Padel Stretches: Before & After Play to Prevent Injury

By Gary, founder of RacketRise. The stretching guide that directly targets the injuries padel causes.

Last Updated: May 2026

Quick Summary

• Before play: dynamic only — leg swings, arm circles, hip rotations
• After play: static holds — 30–45 seconds per stretch
• Priority areas: shoulder, wrist/forearm, hip flexors, calves
• Shoulder warm-up is non-negotiable — most padel injuries are rotator cuff related
• Wrist stretches after play — solid racket face loads the forearm more than string beds

Quick Answer: Before padel, use dynamic movement stretches only (leg swings, arm circles, hip rotations — no holding). After padel, static stretches for 30–45 seconds each, prioritising: shoulder cross-body, wrist flexors/extensors, hip flexors, hamstrings, and calves. The shoulder and wrist are padel's most injury-prone joints and deserve specific attention in every cooldown.

Why Padel Creates Specific Stretch Demands

Padel is harder on certain joints than most people expect:

Shoulder: Every overhead shot — bandeja, smash, vibora — loads the rotator cuff muscles and subacromial space. The cocking and follow-through phases of overhead swings are particularly demanding.

Forearm/Wrist: The solid EVA core of a padel racket transmits more shock and vibration than a tennis string bed. This means the forearm pronator and supinator muscles, and the wrist tendons, absorb more force per shot than in tennis.

Hip Flexors: Low defensive padel shots and the wide-stance back-wall positions keep the hip flexors under sustained load. They tighten progressively through a match.

Calves: Repeated explosive direction changes and stop-start movements load the Achilles tendon and calf complex throughout play.

Thoracic Spine: Rotational shots (all groundstrokes) require thoracic mobility — poor thoracic rotation is compensated for by the shoulder and lower back, increasing injury risk at both.

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Pre-Play Dynamic Stretches (No holding)

Perform each for 30–45 seconds or 10–15 repetitions. Keep moving — do not hold.

Lower Body

Forward Leg Swings Stand on one leg, swing the other forward and back. Gradually increase range. 10 per leg.
Targets: hip flexors, hamstrings

Lateral Leg Swings Swing each leg across the body and out to the side. 10 per leg.
Targets: hip adductors, abductors — essential for lateral padel movement

Hip Circles Feet shoulder-width, hands on hips. Make large circles from the hip joint. 10 each direction.
Targets: hip capsule and rotators

Walking Lunges 10 lunges, focusing on the hip flexor stretch at the bottom of each lunge.
Targets: hip flexors, glutes, quads

Lateral Lunges Step wide to one side, lower hips toward that foot, hold for 1 second, return. 8 per side.
Targets: inner thigh, glutes

High Knees Jog with exaggerated high knee lifts for 20m.
Targets: hip flexors, core

Upper Body

Arm Circles Extend arms wide, make circles starting small and building to large. 10 each direction per arm.
Targets: shoulder girdle, rotator cuff

Shoulder Rotations One arm extended forward, make progressively larger circles. 10 each direction.
Targets: glenohumeral joint warm-up

Thoracic Rotations Arms crossed over chest, feet planted, rotate upper body to each side. 10 each direction.
Targets: thoracic spine rotation — directly used in all groundstrokes

Wrist Circles Extend one hand forward, make circles with the hand. 10 each direction per wrist.
Targets: wrist joint, forearm tendons

Pendulum Shoulder Bend forward at the waist, let the arm hang, swing it gently in circles. 20 seconds per arm.
Targets: shoulder joint decompression — excellent if you have any history of shoulder tightness

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Post-Play Static Stretches (Hold 30–45 seconds)

These are only appropriate after play when the muscles are warm. Hold each position — don't bounce.

Shoulder and Upper Back

Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch Pull one arm across the chest, held at the elbow by the opposite hand. Hold 30–45 seconds per side.
Targets: posterior deltoid and rotator cuff — the muscles most overloaded by padel overheads

Doorway Chest Opener Stand in a doorway, hands on frame at shoulder height. Step forward gently until you feel the stretch across the chest and front shoulders. Hold 30–45 seconds.
Targets: pectorals, anterior deltoid — tight from the padel swing follow-through

Overhead Tricep Stretch Raise one arm, bend at the elbow, use the other hand to pull the elbow back. Hold 30 seconds per side.
Targets: tricep and posterior shoulder — loaded during the smash cocking phase

Cat-Cow (Thoracic Mobility) On hands and knees, alternate between arching and rounding the spine. 10 slow reps.
Targets: thoracic and lumbar spine mobility

Wrist and Forearm

Wrist Flexor Stretch (most important for padel players) Extend one arm forward, palm up. Use the other hand to gently pull the fingers back (wrist extending). Hold 30–45 seconds per wrist.
Targets: wrist flexors and medial forearm — directly addresses padel/tennis elbow at the inner elbow

Wrist Extensor Stretch Extend one arm forward, palm down. Gently flex the wrist downward with the other hand. Hold 30–45 seconds per wrist.
Targets: wrist extensors, lateral forearm — lateral epicondylitis prevention

Forearm Pronator Stretch Extend one arm, palm up. Rotate the forearm gently to bring the palm face down against slight resistance from the other hand. 10 slow reps per arm.
Targets: pronator teres — heavily used in slice forehand and serve

Hip and Lower Body

Hip Flexor Lunge Low lunge position — front knee over ankle, back knee on ground. Gently push hips forward. Hold 45 seconds per side.
Targets: iliopsoas hip flexor — tightens during back-wall defensive positions

Standing Quad Stretch Balance on one leg, pull the other foot up behind you toward the glute. Hold 30 seconds per side.
Targets: quadriceps and hip flexor

Seated Hamstring Stretch Sit on the floor, legs extended. Reach toward your feet (as far as comfortable without bending knees). Hold 45 seconds.
Targets: hamstrings — loaded during padel lunges and low ball retrieval

Calf Stretch (Wall) Stand arm's distance from a wall. Place one foot back, heel on floor, lean forward. Hold 45 seconds per calf.
Targets: gastrocnemius — the main calf muscle; loaded during every stop-start movement

Calf Stretch (Soleus — bent knee) Same as above but bend the back knee slightly. Hold 45 seconds.
Targets: soleus — deeper calf muscle; important for Achilles tendon health

Figure-4 Glute Stretch Sitting or lying, cross one ankle over the opposite knee. Pull the knee toward your chest. Hold 45 seconds per side.
Targets: piriformis and deep hip rotators — loaded during lateral movement

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Stretching for Specific Padel Injuries

Tennis Elbow / Lateral Epicondylitis (Outer Elbow Pain)

The wrist extensor stretch (palm-down, flex wrist downward) directly targets the affected tendon. Hold for 45 seconds, 3 times per wrist. Reduce racket grip size if pain persists — an oversized grip forces wrist extensors to work harder.

Padel Shoulder / Rotator Cuff Impingement

Cross-body shoulder stretch and pendulum shoulder (pre-warm-up) are the primary stretches. Also add sleeper stretch: lie on the affected side, arm extended, gently rotate the forearm toward the floor. Hold 45 seconds.

Calf Strain / Achilles Tightness

Both calf stretches (straight and bent knee) held for 60 seconds each. After a calf strain, avoid returning to play until both stretches can be held without discomfort.

Hip Flexor Tightness

Hip flexor lunge stretch plus a figure-4 stretch. Tight hip flexors compensate by over-rotating the lower back — addressing them early prevents lower back pain.

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Stretching Frequency for Regular Padel Players

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• Is Padel a Good Workout?
• Padel for Over 50s UK

Frequently Asked Questions