasn’t penetrated the sport specific cultural ether like it has with football, Padel and Cricket do hold a lot of similarities and even speaking to Michael and others who have joined him, we can see why.

“I would compare padel to T20 cricket, which came to the fore in the early 21st century. Within just a few years, T20 became massive and is now having an effect on the way England play Test match cricket.”

So, the question we have to ask is, can Padel hold the key to Cricket success in the future?

Perfect training ground.

For a sport like Cricket which involves high levels of motor skills, reflexes, fast twitch fiber reactions and even long periods of focus and concentration, the two sports can mirror each other without much disturbance. Of course, for the average village club player, the levels aren’t that high and so finding a sport where this can be developed and improved upon is a massive win-win.

Think of it this way, Michael Schumacher pioneered fitness and concentration in F1 when he got Technogym to develop the battack wall (a wall with lights that you would switch off by tapping them). In the same way, Cricketers can use Padel to develop hand and eye coordination as well as better judgement in ball direction and speed without having the need for someone to be knocking balls in the field wielding a bat!

It’s for everyone.

It’s the most important feature of the sport and it’s no wonder as to why. With the average rally for beginners being 24 shots and more seasoned players going as far as 50 shots per point, Padel has cemented itself as the sport which reaches out to people at all levels.

Finding people to play with isn’t the issue with Padel and thus, the variety of skill levels doesn’t matter. Padel is a sport which everyone can enjoy. Cricketers who come to The Padel Club get to play with friends, strangers, and regulars in a way that cricket can’t give them that opportunity, especially in such close contact as well. This means, more time on the court, more time to practise and less requirement of professionals dishing out instructions.

Low impact.

We understand that no sport is without its injury risks and even a sport like cricket can find itself causing long-term injuries including the shoulders, back and knees. The average professional fast bowler can deliver a ball over 120 kph putting nearly 8 times their own body weight through the knee and ankle joints. That’s intense when you consider that a fast bowler will do this nearly 80 times a game for a season.

Padel is different. Whilst there can be stresses and strains on the joints, it’s more about positioning, reacting and playing as a team. Yes, it’s physical and gets the blood pumping but no one is putting that much force through a serve or a smash.

Sociability.

One the things that cricketers love the most is the camaraderie that happens with the players, the coaches and the spectators. In 1899, Joe Darling suggested that tea should be served to give the players a break - it has since become the thing for players to enjoy time together, to discuss the game and to eat their favourite snacks. Of course, in modern sport these have been replaced with healthier snacks and drinks, but what this all built was sociability. Cricketers have found themselves networking with fans and the players get to enjoy the social aspect sometimes more than the game.

Padel is all about sociability - especially at The Padel Club - which seeks out community from players who are either seasoned or newcomers. Using the Playtomic app, there is always someone you can play with, and this close contact is something that is not as common as in other sports.

There is a lot that can said about the two sports and it’s easy - after analysis - to see why cricketers can find Padel so entertaining and beneficial to their sport.

Whether it’s former champions who enter the four walls of Padel or the avid village cricketer looking for another sport to master, the community spirit, the ability to get stuck-in quickly and the simple joy a game can bring is resonating. If you or the cricketer in your life is looking for a game, why not visit The Padel Club to set you in the right direction.