There are many ways to come back from a holiday. You can come back with beautiful photos, an ensaimada in your suitcase or that feeling of finally having disconnected. But you can also come back playing better padel. And to me, that idea makes a lot of sense.

A padel holiday in Mallorca does not have to be only about matches, sunshine and beautiful plans. It can also be an opportunity to train, correct mistakes, gain confidence and return home with new tools on court.

Mallorca helps make that possible. Palma enjoys around 300 days of sunshine a year, which makes outdoor sport part of its lifestyle. But sunshine alone does not improve your bandeja. To progress in padel, you need something more. You need training.

When I started playing padel in 2022, I came from basketball. I had competed, trained and even refereed for the Balearic Federation, so I thought adapting to another sport would just be a matter of time.

Then I stepped onto a padel court and understood that every sport has its own language. I did not know where to position myself. I did not understand the rebounds. Every time the ball touched the glass, I reacted late, badly or as if I were trying to solve a magic trick. Still, I had such a good time that I kept playing.

Later, I joined a women’s fourth-division team in Mallorca. And I say this with affection and honesty: at the beginning, I was one of the weakest players in the group. I ran a lot, gave my best and fought for every point, but that is not always enough. Because in padel, running a lot does not mean playing well. And neither does hitting hard.

For a while, I thought improving simply meant playing more matches. But if no one corrects you, you can spend months repeating the same mistake: poor positioning, an incorrect grip, an uncontrolled bandeja or a bad reading of the glass. That is where a professional coach makes the difference.

A good coach does not only teach you how to hit the ball. They help you understand the game. They correct your technique, your body position, your footwork and your court positioning. They explain when to move up to the net, when to defend, when to play a lob, when to accelerate and when not to make life more complicated than it needs to be. Because very often, padel is not won with power. It is won with calm, positioning and good decisions.

Training sessions helped me enormously. Little by little, I began to read the glass better, move with more confidence and feel that I did not have to run after every ball as if I were putting out fires. I also started to trust myself more.

Now I can face higher-level matches, play against stronger opponents and even compete against men who hit much harder physically. Not because I am stronger, but because I have learned to defend better, think faster and place the ball more intelligently.

This year, I have set myself the goal of trying to play in third division. And if I dare to set that goal, it is because training has given me something I did not have before: confidence.

Padel does not only train the body. It also trains the mind. It teaches you patience, because not every point is won with the first shot. It teaches you humility, because there is always a ball that reminds you how much you still have to learn. It teaches you communication, because you play with a partner. And it teaches you how to manage frustration, because in padel you make mistakes, reset your position and try again. Perhaps that is why it is so addictive.

And perhaps that is why combining padel and holidays makes so much sense. I have always liked the phrase: “Happiness cannot be bought, it is travelled.”

I would add something else: if that trip includes sport, good company and Mediterranean sunshine, happiness multiplies.

In addition, playing racket sports has been associated in studies with important health benefits. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine linked racket sports with a lower risk of overall and cardiovascular mortality. Although the study referred to sports such as tennis, squash or badminton, padel shares many of the same elements: movement, coordination, reflexes, strategy and a social component.

But beyond the data, every player knows it: after a good match, you feel better. More awake. More alive.

That is why at Grip and Trip we include training sessions with professional coaches in our padel packages in Mallorca. Matches are the fun, social and competitive part. But if you really want to improve, you need someone to observe you, correct you and adapt the exercises to your level.

We want every player to enjoy Mallorca, but also to go home feeling that they have learned something: a better reading of the glass, more confidence at the net, a more controlled bandeja, a more organised defence or simply a smarter way to move on court.

Not every player travels with the same goal. Some want to compete better. Others want to gain confidence. Others simply want to enjoy themselves, but appreciate understanding why that ball that looked easy ended up in the net. And everyone can improve something.

Because playing padel in Mallorca is already a wonderful plan. But playing, training, improving and then going out to enjoy Palma, the sea, the gastronomy and the good weather makes the trip much more complete.

That is what we want to create with Grip and Trip: trips where padel is the starting point, but not the only memory.

Holidays where you come back with beautiful photos, yes. But also with more confidence, better shots and the feeling that you have taken a small step forward in your game.