Padel was born as a cousin of tennis, but today they are very different sports. These are the main differences.
| Padel | Tennis | |
|---|---|---|
| Court | 20 × 10 m, enclosed by walls | 23.77 × 10.97 m (doubles), open |
| Walls | Yes, part of the game | No |
| Players | Almost always 2 v 2 | Singles or doubles |
| Serve | Underarm, after a bounce | Overarm, no bounce |
| Racket | Solid, no strings | Strung racket |
| Ball | Similar, slightly less pressure | Tennis ball |
| Net | 0.88 m in the middle | 0.914 m in the middle |
| Scoring | 15-30-40, sets to 6, often golden point | 15-30-40, sets to 6 |
The walls change everything
In tennis, if the ball passes you, the point is gone. In padel, the ball comes off the glass and you can return it. That is why rallies are longer and shots exist that tennis does not have: playing off the back glass, the contrapared, the bandeja or the víbora.
Less power, more tactics
In padel, hitting hard does little: the wall gives the ball back. The pair that positions best and misses least wins. That is why the lob is the most important shot and the smash is used with care.
Easier to start
- The court is smaller: less running.
- The serve is underarm: no hard serve to learn.
- The walls: rallies last longer even when you miss.
- You play in pairs: it is more social.
And on your phone?
There are plenty of tennis games for phones, but very few padel ones. Padelbang is an arcade 2 v 2 padel game with real glass walls, where every shot is a gesture: the lob, the bandeja, the víbora or playing off the glass, just like on your court.