Thanks a lot for playing this long and writing all this up, really helpful.
You're right about the shadow. It's tiny and almost the same color as the court, so you can't tell where the ball is in the air. I've made it bigger and darker for the next update, and it already feels a lot easier to read.
Aiming does exist, but you basically can't feel it. The shot goes wherever you're holding left/right at the moment you hit. You're usually already running toward the ball, so it ends up kind of random.
"Arcade padel" is fair, that's pretty much what I'm going for. Glad you liked the look and the animations, and thanks for the stars! I'll post here when the update is live.