One of the most uncomfortable things that can happen to you playing paddle tennis is that you get a blister, both on your feet and on your hands. And they are not only annoying, they are also quite painful and can ruin a game. That is why it is important to know why blisters occur, how we can avoid them and how to treat them if they have already appeared.
Blisters in paddle tennis is something that can occur relatively frequently but if we do things right, we equip ourselves correctly and take care of a series of aspects we can avoid them.
Why do blisters occur?
Blisters usually form on the heels or soles of the feet due to wearing shoes in poor condition, inadequate or very worn shoes or shoes that do not fit well and cause chafing that ends up producing them.
Also in paddle tennis, it is common for blisters to appear on our hands due to the sweat on our hands and the friction with the handle of the racket, especially if our overgrip is in poor condition.
How to avoid blisters in padel
In order not to have blisters, you just have to be aware of a series of things that are fundamentally based on having the equipment in good condition:
- Use good shoes. We already talked about what to take into account when choosing our paddle tennis shoes. The main thing is that they are comfortable for us, that they adapt to our foot and to the footprint, it is advisable to wear them for the first time and get them done a few days before going out to play on the court so that the foot adapts and we mold them.
- Sometimes, even if the paddle tennis shoes are good and fit us well, they may rub against us because they are too hard at first. To "tame" them a little, you can apply a little moisturizing cream that helps the leather to become more flexible and thus prevent them from hurting us.
- Socks are another element to take care of to avoid blisters on paddle tennis. They have to be made of natural fabrics that allow perspiration, because heat and perspiration cause blisters to appear. They must fit well to our foot and we must try not to leave wrinkles that can cause friction points of the foot.
- Moisturizing the feet by applying Vaseline in the areas most prone to blisters such as heels, fingers and ankles is also a good option. And to avoid excessive sweating (even if the shoes and socks are breathable), it doesn't hurt to apply a little talcum powder.
- To avoid blisters on your hands, you have to be careful to change the overgrip of the racket frequently and, again, putting a little talcum powder on your hands will always help us to have a firmer grip and not slip, making it difficult for the palms to chafe.
How do you treat blisters?
If you have developed a blister playing paddle tennis and you do not plan to play again until a few days later, it is best not to touch it, not to burst it and let it heal naturally. Maintaining proper hygiene and using adequate protection so that they do not hurt too much and do not explode.
If, on the other hand, you are immersed in a tournament or any type of competition and you get a blister during a match, you will have to stop and get a first cure. In this way it will not get bigger and we will ensure that it does not bother us so we can continue playing.
You have to puncture the blister with a disinfected needle and drain it well until it is empty of fluid. Go through the skin at one or two points but leave the skin to protect the injured area, do not cut it.
Once this is done, you will have to place a small gelatin dressing on top of the area so that it does not sting and serves as padding and allows you to continue playing with less discomfort. It is also good to cover it with a band-aid.
At the end of the match, remove the bandage and dressing, wash your feet well and dry them carefully. If the blister has formed again and the next day you have a match again, do a new cure like the previous one. If it has not formed, you can rest with the injury "in the air" and the next day before playing see the evolution in case it is necessary to make a new cure and if not, you will still have to cover the area and protect it with another dressing, gauze or band-aid so it doesn't bother you playing.
As you can see, if a problem of this type arises in which it is necessary to have a small cure, it is interesting to always carry a small first-aid kit in the paletero. That some blisters do not spoil a paddle tennis match for not being prepared.
