Padel Injury Risk: Where Do You Stand? A 60-Second Screen

Padel is the fastest-growing sport in South Africa right now, and Sandton is at the centre of it. Courts are popping up across Johannesburg, from Bryanston to Bedfordview, and the weekend social game has quickly become a three-times-a-week habit for many players. But the sport’s unique demands create a specific injury profile that most players never think about until something goes wrong. Glass walls invite risky lunges, overhead smashes load the shoulder in ways few other sports do, and the constant lateral movement puts serious strain on ankles, knees and hips.

The good news is that most padel injuries are predictable and preventable. The research on racquet sport injuries is well established, and emerging padel-specific studies confirm that the most common injuries follow clear patterns (Castillo-Lozano and Casuso-Holgado, 2017; Priego-Quesada et al., 2018). This screening tool is based on the risk factors most relevant to padel players, drawn from racquet sport epidemiology, sports injury prevention research and clinical experience.

It takes about 60 seconds. Answer honestly for the most accurate result.

Please note: This is a screening tool for educational purposes only. It is not a clinical assessment and does not replace a professional evaluation. Your result is based on self-reported information and published population-level risk factors. Individual circumstances vary. If you have concerns about pain or injury, consult a qualified healthcare provider.

1. Have you had a padel or racquet-sport injury in the past 12 months?

Previous injury is one of the strongest predictors of future injury in sport (Hägglund et al., 2006).

2. How many times per week do you play padel?

Playing frequency affects cumulative load on your joints and soft tissues. Higher frequency without adequate recovery increases injury exposure (Pluim et al., 2006).

3. How long have you been playing padel?

Newer players may have higher injury rates as they develop sport-specific movement patterns and conditioning (Castillo-Lozano and Casuso-Holgado, 2017).

4. Do you warm up before playing?

Evidence suggests that warming up before sport may reduce injury risk (Fradkin et al., 2006).

5. Do you do any strength or conditioning training outside of padel?

Strength training reduces sports injury risk by up to two-thirds (Lauersen et al., 2018). It is the single most protective intervention in the research.

6. Do you currently experience any pain during or after playing?

Monitoring pain and health problems is important for injury prevention in athletes (Clarsen et al., 2014).

7. Which areas give you the most trouble? (Select the most relevant)

Padel injuries cluster around the shoulder, elbow, lower back, knees and ankles due to the sport’s combination of overhead play, rotation and lateral movement (Priego-Quesada et al., 2018).

8. How would you describe your overhead game (smashes, bandejas, viborás)?

Overhead mechanics affect loading on the shoulder and elbow. Poor technique during repetitive overhead motions may contribute to cumulative strain on the rotator cuff and elbow (Kovacs and Ellenbecker, 2011).

9. Do you play on consecutive days without rest?

Managing the relationship between acute training spikes and chronic training load is key to reducing injury risk (Gabbett, 2016).

10. How would you rate your overall fitness and mobility?

General fitness and adequate joint mobility provide a buffer against the physical demands of padel, particularly the rapid changes of direction and explosive movements (Pluim et al., 2006).

11. Do you wear padel-specific shoes?

Padel involves constant lateral movement. Biomechanical factors including foot positioning affect ankle sprain risk (Willems et al., 2005), and court-specific shoes provide better lateral support than running shoes.

What this screen is based on

This tool draws on the strongest risk factors identified across racquet sport epidemiology, emerging padel-specific research and validated athlete monitoring approaches. It is not a validated diagnostic instrument. It is a screening tool designed to help you see where your risk sits and which factors are worth addressing.

The weighting of each question reflects the strength of evidence behind that risk factor:

Previous injury carries the highest weight because it is one of the most consistent predictors of future injury across sports injury research (Hägglund et al., 2006).
Strength training is weighted heavily because its protective effect is among the largest in the sports injury literature, with a meta-analysis showing a two-thirds reduction in injury risk (Lauersen et al., 2018).
Current pain is included because ongoing symptoms should be monitored and addressed. This question draws on the approach used in the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center questionnaire for tracking health problems in athletes (Clarsen et al., 2014).
Overhead technique is weighted because shoulder injuries are common in padel, and serve/overhead mechanics directly affect loading on the shoulder and elbow (Kovacs and Ellenbecker, 2011).
Playing experience is included because developing sport-specific movement patterns and conditioning takes time, and newer players may be more susceptible to injury (Castillo-Lozano and Casuso-Holgado, 2017).
Warm-up is included because the weight of evidence favours a reduced injury risk with warm-up, and it is one of the simplest prevention strategies available (Fradkin et al., 2006).
Playing frequency and rest days are included because how training load is distributed and managed affects injury risk. Sudden spikes in load relative to what the body is conditioned for are a consistent injury trigger (Gabbett, 2016).
Footwear is included because biomechanical factors affecting ankle stability are relevant to padel’s lateral movement demands (Willems et al., 2005). Court-specific shoes provide lateral support that running shoes, designed for forward motion, do not.
General fitness is included as a modifiable factor that provides a conditioning buffer against the sport’s explosive demands.

What you can do with your result

If your score suggests moderate or higher risk, the most impactful things you can do are:

Start strength training. Two sessions per week is the target. For padel players, focus on rotator cuff and scapular stability (external rotation, face pulls, prone Y-raises), core anti-rotation (Pallof press, dead bugs), hip and glute work (lateral band walks, single-leg Romanian deadlifts, lunges) and calf and ankle stability (calf raises, single-leg balance).
Warm up properly. Five to ten minutes before every session. Include leg swings, lateral lunges, arm circles, thoracic rotation and a few minutes of light rallying. Your muscles, joints and nervous system need preparation for the explosive demands of padel.
Get coaching on technique. This applies particularly to overhead shots. A controlled bandeja is far less stressful on your shoulder than a full-power smash, and in padel it is often the more effective shot. Good technique protects your body and improves your game.
Wear the right shoes. Padel or clay-court shoes with a herringbone tread pattern provide the lateral support and grip the sport demands. Running shoes are not designed for this and increase your injury risk.
Manage your playing load. If you are playing five or more times per week, make sure you are building in rest days and balancing that load with strength work. More padel is not always better.
Do not play through significant pain. Mild post-game soreness that settles quickly is normal. Pain that persists, worsens during play or affects your daily life is a signal that something needs attention. Getting it assessed early saves you time off court later.

How we can help

At our Sandton practice, we are seeing more and more padel players. The sport has grown rapidly across Johannesburg and the injuries are following. Whether you are dealing with a sore shoulder from overhead play, elbow pain, lower back stiffness after games or an ankle that keeps rolling, we can help.

We assess your movement patterns, joint mobility, muscle strength and flexibility, and build a programme around what your body needs to keep you on court. If you are already dealing with an injury, we work on getting you back to playing as quickly and safely as possible.

Get in touch or book an appointment.

References

PADEL INJURY RISK: WHERE DO YOU STAND? A 60-SECOND SCREEN

What this screen is based on

What you can do with your result

How we can help

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