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Hey Padel enthusiasts welcome to Padel Smash Academy, I am Cesc and I am here with Julian and we're all about Padel! Whether you're new to the sport or an experienced player, you've come to the right place. Our goal is to provide you with the best tips & tricks, news, and weekly lessons to help you improve your game and take your Padel to the next level. So grab your Padel Racket and let's get started with all things Padel on Padel Smash Academy.
Hey, paddle en enthusiast.
Welcome to Paddle's Smash Academy.
My name is Cez Paddle Club
owner and entrepreneur.
Next to me is Julian Paddle Master
Coach, and we're all about Paddle.
Welcome back guys to Paddle Smash
Academy, and today we're gonna
be talking about the history of.
We get asked so many times.
I mean, what, what, where Paddle
started and, and, and how they
became so popular and all that.
And, uh, we're gonna give you a
little bit of the background of how
Paddle became what it is right now.
Uh, the most important thing is for
you guys to know the history because
it's, it's great to know how the
paddle became, what it is now, and
how is it gonna go growing from here.
We know that the paddle
was created by, uh, Mr.
Que, he's a, a Mexican.
Wealthy guy who, uh, built up the
first paddle cor in his house.
How did he came to?
He wanted to, he was a, a crazy about,
uh, tennis and, and he wanted to build
a tennis score actually in his house.
And he had only 20 meters
length by 10 meters width.
So he actually created sort of like a
mini tennis score on his house, right?
Yeah.
And he put an net in between.
And he started playing tennis in
this type of mini tennis part.
He didn't, because with a tennis
record, he will be hitting too hard.
He got from the United States, a platform,
tennis paddles, you know the, they're
very thin paddles for paddle tennis.
And he started to play like that and all
his friends, and it was his summer home.
People started getting loving the, the
sport and he started coming up with
the rules and, and things like that.
Some of his friends, they were
from Argentina, from Spain, and
then what happens is, Uh, the, the,
the sports immigrated to those two
different countries, but just to give
you a little bit more of the back.
He had the 20 meters in length
and the back wall was the
neighbor's, the neighbor's house.
And the other back wall was the
neighbor's house as well, the,
the other side neighbor's house.
So he started playing this type of, he
call it in initially paddled tennis.
He started playing off the walls, right?
And, and he start building some side
walls as, uh, uh, as, as well for
not to, for the vegetation, not.
Coming to the court.
So he had some very small
side walls on the back walls.
And how the, how's that
the, the sports evolve.
Uh, the first paddle court, so his friends
took it to two specific places in, in
Argentina and, and, and, and Spain.
One, it was Marbel Marella, which is
sort of like, um, similar to, let's say
to Miami, the place it's, it is a very
holiday place where people from all
over Europe go there to, to vacation.
I'm Mar Plata, which is also
in the coats of Argentina.
It's a very holiday place where
everybody goes on vacation.
And those are the first
two courts in Argentina.
In Argentina.
Uh, it was built first in 1969 and 1970.
Marvea.
Just to give you a little bit of
the background right now, Argentina
has over 10,000 quarts built, and
Spain has over 20,000 quarts built.
Um, what happens in the past 50
years is pretty, pretty crazy.
Uh, you know, and, and Argentina had, uh,
in 1989, uh, the sport became really extra
exploding all over the country and, and.
Because of the limitations of the walls
and all that, it was very hard for people
to watch it because you can only watch it
from the sides because you have back walls
and, and side, side walls made of cement.
So, uh, one of my dear friends,
actually, his name is Alva Clemente.
Uh, He was the one which
we're going now to Spain.
In the Madrid paddle tour.
We're organizing a Mad Madrid paddle
tour where we're taking 12 people to
play paddle in different academies.
We're going to his academy.
Oh, okay.
Actually to play paddle
in, in his academy.
Um, he's an Argentinian number one,
former number one in the world.
Paddle, paddle player and all that.
And he was the one who created the
first, what we call it, the crystal
palace, which was uh, an entire.
Cord made of Crystal
the way we know it now.
Yeah.
Right.
And that, that's the interesting part.
That, and the way he financed that
thing, he reached out to the C e O,
the c e o of Coca-Cola, which his
name was, uh, it is Ma Maria Rossi.
He's a dear friend of mine, actually.
He was a c e O of Coca-Cola back
in the late eighties, and he was
the one who actually sponsored the.
Crystal palaces what it's called
back then, and created the first
professional paddle tour in Argentina,
was the first professional paddle tour.
And, and, and the funny part
was that now they saw this niche
where now you can watch paddle.
360 because from every single view you can
really actually watch and enjoy paddle.
And, uh, Argentina had this first
professional circuit back in the
late eighties, early nineties,
where all my friends, uh, that
we grew up playing tennis.
My background is tennis.
Uh, they move into paddle and,
and some of them, they became
actually professional paddle.
As we know when, so, so let's
talk about, um, the changes right.
In paddle, you know, it,
uh, it first started Mexico.
I think it's became a lot more popular
in Spain and Argentina than Correct.
Than is now in Mexico.
But let's look at the gradual
changes of the paddle court.
You know, uh, first it was
a mini tennis court, right?
Correct.
And then maybe they put up
some walls to avoid the ball.
You know, you know, uh, passing over to
the neighbors and keeping it in play.
And is that where kind of platform Tennis
and Paddle kind of evolved from, I assume?
I think Platform Tennis was, was
developed before, uh, uh, Padel and,
and he made the walls called Query made,
his, his walls, uh, just for vegetation
not to play, not to come into the.
But then people and his friends
start playing off the walls, and
that's how we start evolving.
Gotcha.
And then, uh, they started with cement
walls, and then the, the flooring, I
assume was, uh, asphalt or, or cement.
Cement.
Right.
Cement.
Cement, yeah.
And, uh, the, the paddles or the
rackets were, I think, made out of
wood or, uh, well, the actual, the,
the actual, uh, platform tennis
paddles, which are a little bit bigger.
Gotcha.
And they're very, But the difference
between platform tennis that you play with
a rubber ball and where paddle, right.
They started to play with a tennis ball.
Tennis ball, which was really, really
heavy and the vibrations were really
heavy when you hit that, that ball
with a very thin paddle racket.
So actually in, in 1989, uh, the first
rubber foam paddle to prevent vibrations,
uh, was developed actually in Argentina.
It's called the bronzes.
Which it still exists.
S a n e san, uh, which they have the
manufacture paddles in, in Spain, in
Argentina, and, and the rest of the world.
Uh, those were the actually first
foam paddles that, uh, they, how
they, the, the sport was developed.
And so how did the balls change?
I mean, I, they used the tennis ball
first, I assume, and then it, was it
bouncing too much or not enough and did.
Have more pressure, less
pressure in the new paddle balls.
Now, the, the, the, the transition
of the pa of the, the tennis, I mean,
they started for many, many years.
They always played with tennis balls.
But I think, uh, when they came out
with the rules in 1991, 1992, they start
trying to put all the rules together.
They created a sort of like
a, a niche paddle ball.
Okay.
Where, which is just, it's a tiny bit
smaller, but if you put 'em next to each
other, can barely tell the difference.
You, you can't even tell the difference.
Okay.
And, and actually nowaday, they, uh,
some people actually play with tennis,
tennis ball, some of the tennis wall.
They're a little bit too fast.
But, um, I mean, honestly,
you can play with both.
I mean, you won't, you won't even see the.
Gotcha.
Gotcha.
One of the things that interesting
that happens, it's, uh, because it
grew so fast in Spain and Argentina
in the late eighties, early nineties,
uh, both associations are both sports,
even though they were called the same
actually, they were not called the
same, but they were played the same way.
They had different rules.
And just to give you an example,
Argentina Paddle, first of
all, let's talk about the name.
In, in, in Argentina, it
used to be called Paddle.
P A D D L e.
Like an actual paddle, like
an English, uh, paddle.
Exactly.
In Spain used to be called like
it is now, P A D E L, like Patell.
So that was one of the things that
when they got together, they said,
okay, we have to standardize the sport
and we are gonna call it either or.
So they decided to paddle.
The other thing, they have to, they
standardize are some of the rules
in Argentina and paddle, um, similar
to pickleball, what it is right now.
The servers cannot come up to the net.
So you ha they, you know,
after you serve mm-hmm.
You have to stay back and you, you
can come up after the third ball.
Is that what happened in, in paddle
at the beginning in Argentina?
Yeah.
Oh my god, I didn't know that.
Yeah.
Wow.
So that sucks.
Yeah, it is.
But in Spain you can serve
and come up to the net.
Gotcha.
So when there were playing each
other, they have to readjust to,
are we playing the urgent Indian
rules or the Spanish rules.
Right, right, right.
And that's how the, the way.
So when did they go get into turf?
You know, for a long time.
Cement.
So when did they get into that?
Well, but let, let, let's
just review a little bit.
Okay.
Another of the rules, which is, is
pretty interesting that in Spain's
the side wall, so the side screen,
it's, it, it was three meters.
Ah, right.
Three meters or that's what, nine feet?
Yep.
Right?
And, and, and, and in
Argentina it was only down to.
Mm.
So in Argentina it was much
easier to hit it by three.
Right, because the wall was
mak Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
And in Spain was much more difficult.
So that was the other rule
that they have to agree.
So I'm glad they changed it to
higher because the paddles became
a lot more, uh, uh, you know, um,
uh, more tactical and stronger.
Everybody be taking the ball out by three.
Exactly.
You know, it was so easy for the
Argentinians because the, the,
the, the side cream was lower.
The other thing that they.
Which were very, very interesting.
The si cement wall, back then it was a
cement wall in Argentina was um, a lip,
no, it was three feet more in front of it.
Ah, gotcha.
So now when they set cross score to you,
if they hit that wall, you have to step
right now, you step only once before
you hit it right off the side wall.
You, you gotta make two or three
steps for you to hit it because
the walls were much more in inside.
Inside.
Right.
So that, that was the, the, the
other rule that they have to agree.
Okay.
Which one are we doing it in Spain.
It, it, it was playing
the way we play it now?
No.
Okay.
So with that, with that, so I see that
they made a lot of, uh, changes based
on the way the Spanish played, right?
Yeah.
They have to adapt too.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But the other thing that
the Spanish need to adapt.
Spanish courts in between, on the
sidewalk, in between the the cement.
On the screen there was
a five centimeter gap.
The lip.
The lip or lip, they call him pico.
Where actually Spanish players,
they will hit play right there.
Yeah, they'll play that.
That's part of the thing.
And they will, that ball will hit
that lip and just move forward.
Come back to your, to your side.
Exactly.
The Argentines didn't have that.
So now when they play the Spanish,
they were, they were going crazy.
Try to that, so that's one of
the things they adapted and they
shuffled, you know, in the same line.
Argentina had it on the same line.
So it took a while for them to get to the,
so did they both play on cement floors?
They both play on cement floors in the
beginning, cement walls and all that.
Argentina was the one who came
out with the Crystal Palace.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, by, by Raio.
Yeah.
Uh, and then that was, it was a,
uh, It was a huge change because
now you can enjoy the game.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I know.
From all over the, so how
so How about the turf?
You know, when did they say,
Hey, we're gonna use turf?
Now?
Initially, in the beginning, a lot
of, because you were playing on
cement, floored and walls, people
will get injured pretty fast.
Yeah, yeah.
You know, because of the turns
they jumping and all that.
Imagine trying to play that all in cement.
I, I could, I probably couldn't.
You know, and a lot of people are, they
were trying to get injured, so, They
decided to put some type of turf and
they play for, with different options,
different heights and all that, until
they came up with a, you know, the
10 millimeter turf, uh, with sand.
So you can be, you can bounce a little
more, bounces a little more and all that.
So that was pretty much the, the, the
big changes in the beginning until
the standardized the, the sport.
So another, another question I guess
people have, and I have, and uh,
maybe, you know, you know the answer.
Why didn't it really take off in Mexico
like it did in Spain and Argentina?
That's a very interesting
question, which I don't know.
Um, I think Argentina and Spain had much
more tennis players back in the day.
Okay.
You know, where it was easier for them
to start playing this older sport.
Gotcha.
Uh, that it wasn't, uh, that it was
easier to pick up for a tennis player.
Same thing is happening right now where
Mexico never had any good tennis players.
You know, tennis wasn't.
Part of the society.
Gotcha.
And, and, and Spain and Argentina
had a huge, still has a huge,
you know, tennis population.
Right.
But as a matter of fact, padel in Spain.
Right now it's the second most
played sport after soccer.
It has passed tennis after 40,
50 years that tennis has been the
second most played sport in Spain.
So let's talk about that.
Why is tennis kind of decreasing in
popularity and, you know, and where are
these viewers going and players going
to, you know, to paddle and, and and pin
pickle and, um, and why is that happening?
You know, um, I remember, and I'm gonna
give you my experience, um, back in the.
And I'm not sure if this is why it's
happening or this is, this is the reason
why I don't, I'm out of the loop when it
comes to tennis is when I was younger,
uh, that's when I started playing.
Uh, there was, you know, I used to
watch Thelen and McEnroe and Connors
and, and Chang and they had all
different, Styles of playing, right?
They have personalities, you
know, um, which was great.
Brought great drama into,
uh, that sport, you know?
So it, it was, you know, you were, you
were going for this type of character
because you, you, you liked him, right?
And I think, and it was
different styles of playing.
There was, you know, at the net there
was love, there's all defensive.
Now, um, as it went moving
forward, it started to get more,
um, baseline playing, right?
Um, everybody kind of plays
the, the same way almost.
I mean, I don't see anybody else
playing any other way besides baseline,
so it can kind of get a little.
Boring to watch, I think.
Uh, and then also I think, you know,
big sponsors came in like in Nike
and other brands, and I think each
player had to like, behave, right?
They, they couldn't like show
their character, you know,
like McInroy or Connors, or.
Or whomever, you know?
And I think that that left the drama
and excitement out of the game.
And I think that's, I believe that's
one of the reasons why I kind of,
you know, stopped watching tennis
and started moving into a, you
know, a different, different sports.
Um, now I watch Paddle and you
see them, I mean, they're very.
Emotional, you know, they're very loud.
Um, it's, it, it's pretty awesome.
Awesome to watch, you know, so that's
my view on why I think, you know,
maybe tennis is getting a little
bit less popular and are moving
to, you know, different sports.
What do you think?
I, I think that the tennis industry,
for quite a few, a couple decades, I
will say it's been either, On a St.
Mate, or, or, or decreasing.
Yeah.
Uh, because of the difficulty to, to
really play the sport and, and the amount
of time and money that you have to spend
at least to start enjoying the sport,
where now you have these new racket
sports, like tennis, uh, like, like, uh,
Patel and, and, and pickleball, which are.
Within half an hour,
you're having a great time.
Well, that, you know what I mean?
That hasn't changed in the sixties,
seventies, eighties, nineties, and now.
Yeah, there's always tennis courts
and the costs are always the same.
Yes.
But that was the only option.
You know, when tennis, tennis was the
only r only racket sport actually,
you know, now, I mean they're squash
and racquetball and so forth, but
tennis dominated that, you know, yes.
But I mean, they're not as
popular as, as tennis has become,
you know, from the sixties and
seventies and eighties and, and.
The way the media pushed,
you know, the sport.
It's, it's, it's, you don't, I
mean, who would like to see a squash
game or, or a racketball game?
I mean, it's not as exciting as
watching a, a, a tennis game.
Well, not now.
Not nowadays.
No.
I, I would rather watch Mero play
counters or, or Agasy, cuz you know,
you're gonna have some great drama.
Then, let's just say some of
these newer players just sitting
the, uh, the ball back and forth.
It's, you know, but, but you gotta
also take consideration that Tennis's
been around for almost 200 years.
Yeah.
And, and, um, you know, you go to Roland
Ross and it's, it was built in 19 mm-hmm.
1902.
Wimbledon has been in the 18
hundreds, late 18 hundreds.
I mean, those are, are,
are cathedrals of tennis.
They've been pushing the game for so long.
Same thing as the US Open, you know,
first in Forest Hills, then flashing
metals, uh, you know, it has the, the,
the length on the background there, which,
but now it's, it's another competition.
You know what I mean?
They have to compete
and they have to stay.
To stay, you know, put up with it.
Yeah.
I think it's also the
ease of starting to play.
I think you definitely right on that.
I mean, it's a little bit dar uh, more
difficult to start playing tennis.
And you go out there and you want to,
you've never played tennis and you wanna
start, and you're picking up more balls
than anything, you know, but it's true.
But if you play paddle, uh, you
can get a game going, you can get
a rally going, you know, it's a
little bit easier to, to start.
Um, for for sure.
It's ex extremely fun.
It's easy to pick up.
And like I said, I mean me, when I'm in
the court, I'm, I'm coaching a, a, a.
Within half an hour, they're
playing, they're playing paddle.
They're, they're having a great time.
I mean, they're, they're,
they're really enjoying the game.
Where in tennis for you just to
keep the ball inside the court.
It will take you a long, long time.
Definitely.
You know, it's, it's, it's
definitely, it's interesting.
So let's, let's talk about tennis players
on, uh, playing tennis on the paddle core.
Yes.
And how, uh, people are transitioning
and learning how to play paddle.
Some people are not in the difficulties.
Uh, it is, uh, you know, transitioning
cuz uh, I went through that
and I think a lot of tennis.
Playing paddle, uh, go through that
or are still going through that.
Um, you know, there's a few shots
that are, you know, unique to paddle,
you know, that are not in tennis
and uh, those are some of the shots
they may have difficulty with.
And uh, but the biggest thing
is probably the walls, right?
It is.
So if you come back, if you've
played racquetball before, that
could help you a little bit.
Uh, or even squash, even though the ball
doesn't bounce as much, but, or platform
tennis or platform tennis, that's right.
Um, it'll be helpful, but if you're
playing tennis, uh, your reaction is
not, not to let that ball pass you, you
know, and, and, and so you're hitting,
you know, shots that are, are high risk
shots because you don't want it to pass
you instead of taking your time and.
Playing off the back wall.
And if they do, it's, it's trying
to figure out where the ball's gonna
go, especially if they're hitting
with a slice or what have you,
or if it's coming from the angle.
So I think the back walls
is, is really a big thing for
tennis, tennis players for sure.
I, I, I think for the tennis
players, there are two major things.
First of all, they need what
I, that's what I tell 'em.
You know, you gotta change
the tennis chip in your brain.
Mm-hmm.
You have to be able to slow down,
you know, it's not, In tennis,
you're trying to win the point
as fast as you can in paddle.
You can.
You have to be patient.
You have to, yes, you know,
prepare the point, set it up,
wait for the right moment, when to
execute it and put more pressure.
That's the thing that it's easy to
pick up, but it's difficult to master.
Understand that part.
You know what I mean?
A hundred percent.
You even talked about a chip.
That's exactly what it is.
They need to take that, that tennis one,
and put the paddle in because they've been
used to planes so fast, so everything.
Fast for them.
Yes.
And, and, and they don't underst
until they understand, okay, the
ball's coming high and the balls,
I'm gonna, I gotta meet the ball.
Right?
Uh, versus I gotta chase the ball.
Right?
Uh, and so until they get that,
um, You know, and slow down the
game, as you say, and be a lot more
patient when it comes to winners.
Correct.
Cause it seems like they want
to, everything's a winner, right?
Yeah.
For them.
Yeah.
Uh, uh, that will,
that'll better their game.
Yeah.
Until they get there, it's, they're gonna
make a lot more, uh, uh, forced error.
And I think the major difference for
the tennis player, I mean, know when,
when you're coming into the, the
paddle court as a tennis player in
tennis, you're accustomed to what we.
The collision, meaning that in
parallel you have three ways
the ball is coming to you.
Right?
In tennis, you have only one way.
The ball's.
You collide with the ball, the ball's
coming in front of you and you strike
that ball in front of you, right?
In panel, you have three different ways.
Same thing as standing.
When the ball's coming to you and you
strike it, then the ball's coming from
behind you that you have to chase that
ball, which is the ball's passing you.
So you have to go forward to
chase that ball or learn how
far it is gonna go forward.
And then you have the ball that
is coming from the side, either
to the left or to the right.
So you have three different angles
that you have to really master.
In tennis, you have only one Right.
Balls coming.
You hit it.
Yeah.
In paddle balls coming, you hit it.
Balls coming from behind.
You hit it.
Ball's coming from the side, you hit it.
Yeah.
The dynamics completely
different, you know?
Yes.
And And that's what the tennis player
needs, needs to learn a hundred percent.
It's also about defense.
You know, most tennis players are.
They don't play defensive anymore.
You know, they're mostly
offense, offense, offense.
So paddle is a lot about defense, you
know, uh, you have to defend, you have to
know when to defend and when to attack.
Right?
Exactly.
So most tennis players are just attacking
and until they learn to defend and wait
for the right opportunity to attack,
uh, they want better their game.
The other very important point that, and
I see on tennis players every single.
You're trying in, in, in, they're playing
as, as a tennis, in a paddle court, and
you're trying to win points from the
baseline, which in tennis you can, right?
You can win points from the baseline.
You do same thing.
You, you know, your returns, you're
trying to return as hard as possible
for you to learn to win the points.
In paddle, 99% of the point,
you win him of the net.
Mm-hmm.
Very few points you will
win from the baseline.
Because if you're at the base,
at the, at the baseline, you
have two players of the net.
Yes.
So you have to be able to defend.
Well, going back to your point.
Yeah.
Defend him from the baseline.
And attacking at the net.
And the tennis player is trying to
hit passing shots from the baseline.
Yes, yes.
And then the paddle play, what
it does is just let it pass
and that ball is coming back.
Right.
And you haven't gained anything.
You know what I mean?
So, exactly.
That's exactly what happens And,
and I see these guys trying to hit.
You know, 150 miles, a full
swing, A full swing, right?
A full swing return.
Right?
And the guy just let it pass and then
brings it back and they steal at the net.
So that's all the little things
that they have have to change.
The other things are the
aerial shots, you know?
Oh, yeah.
Um, they, they, I mean, tennis players
have, have, you know, transitioned
are, are great paddle players.
Once they learn these things
and great, they the great.
And great smashes, right?
But they want to smash
everything, you know?
Um, and that's the other thing.
It's understanding what shot to hit
and smashing at the, at the baseline
on the back is a high risk shot unless,
you know, you can take the ball out
or bring the ball back, you know?
Um, so most time they're, they're doing
this and you get an experienced paddle.
Uh, as soon as they see you arc your
back and you're gonna hit that ball
hard, they're already running up to
the nett and waiting for the ball.
And you'll learn that very quickly.
Yes.
Uh, and then you'll, you'll feel like,
okay, well what do I do at this point?
You know, they're, they're
not sure what to do, um, and.
You know, uh, hitting a
smash is a high risk shot.
Uh, at the back.
You know, even, even a tennis player
is gonna be maybe a 50% correct.
They're gonna, they're
gonna make it or not.
And in paddles sometimes, uh,
you win with, uh, other people
that your other people's errors.
You know, and so a, a lot of
times these tennis players, um,
are smashing the ball a lot.
And, and, and there's, you know, there's
the Ekk, the Vik, which is unique to
paddle, which, uh, needs to be learned to.
Uh, it needs to know when to use, uh, you
know, the smash, the band or, or the Vida.
And I, and I need very important for
you gu, you guys, tennis players, if
you're coming in from tennis into paddle.
You need to be able to slow down.
Okay.
Not to, not to rush it.
And, and I think for you guys
to understand the concept of
paddle compared to tennis.
In tennis, you have a maximum of eight
complete strokes that you need to master.
Four and back and slides.
It's about eight, eight different shots.
In paddle, you have 32 shots that
you need to be able to master.
Yeah.
Only within the four from the base.
There are seven, seven type of
shots that you need to master, which
is the back wall, the, the wall's
coming from you, double side wall,
double backside wall, and and so on.
So, so those are the things that
you have to understand, and the only
way you to understand that is just
by practicing and taking lessons.
Very, very important
because you will never.
You will pick it up very easily,
but you have to understand the
concept and how the worlds work.
Yeah.
And you can always watch our video
lessons that we have here on our YouTube.
Um, but that's a really important, uh,
Uh, important thing, I mean, I think me
coming into, uh, as a tennis player into
a paddle, um, I've only knew my eight
to 10 shots, and that's all I used and
I did well because, you know, tennis
players, uh, do well in, in paddle.
They, they'd make great paddle players
and they make even better ones once they
start learning how to play actual paddle.
Yeah.
Um, so now let's go with a pickle, right?
Pit from pickle.
To, uh, to paddle, right?
So that's, uh, I, I played with, uh,
pickle players and they seem to have
the Chiquita and, and, and the slow
playing, uh, down, down for sure.
Um, even the Vols as well.
Uh, but it's the aerial shots
that they have difficulty with.
And until they learn that in
the back walls, of course, I
don't think you don't get any.
Still either, so.
Right, exactly.
Yeah, that's true.
Yeah, exactly.
And, and so they're, they're,
they have anticipation of course,
and, and they have good touches
with the ball without a doubt.
But, uh, they lack the aerial
shots and the back balls.
Yeah.
And, and those are the areas there that,
you know, I think they have to work
on to improve their, their pack game.
Yeah.
You know, another question that we get
very often, it now is, let's go back a
little bit on, on the history of paddle.
When is the World Cup of Paddle?
When does it, when, how does it work?
How does it play and all that?
The World Cup of Paddle is
played every two years and um,
it's been played since 1992.
Uh, and they play in
different parts of the world.
And the pa in the first few 10, 15 years
that they was, it was played either.
In France or, uh, Spain or Argentina or
you know, Italy and things like that.
Um, so it's every two years.
Last year, Argentina, beat Spain.
And just to give you a little bit of
the big difference right now in paddle
compared to the rest of the world, um,
since they started in 1992, Argentina
in men's Argentina, won 11 times.
The World Cup and Spain won only four
times and in Women's Argentina won eight
times and Spain has won eight times.
Those are pretty much, that's it.
The only two champions and
running raps on the World Cup.
In the past World Cup, what we
have seen an an unbelievable level
of new countries and new players.
Coming on and I'm playing at a
level, at a professional level, at
a workup level like, uh, Sweden,
Italy, France, Brazil, uh, Uruguay,
um, Uh, Qatar was there playing,
uh, Saudi Arabia was there playing.
Uh, it's pretty, uh, Japan was there
playing pretty interesting what
is happening worldwide with Paddle
and at a, at a World Cup level.
You know, that's something very
interesting to start paying attention.
But right now, Because of the
history of those, of the sport
in between Argentina and Spain.
You know, they had already 30, 40, 50
years of paddle heritage on their blood.
So that's why there is
such a big difference.
But look, that is, it's, it's coming,
coming to an end pretty soon, you know?
Yeah.
I, it's pretty exciting.
I've seen all those other
countries now participating Yeah.
In the World Cup, and
that's, that's awesome.
And, uh, just recently, I think
we talked about this, about,
you know, paddle being in the.
Yep.
Because we have enough countries
now that the upper play and
enough continents at play it.
So that's really exciting.
I think that's going to give
a lot of exposure, uh, to
paddle, uh, which it needs.
Um, and uh, we hope that
people get excited about it.
Yeah, I think it'll make a lot of noise.
You know, and hopefully, uh, inspire
people to create, uh, more clubs.
Just to give you a little bit
of the background, how a sport
becomes an Olympic sport.
Uh, for a sport to become an
Olympic sport, um, it has to be.
Play, or let's say in the men's size,
it has to be playing at least four
continents and at, in at least 75
countries only for the men's size.
To become a men's Olympic, Olympic sport
in the women's size, it has to be playing
in at least three continents and in a
minimum of 40 countries around the world.
And just to give you you, uh, uh,
a context what we are, where from
now today, more than 50 years
since, you know, paddle has been.
We have over 30 million players playing
worldwide and in over 90 countries.
Uh, if you think about it, 90 countries
out of a total of 195 countries.
That's a huge, huge number of mm-hmm.
People playing paddle around
the world, 90 countries.
It's, it's a tremend.
Tremendous.
One, almost half, almost.
Yeah.
It's pretty much half.
Um, Another good, good, good sign is that
the International Olympic Committee has
recognized paddle as an international
Olympic sport, and the status was
obtained in, uh, September 13th, 2019.
So therefore, the sport paddle is
only steps away from being, uh,
recognized as a li, as an Olympic sport.
Now the big question is this,
is it gonna be an Olympic sport
in 2024, which is next year?
I hope.
I think it is.
I hope so.
And if not, it's gonna be an
invitational Olympic sport,
but it will be at the Olympics.
I guarantee you that because I
got that throughout some good
sources, that's gonna be really big.
If it is in 2024, it's gonna
bring paddle to another level.
Oh yeah.
For for sure.
And it needs it.
It needs it.
Yes.
You know, it, it's already going forward.
It needs another push.
Yeah.
You know, um, so, and, and honestly
for all of you listening to these
podcasts, uh, here in the United States,
Uh, the part's very low in the United
States to become a, a paddle player,
meaning a, a good paddle player because
the competition is, is not a, as a,
you know, still amateur, it's still
still amateur to the world, right.
Compared to the world.
So maybe if you get star
playing paddle Yeah, it's true.
And you become very good at it.
Yeah.
You can be in, representing in United
States in next year's Olympics.
Definitely.
I mean, so I know some of you.
That they're playing great paddle.
And I told you before that you, you have
a good prospect to become an Olympic
paddle player, um, in the 24 Olympics.
So in the 2024 Olympics, it's a
great opportunity for somebody
because this is great timing.
Yeah.
Uh, you know, it's just getting there.
You could ride right on that train.
Exactly.
Same thing happened last year in,
in the, in the World Cup of Paddle.
In, in, in Abu Dhabi, I think
it was Abu Dhabi or Qat.
This is one of the first times
the United States participated at,
at that level, even though we got
killed and they kick our butts.
Mm-hmm.
But we had experience, we
have, we had the, the, the.
The entertainment and, and the
experience to take some of the players
that we have here playing at the
top level to go and play with these
monsters of the World Paddle Tour.
So that was a very, very good experience.
Yeah.
If you do make it to the Olympics
and you become a professional player,
and let's say the top 10 or 20,
uh, best players in the World pedal
tour, how mu how much do they make?
How much can you expect to,
to make out of a living?
And now, uh, and how
much were they making?
Five years ago.
Cause I think it's a big, big difference.
And then how much do they expect
to be making in the future
when this gets more popular?
Well, I mean, I got the
rankings from, uh, 2022.
How much, uh, professionals
play in, in price?
Money, uh, just to give you the
number one capital, LeBron and
Golan, they made $350,000 each.
So now is that just price
money or only price?
Money.
Okay.
So not, not sponsorship.
So no.
What percentage is price?
Money?
Maybe 30 or 40%.
And then, no, even more they,
they make at least five.
What they make in prize money on sponsor.
I mean, they're huge.
That's why you see their shirts with
all different type of sponsorships.
Sure.
And we can talk about on a next, uh, next
podcast about, you know, sp sponsorship
packages and how much that works.
They charge works and all that.
That will be interesting.
Uh, but yeah, they make
at least 5 5, 5 times.
Five times more.
Yeah, five times more or so they,
they're over the, so you're looking
at like 1000001.5 in sponsorships.
So maybe 300,000 in prize money.
Yes.
So they're, they're somewhere in there.
Yeah.
That's, especially if they're top
play, obviously it's like compar.
RA dollar a ov each 10 to
a number 50 in the world.
And, and do you know where that, that,
you know, where those numbers were
maybe five or 10 years ago before
this, this, you know, less than half.
Less than half.
Less than half.
And we're hoping for the future.
Yes.
Uh, this is gonna grow.
And then the price, money
is, is, is already starting
to, to, to go up, you know?
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
We, especially with the Premiere
Paddle tour and all that.
And let me, let me give you a
little bit of, of some history here.
What is happening right now, um, with
the Professional Paddle Tour, with the w
you know, PT and, and the Premier Paddle.
As you know, there is a premier
paddle now, uh, competing
with the World Paddle Tour.
And just to give you a little bit
of the background story here in
2005 is when you know the paddle.
Professionally recognized worldwide.
You know, they, they started with the, the
Paddle Pro Tour, uh, started in, in Spain
and in, you know, uh, France and Italy
and, you know, three or four countries.
Um, that's when they started with the
Pro Paddle Tour, and that's when it
became really well-known worldwide.
Um, and the, the tournaments that
were played in Spain, Argentina,
and, and the first, the first.
Um, we had, uh, Catalina, Navarro
and Ra one from Argentina.
The one from Spain becoming the number
one couple in the world, and Juan Martin.
Mm-hmm.
Future, the Reserve.
Reserve.
Uh, yeah.
And Fernando de las became number
one, couple that the ProPur lasted for
about, um, quite, quite a few years.
So those were the pioneers, right?
They, they were the, the pioneers.
And, and something happened that, uh, then
the World Paddle Tour showed up and they
start arguing in between each other and,
and swing each other and the World Paddle
Tour, start playing, paying more money.
To the, actually to the
Paddle tour, uh, player.
Sounds like Premier Paddle and
Will Paddle right now it's played,
that's what I'm trying to go with.
Sorry.
Its is happening again.
You know, it's happening again.
And, and it happened already in 2005
with World Paddle Tour coming into play
and it start convincing the players
to make more money and that's why all
the players, they became more politic.
Competition is always good.
It's always good.
Mm-hmm.
And now something.
Exactly.
It's happening with the Premiere
Paddle Tour now players.
Playing the World Play Tour and also
the Premier tour because they're
making almost twice as much more money.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, playing the premier.
Yeah.
And then, and Premier, premier
has a good backing, you know, they
acquired part of World Paddle Tour.
Yes.
So, uh, I think they're going
to figure things out and I think
it's gonna be better for Paddle.
Yeah.
For paddle the players and all that.
One of the, the, the things that it,
some of these players are very happy,
especially know the top players.
Obviously they're making more money.
Know the second tier players or
the players that they make in
one or two rounds, now they're
making enough money for them to
travel to different tournaments.
Right.
Where before in the World Paddle
Tour, they were not making enough
money for them to, they had to,
you know, become a professional.
They had to sleep in the cars.
Yeah, exactly.
Their couches, they were
complaining that in between they
have to play their, their fur.
You know, hotel accommodations,
food coaches and all that.
They were just breaking even.
Yeah.
Barely.
Yeah.
So that's something exciting
that is happening, is happening
as we speak right now.
So that's super, super exciting.
Great for Paddle.
Great for Paddle, great for Paddle guys.
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