The importance of perturbations in elite squash: An analysis of their ability to successfully predict rally outcome

Game Performance and Length of Rally in Professional Padel Players

“…Recently, Courel-Ibáñez et al (2015 ) examined winners and losers’ effectiveness from 15 games of top 16 male padel players, finding on average 44.3% of points (49.1% for winners) and 55.7% of errors (50.9% for winners). In comparison with other racket sports, the padel stroke-effectiveness pattern shows a greater proportion of errors up to 25% in squash, 15% in badminton, and 10% in tennis (Abian-Vicen et al, 2013; Hughes and Robert, 2005 ; Roddy et al, 2014 ). Regarding scoring strategies, a players’ location (i.e., net or baseline) and movement sequences (e.g., approaching to the net) have been reported to have notable implications in racket sports.…”

“… Hughes and Robert (2005) observed the prevalence of movement behind the baseline, but higher effectiveness when volleying at the net (31.8% winners) in elite men tennis players. Similarly, volleys in squash and strokes from near the net in badminton have been found to significantly contribute to the rally outcome (Abian-Vicen et al, 2013; Roddy et al, 2014 ). In elite padel games, points scored at the net accounted for over 80% of the total, especially for winners who scored about 34% more points and made 40% less unforced errors from this location compared to losers ( Courel-Ibáñez et al, 2015) .…”