Mobility for padel players: hips, upper back, shoulders and ankles

Stretching improves your range of motion, but on its own it won't prevent injuries. Simple tests and a ten-minute routine for padel players.

Raketiline editorial team Published

Mobility is a joint’s range of motion plus your ability to control that range. Padel calls for deep lunges, low balls, overheads and body rotation.

Why does mobility matter in padel?

Because padel needs mobility in several parts of your body. Low balls and side steps need your knee to travel forward past your toes, which means your ankle has to bend. Your hips handle deep lunges and quick changes of direction. The rotation in a shot comes from your upper back (the thoracic spine), and if that doesn’t rotate, your shoulder or lower back takes over the movement.

Your shoulder needs range for overheads, the bandeja and the vibora. Your wrists and forearms, meanwhile, have to withstand constant gripping and the impact of every shot.

Does stretching prevent injuries?

Not on its own. In a large meta-analysis, stretching did not reduce sports injuries. According to an expert consensus published in 2025, stretching improves range of motion, but it isn’t a general way to prevent injuries. Strength training is more effective for injury prevention: see our strength training guide.

Full-range strength training, such as deep squats and lunges, improves range of motion too. In one meta-analysis, its effect on mobility was similar to that of stretching. So strength exercises done through the full range double as mobility training.

How much do you need to stretch to improve mobility?

One review found that range of motion improved when each muscle group was stretched for at least 5 minutes a week in total, on at least five days a week. A short daily routine does more than a long stretch once a month.

How can you check your mobility?

  • Ankle, knee to wall: stand facing a wall with one foot in front. Bring your knee to the wall while keeping your heel on the floor. Move the foot further from the wall until your heel starts to lift. Compare your right and left legs.
  • Thoracic rotation: sit on a chair with your arms crossed over your chest. Turn your upper body to the right and to the left, keeping your hips still. Can you turn the same amount both ways?
  • Shoulder external rotation: lie on your back with your upper arm on the floor, out to the side at shoulder height, elbow bent to 90 degrees and fingers pointing at the ceiling. Let your forearm drop back towards the floor, in the direction of your head. Do both arms go down equally far?
  • Deep squat: can you squat down with your heels on the floor and your back straight?

Above all, check whether your right and left sides differ. A big difference shows you what to work on.

Which mobility exercises suit padel players?

  1. Ankle: knee to wall, 10 reps per leg. Keep your heel down.
  2. Hip 90/90 switch: sit on the floor with both knees bent at 90 degrees, one leg in front and the other out to the side. Rotate your knees over to the other side, 8 times.
  3. Hip flexor stretch: one knee on the floor, the other foot in front. Squeeze the glute of your back leg and push your hips forward, 30 seconds per side.
  4. Open book: lie on your side with your knees bent. Open your top arm to the other side like the page of a book, following your hand with your eyes, 8–10 reps per side.
  5. Wall slides: back against a wall, arms on the wall in a U shape. Slide your arms up and down while keeping them against the wall, 10 reps.
  6. Shoulder internal rotation stretch lying on your side (sleeper stretch): gently and without pain, 30 seconds.
  7. Forearm stretch: arm out in front, palm down, and use your other hand to gently bend the wrist down. Then turn your palm up and do the same the other way, 20–30 seconds.

The whole routine takes about 10 minutes. Do it after playing, at the end of a strength session or on its own in the evening.

When should you do mobility exercises?

Before playing, do dynamic movements (leg swings, lunges with a twist, arm circles) as part of your warm-up. A long static stretch of 60 seconds or more per muscle slightly reduces strength and explosiveness straight afterwards, so save long stretches for after the match. A short stretch of up to 30 seconds before playing doesn’t noticeably affect performance.

How quickly does mobility improve?

You’ll usually feel a difference after a couple of weeks of regular work. If a movement hurts or your mobility isn’t improving, get a physiotherapist to look at it.

Sources

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