# Relationship between Ball Impact Point, Type of Stroke and Shot Direction in High-Performance Padel
## 1 Introduction  
Padel is a relatively new sport [1], played on a 20 \(\times\) 10 m court [2], whose player base has recently increased worldwide [3; 4]. Similar studies have been undertaken on this sport, with the main topic being performance indicators [5; 6], especially in regard to three fundamental aspects: temporal structure [7; 8; 9; 10], players' movements and distance covered on the court [11; 12; 13], and game actions, such as technical or tactical parameters [14; 15; 16; 6]. The main aim of research on this topic has been to try to identify game actions to explain the tactical behavior of players during competitions [10], providing objective information on real game situations [17]. This research information can help coaches and players to enhance performance through effective competition-based training [18]. It enables them to devise strategies for better performance and improve decision-making and feedback based on players' behavior during a match [15].  
Performance parameters have been analyzed in relation to padel, providing important information about game patterns and energy requirements during competitions [7; 18]. Regarding the characteristics of the game, it has been reported that there are 9-10 strokesper point in high-level padel [19; 20]. The shots with the highest frequency are volleys, smash, serve and groundstrokes [6; 11]. In addition, two tactical positions in padel have been described: the net position, where the pair plays close to the net, and the background position, where the pair plays at the baseline of the court [21; 22]. Previous studies have confirmed that there is a greater likelihood of winning a point (pertaining to more than 80% of the points), when spending more time in the net position [6; 13], using strokes such as bandejas, smashes (12-16%), and forehand and backhand volleys (20-25%) [11; 23; 24]. However, players in background positions use other types of strokes (with lobs serving as the most frequent type of hit), with the aim of reaching the net position and forcing the opponents to hit the ball away from the net, forcing them to go back to the background position [25].  
However, it is important to know the distribution of points and errors in the different strokes because it allows one to characterize players' performance and predict a match's outcome and success in a game [10; 17; 26]. Regarding scoring strategies, players' locations (i.e., net or baseline, right or left side, etc.) or players' techniques (i.e., hitting the ball at a good location) have been reported to have notable implications in padel [16; 27; 28]. Thus, it appears that two fundamental tactical principles for achieving success in racket sports are varying the direction of shots and hitting the ball to the corners of the court [25; 29; 30]. In tennis, hitting the ball earlier or later in a stroke can generate changes in ball direction [31] and serve velocity [32]. Some studies have analyzed impact points and joint angle changes [33]. In this regard, where the ball impacts the racket face (string bed) has a direct effect on racket/arm motion in tennis strokes [33]. The relationship between the location of the ball's impact and shot direction could provide valuable information for developing the ability to anticipate an opponent's shots [33]. This information could help players move more efficiently and productively on the court [31; 34; 35]. However, there is a concerning lack of research investigating ball impact points in padel. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between ball impact point, type of stroke, and shot direction in high-performance padel. This information could assist coaches in comprehending players' strategies and their effectiveness in padel games.