Padel · Guide
How to play padel: a beginner's guide
Padel is doubles tennis on a small court inside glass walls, with a short solid racket and an underarm serve. It is quick to learn: most people are enjoying proper rallies in their first hour.
What you need
- Three friends. It is played two against two.
- A court. Book online at a club or venue; most hire out rackets.
- A racket: short, solid, with holes and no strings. See padel rackets explained.
- Balls: like tennis balls, with a little less pressure.
- Shoes that grip on sandy artificial grass.
Your first game in five steps
- Serve underarm. Bounce the ball behind the service line and hit it below waist height, diagonally into the box opposite.
- Let it bounce, then use the glass. When the ball comes off the back glass, wait for it and hit it on the way out. Do not rush it.
- Get it over the net onto their floor. Your shot must land in their court before it touches their walls.
- Get to the net. The pair at the net usually wins the point. Move up together after a good shot.
- Lob when you are under pressure. A high ball over the net players pushes them back and lets you take the net.
The full rules are in padel rules explained, and the scoring, including the star point, in padel scoring.
Beginner mistakes
- Hitting too hard. Power usually sends the ball off the back glass to your opponent. Placement wins points.
- Standing in no man's land, halfway between the net and the back. Be at the net or at the back.
- Playing the ball before the glass when it would have come back to you nicely.
- Both players chasing the same ball. Balls down the middle usually go to the player with their forehand there.
Quick answers
- Is padel easy for beginners?
- Yes. The underarm serve, small court, short solid racket and walls keep rallies going, so most beginners are having proper rallies in their first session.
- Do you need to know tennis to play padel?
- No. Tennis players pick up the scoring straight away, but the walls are new to everyone, and people with squash or no racket experience at all learn just as quickly.
- What should I wear to play padel?
- Sports clothes and proper court shoes. Padel courts are artificial grass with sand, so shoes with a herringbone or clay-style sole grip best.
- How many people do you need to play padel?
- Four. Padel is a doubles game: two against two.