Introducing Padel the Sport You Never Knew You Wanted to Play
Imagine if, like the magnificent creation of a Liger (a cross between a Lion and Tiger) or a Grola (a cross between a Grizzly Bear and Polar Bear) the age-old sports of Tennis and Squash were to combine and produce a child. Imagine the boundless possibilities the hybrid offspring of these two sports would produce. Well you need not daydream about these possibilities any longer, for such a coupling has occurred and the magnificent progeny that has been created is Padel which has become the new sporting craze quickly sweeping the world, gaining vast popularity as it does and earning the mantle as the world’s fastest growing sport.
So dear reader join us on a captivating journey of discovery as we unveil before your eyes this sport that at times seems astonishingly familiar but at the same time entirely unique and original. Learn with us why Padel is perfect for people of all ages and abilities and why people all around the world are picking up Padel racquets in droves to give it a try.
So What is Padel
So what in the world is this new and popular sport Padel that I speak of, a sport you’ve probably never heard of before? To begin to understand the game I want you to imagine 4 people playing a game of doubles tennis inside a squash court with a net in the middle. The game play is very similar to tennis with one obvious difference that’s all around you and staring you straight in the face. That’s right, the walls surrounding the court are in play during the game. The ball can be played off all the walls during the rally which is what gives this sport its unique originality and turns everything you may know about the game play of tennis or squash on their heads.
The basic aim of the game is to win points by getting the ball to bounce twice on your opponent’s side of the net or hitting a shot your opponents are unable to get back over the net to you. Sounds pretty simple right, hit a shot past them and as soon as it bounces twice you’re on the scoreboard? Well not so fast young Padelwan, remember those walls surrounding the court? Well this is when they make things interesting, where Padel takes a hard divergent turn from squash and tennis, and the originality and uniqueness of this sport emerge.
The Secret Padel Sauce
That powerful winner you majestically hit past your opponents Gary and Susan that you’d normally celebrate with your customary chicken dance in a game of tennis is now not so surely a winner. In fact this shot with all its power and majesty now zooms straight past Gary, bounces once and rockets into the back wall. It rebounds off this wall and sits up nicely in the air for Gary to amble a few steps toward and easily hit back to you, rudely cutting your celebratory dance short mid step. You gape open mouthed in wonder at how Gary managed to get his racquet on that magnificent shot, he must have the agility of the nimblest of nimble cheetahs, and then you remember the walls, the walls!
This is in essence what makes the sport of Padel so different to any of the sports that at first appearance it may seem similar too. The unique gameplay the walled court creates make this sport suitable for people of all ages and abilities as it requires its own very distinct skill set and strategy setting it apart from any other sport that has come before it.
Speed and power which are so often the decisive factors in a tennis and squash match can be offset by clever player and shot positioning in a game of Padel which makes for completely novel game play and strategy during a match. This is part of the reason this sport has such wide appeal to people of all ages and abilities as it’s easy for beginners to pickup and for people with less mobility to participate in.
Incorporating the walls also adds an “X” factor that can’t be easily understood until you have played. The weird and wonderful shots you can create using the walls at times during the rally encourage a sense of boundless possibilities and creative fun. This has made Padel such a powerhouse in gaining popularity amongst new players as it creates the perfect setting for a super fun social activity between friends or people who quickly become friends when playing together.
Once you become adept at the basics of the game the walls continue to offer so much variety in terms of both the gameplay they create and the strategy you employ trying to make the most of them. This, among other things, is what keeps experienced and more advanced players lacing up their shoes and unsheathing their Padel racquets to continue to play. For an in depth look at the padel court check out our article “The Padel Court: Everything You Wanted to Know”.
The Rules are…there ain’t no rules.
Well not exactly, there are in fact many rules you’ll learn as you start playing Padel but who can resist a quote from a classic movie like Grease. We’ll start with a very basic rundown of the main rules that will be sufficient to give you an idea of how the game works so you can get out there and start Padeling without delay. Once you’ve had a bit of fun giving Padel a go and you want a more in depth understanding of all the ins and outs of the rules check out our article “The Complete Guide to Padel Rules: Everything You Need to Know” in our Playing Padel section for a comprehensive deep dive on all the Padel rules..
Serving it Up
Serving in Padel is similar to tennis. But before you pull out your best impersonation of a 1980’s Boom Boom Becker and hurtle a serve down the court at 180km/h serving in Padel is a far more refined and polite business.
That’s right it’s all very polite in Padel none of this grunting bash and crash of tennis, well not yet anyway. Serving always starts from the right hand side of the court and the server drops the ball letting it bounce once and then hits it underarm, that’s right underarm, across the net into the diagonally opposite service box of their opponent. Like tennis the server gets two chances to land a valid serve on each point. If they are unable to land a valid serve a point is awarded to their opponents. After the point has been played or 2 invalid serves have been attempted the server switches sides and serves to the other opponent and the game continues. For tips on how to improve your padel serve check out our article “The Best Tips to Improve Your Padel Serve”
Wall Art Banksy Would be Proud Of
Now once the rally starts you’ll be itching to hit a masterful stroke off one of those walls to dazzle and bamboozle your opponents. Well before you tee off on poor Gary and Susan there are first some rules about when the walls can be used that must be observed.
Basically any shot you hit must bounce on your opponent’s side of the net before it hits a side or rear wall on their side you can’t just blast the ball into the walls on the full. So you need to wind back the power level and wind up the finesse level, think less Raffa and more Roger. For a beginners guide on basic padel shots check out our article “How to Improve Basic Padel Shots: A Beginners Guide”
You can hit a ball that has bounced on your side of the net directly into a wall on your side to get it back to your opponent’s side as long as it bounces in their court before it hits a wall on their side. So as you can see the walls can keep a rally alive longer and give you a myriad of extra options for making shots. You’ll feel like a wizard conjuring spells as you satisfy your urges to bounce the ball off every surface imaginable when you first start playing.
Keeping Score
Padel uses the same scoring system as tennis. The matches are played across 3 sets and the match is won by the first team to win 2 of those sets. The sets are won by the first team that reaches 6 or 7 games with a 2 game break on their opponent for example 6-4 or 7-5. If the games scores are deadlocked when the teams reach 6 games the players fight to the death using their racquets until only one team remains. Well that’s the change I’m currently petitioning the World Padel Foundation to make but as it stands the teams decide who wins the the set by a tiebreak which I’ll explain later. So that’s all pretty simple so far nothing out of the ordinary, however, if you’re unfamiliar with the tennis scoring system this is when it gets a little strange.
For each individual game the same person serves alternating the opponent player they serve too until the game is won or lost. Points are awarded to the team that wins the rally or when the other team is unable to return the ball within the rules. Each team starts the game with 0 points which is known as “Love”. When you win your first point your score is 15 and when you win your second point your score is 30. Makes sense so I guess each point is worth 15 I hear you ask? Well Sherlock that’s where your detective skills fail you. When you win your third point your score is in fact 40, how’s that for a twist. If you then win the fourth point you win the game and it’s your opponents turn to serve.
No one really understands why it’s such an odd scoring system, although it’s universally agreed it was developed by someone who struggled with simple maths. If two teams reach 40 together it’s called deuce and from deuce 1 team must win two points in a row to win the game. If team A wins one point and then then team B wins the next point we are back at deuce and once again one team must then win two points in a row from here to win the game. If team A wins the first point after deuce it is then Advantage Team A and if they subsequently win the next point it is game to Team A.
If the game score is tied 6 games a piece at the end of a set then we move into a tiebreak. Both teams start the tiebreak on zero and individual points are scored singularly, not in some haphazard fashion like the general game play scoring. The first team to win 7 points with a 2 point buffer wins the set. If one team reaches 7 points but they do not have a 2 point break the tiebreak continues until a 2 point break is established. Tiebreaks can be quite epic and a great deal of fun as the pressure gets dialled up and the competitive beasts often emerge from even the calmest players.
Not your Average Racquet
Saying that Padel racquets are somewhat different to your average tennis racquet is like saying that a tiger is somewhat different to a cat, a blatantly obvious understatement that becomes apparent as soon as you lay your eyes on your first Padel racquet.
Firstly they are smaller and of solid construction with no strings, which by the way are so yesterday! The most striking and unique element of the Padel racquet though is the pattern of holes across its surface. Some say these holes offer unique performance characteristics, others say they are a fashion statement, whilst a small group believe they signify your relationship status. Whatever you choose to believe there are a vast array of racquets out there to choose from across a wide range of price points designed to suit every player. To embark on a quick course to learn all about the padel racket design, how it affects the rackets performance and which type of racket would be best for you check out our 3 part article series:
How to Choose the Best Shaped Padel Racket
What is the Best Padel Racket Core for Your Game
What are the Best Padel Racket Frame and Face Materials
For all the rest of our comprehensive library of padel racket information including individual racket reviews, comparisons and buying guides see our dedicated Padel Racket section.
Why You’ll Love Padel (Or at Least Be Thoroughly Entertained)
Here’s the thing about Padel: it’s ridiculously fun and you don’t need to be a pro athlete to enjoy it. The smaller court and slower ball make it accessible to all ages and skill levels. Plus, the social aspect is a big part of the game. Since you’re always playing doubles, you’ll get plenty of laughs, high-fives, and can enjoy great friendly banter with your opponents and partner throughout the match.
And let’s be honest, hitting a ball against a wall, watching it fly in weird directions, and then frantically trying to keep up with it is just plain great fun and hilarious. There’s a certain joy in the unpredictability, and every match feels like embarking on a new adventure. Padel even has its lingo as you’ll discover in our article “All the Best Unique and Traditional Padel Terminology and Phrases Explaied”
Ready to Get Padelin’
So, as we come to the end of our journey into the basics of Padel, are you ready to step onto the court and see what all the fuss is about? Padel is one of those sports that’s easy to pick up but hard to put down. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never held a racquet before or if you’ve tried every racquet sport imaginable, Padel has a way of drawing you in and feeling unique to anything you’ve ever tried before. Just remember: it’s not about being perfect. It’s about having fun, embracing the chaos, and maybe, just maybe, learning how to bounce a ball off a wall with style.
Now, go find a court, grab a racquet, and get ready to whack some balls around. Who knows, you might just become the next Padel prodigy. Or, at the very least, you’ll have a good story to tell and a great deal of fun.
