Position 1 (Right) vs Position 2 (Left): Which Side Should You Play?
Position 1 (right side) and Position 2 (left side) have distinct roles in padel. Learn what each side demands, how handedness shapes the choice, and how to find the side that suits your game.
In padel, the right side (position 1) and left side (position 2) demand different skill sets: the right side player handles the forehand middle ball and coordinates net approach, while the left side player owns the cross-court and defends the backhand corner. Research from coaching academies shows 70% of players instinctively prefer their dominant-hand side — but optimal pairing often benefits from one player playing their 'weaker' side.
Key terms defined
- Position 1 (right side)
- The right half of the court; the player here takes balls in the middle on forehand and typically calls and leads net approaches.
- Position 2 (left side)
- The left half of the court; the player here defends the backhand corner, owns cross-court angles, and supports with a natural forehand down the line.
- Mixed-hand pair
- A pairing where one player is right-handed and one is left-handed; both can play their forehand down the line simultaneously, eliminating the backhand middle.
Expert debate
- Play your natural dominant-hand side
- Most players perform better on the side that places their dominant hand toward the middle — giving a stronger forehand to the most contested zone.
- Best pair chemistry matters more than individual comfort
- Elite mixed pairs sometimes reverse sides to maximise combined coverage, even at the cost of individual comfort — partnership synergy overrides personal preference at the top level.
Every padel player must decide which side of the court they play — and it matters more than almost any other strategic choice in a doubles partnership. The right side (Position 1) and left side (Position 2) have distinct tactical responsibilities, different shot demands, and different personality profiles. Choosing incorrectly — or never thinking about it at all — is one of the most common sources of avoidable mistakes in club padel.
**What each side does.** In modern padel, the right side player (Position 1) is primarily responsible for the central corridor — the middle of the court — and for building rallies with controlled, consistent shots. The right side receives serves to their backhand (for right-handed players), handles most cross-court exchanges, and must be reliable under pressure. Position 1 is often described as the 'glue' of the pair: not necessarily the flashiest player, but the one who keeps the team stable and covers the middle.
The left side player (Position 2) is responsible for the wide angles, receives serves to their forehand (for right-handed players), and is typically the more attacking member of the pair. The left side player handles overheads more frequently in the Spanish school of play, and they are expected to generate the decisive points through aggressive net play, viboras, and finishing shots.
**Why most modern teams have a left-handed player on the left.** This is the defining structural trend in elite padel. A left-handed player on the left side has their forehand in the middle of the court on both the service line and the baseline. This means virtually every ball in the central corridor — the highest-traffic zone in padel — is a forehand for the left side player. Compare this to a right-handed player on the left, who takes the central ball on their backhand. At the WPT level, nearly every top pair has a lefty on the left: Lebron/Galán, Coello/Tapia, Belasteguín/Franco historically. It is not coincidence — it is structural advantage.
**For right-handed players: how to choose your side.** Position 1 (right) suits you if: your backhand is reliable and consistent (you will receive most serves there), you are comfortable with the central-corridor role rather than the finisher role, and you have good lob coverage instincts (Position 1 tends to cover more lobs in standard formations). Position 2 (left) suits you if: you have a dominant forehand that you want in the middle, you are comfortable finishing points, and you enjoy the more aggressive attacking role.
**Which pros play which side.** Alejandro Galán (left-handed) plays left for Coello/Galán, keeping his forehand in the middle constantly. Pablo Lebrón (right-handed) plays the right side for Lebron/Galán, with his backhand handling the central exchanges. On the women's circuit, Marta Ortega (right-handed, left side) is the exception — a right-hander who has been able to dominate from the left through exceptional footwork and forehand aggression. Paquito Navarro has played both sides at different career stages, though predominantly right.
**How to switch sides over time.** Many intermediate players start on whichever side they first settled on and never reconsider. A useful six-week experiment: play your non-preferred side exclusively and audit which mistakes are position-dependent versus technique-dependent. Some players discover their preferred side was actually not optimal once they experience both. Coaches routinely recommend trying both sides with the same partner before committing.
**Switching during a match.** Some pairs switch sides mid-match tactically — particularly to get the player with the stronger forehand into a specific position for an overhead sequence. This is advanced and requires clear pre-match agreement on the trigger points for switching.
Key points
- • Position 1 (right) is the 'glue' — central coverage, consistent under pressure, backhand-dominant
- • Position 2 (left) is the 'finisher' — attacking net play, viboras, forehand in the middle
- • Lefty on the left is the dominant modern structure: forehand covers the high-traffic central corridor
- • Right-handed players: choose right if your backhand is reliable; left if your forehand is dominant
- • Nearly every WPT top pair has a left-handed player on the left side — this is not coincidence
- • Experiment with both sides with the same partner before committing — most club players never have
- • Switching mid-match is advanced and requires pre-match agreement on trigger points
When to use
Relevant when forming or reconsidering a doubles partnership, when either player is having consistent side-specific difficulties, or when trying to maximise a specific player's forehand presence.
Common mistakes
- × Never reconsidering which side you first settled on regardless of your development
- × A right-handed player playing left without establishing why their forehand justifies it
- × Both partners wanting the attacking left-side role without anyone committing to the building right-side role
- × Switching sides spontaneously without communication — causes coverage confusion
- × Ignoring the serve-return matchup (which side receives which serve) in the side selection decision
Drills to improve
FAQs
My partner and I are both right-handed. Who should play which side?
The player with the more reliable and consistent backhand should take the right side (Position 1) — they will face backhand serves, central exchanges, and must keep the team stable. The player with the more dominant and aggressive forehand typically benefits from the left side (Position 2) as the finishing role plays more to their strength.
Is there a 'better' side in padel?
No — both sides are essential. Position 2 (left) gets slightly more glamorous overhead finishing moments in the Spanish game, but Position 1 (right) wins matches through consistency and middle coverage. Top coaches say the right side player wins more points without being noticed; the left side player wins more points with visibility.
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