As the sport progresses from a fun hobby to a fascination with levels and competition, more and more players want to know, what shots and tactics can I use to win more matches?

Who better to ask than British men's No.1 Christian Medina Murphy? The winner of four titles on the FIP world circuit shares some of his secrets for grassroots padel players...

What are your top three tips for amateur padel players?

The first is to be solid. Consistency wins padel matches. Don't try to use too much power or win points using tennis shots. Use the space on court more than the power.

Second is, don't use too much spin. Padel is not like tennis. It's easier to learn the timing of hitting a padel ball by playing flat. Once you have learned that, then a little bit of spin is enough. I see players using a lot of spin, or doing big preparation shots. That's not the correct technique.

Third is understanding about the positioning on the court at the net, in defence and on the transitions. Learn where you have to be, hit the ball and recover to the position.

When you serve, try to get to the net and in rallies try to protect the corners because that's the toughest place to defend.

When you've found a way to go on attack after a lob, passing shot or chiquita, get to an attacking position at the net. These things can make a huge difference.

What is your favourite tactic?

There are so many variables that you cannot have a favourite tactic, you must adapt to the conditions; on a quick or slow court, or against opponents who have a big smash, for example. The goal in padel is to have all the cards, and use them in different situations. There's no one tactic that will win you the match.

What do you do in pressure moments?

In padel, it's normal to have confident moments where everything is going right and you are doing all the correct things, and others where your concentration goes and you can't find solutions. You must understand that each is just a period of time. It will pass.

When I'm playing badly, I try to take longer between points and slow the game down. If I know I won't be at my best for the next five minutes, it's better for me to play only eight points in that time rather than 20 points.

What's really important in these moments is a good relationships with your partner. Then, you can say to them, 'I'm struggling for a solution here. Try to cover me in the middle.' Or if you feel your partner is not in a good moment, try to boost their confidence and reassure them too, to take a bit of pressure off them.

How do you choose the right partner for you?

In the professional arena, choosing a partner is about their FIP points, playing level and your situations.

I am based in Alicante and I was playing with random players on the circuit for six or seven months who I couldn't train with very often. It was really tough to find a way to play together, to reset matches and come back from bad situations. Ideally, as a professional player, you want someone who is prepared to take on a long project with you.

It's really important to play with a partner who boosts your confidence, who you can train with and travel together. You spend a lot of time with them so you must have a good relationship. And they must want to play with you, too!

Your partner is 50% of the result. You have to understand you will sometimes be in bad situations yourself, and at other times your partner will win a match for you.

For me, choosing a partner is the toughest thing in the sport. I was competing in tennis, triathlon and athletics before padel so this was all new to me when I started. But it's part of the sport.

How do you prepare for padel matches?

It depends if it's in the morning or evening. In the morning I need more time to wake up, so I will take longer.

But usually, I start to prepare one or two hours beforehand. I always try to eat two hours before my match. Then one hour before, I go to the warm-up area and around 45 minutes before, I do mobility exercises, then try to warm up 15-20 minutes on court before I start. To all the club players out there, I say best of luck and enjoy your padel!