Padel hooks you from day one: it is easy to start, it is played in pairs and rallies are long thanks to the walls. This guide covers what you need to know for your first match.
The basics in one minute
- Four players, two against two, on a 20 × 10 m court enclosed by walls.
- You serve underarm, diagonally, after bouncing the ball.
- The ball must bounce on the opponents’ side before touching their walls.
- On your side, the ball can come off your walls and you can return it as long as it does not bounce twice.
- Scoring is like tennis: 15, 30, 40, game.
All the details in the padel rules.
Where to stand
In padel you do not each play your own half: the pair moves together, as if tied by a rope.
- Returning or defending: both at the back, a couple of metres from the glass.
- Attacking: both at the net, two or three metres from it.
- Never one up and one back for long: it leaves a huge hole in the middle.
Your first shots
- Forehand and backhand: to return from the back. Short swing, no hitting hard. See forehand and backhand.
- The lob: a beginner’s most useful shot. High and deep, then move up to the net. See the lob.
- The volley: at the net, short and firm. See the volley.
- Off the back glass: let the ball come off the glass and hit it as it comes out. Hard at first, but the most fun part of padel. See playing off the back glass.
The kit
- Racket: to start, a round, light racket (around 355–365 g) with a soft feel. More control and easier on the arm.
- Balls: similar to tennis balls, with slightly less pressure.
- Shoes: padel shoes with a herringbone sole for artificial grass courts with sand.
Classic beginner mistakes
- Always hitting hard: in padel, whoever misses least wins.
- Going for the ball before it comes off the glass: often it is better to wait.
- Staying at the back after a good lob.
- Not talking to your partner: “mine!”, “yours!”, “up!”.
Practise on your phone too
In Padelbang you can practise padel’s logic any time: when to lob, when to wait for the glass, when to smash. It is an arcade game, but the rules and the court are the real thing.