Welcome to Part 3 of Our “How to Get Started Playing Padel” Series
Welcome to Part 3 of our three-part beginner series on how to get started playing padel. If you’ve made it this far, you should already have a solid understanding of what padel is, how the court works, and how points are played.
In Part 1, “How to Get Started Playing Padel: The Complete Beginner’s Guide, we covered the foundations — what padel is, why it’s so popular, how padel courts work, and the basic rules and scoring system so everything makes sense before you step onto the court.
👉 (Internal link to Part 1 here)
In Part 2, How to Get Started Playing Padel: Shots, Positioning & Simple Strategy” we went a level deeper, breaking down how rallies unfold, the essential padel shots every beginner should learn, and some simple tactical ideas to help you play smarter and feel more confident during your games.
👉 (Internal link to Part 2 here)
Now, in Part 3, we’re focusing on the final piece of the beginner puzzle: padel equipment. We’ll walk through what you actually need to start playing padel, what you can safely ignore at the beginning, and how to choose beginner-friendly gear that supports your learning rather than holding you back. By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly what to buy (and what not to), so you can step onto the court fully prepared and enjoy your padel journey from day one.
Getting started with padel is refreshingly simple. Unlike many sports that seem to require a full kit bag before you can even step onto the court, padel has a low barrier to entry. You don’t need endless accessories, complicated gear choices, or specialist knowledge to enjoy your first games. In fact, part of padel’s global appeal is that you can be rallying and having fun within minutes of picking up a racket.
That said, the right equipment does make a difference. Not just to performance, but to comfort, confidence, and injury prevention — especially once you start playing regularly. In this final part of our beginner series, we’ll walk through everything you need to know about padel equipment, what actually matters when you’re starting out, and what you can safely ignore until later.
By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly what to buy, what to borrow, and what to avoid — so you can focus on enjoying the game rather than overthinking your gear.
Do You Need to Buy Equipment Before Playing Padel?
The short answer is no — and that’s one of padel’s biggest strengths.
Most padel clubs offer racket hire, beginner sessions include equipment, and many social games are designed specifically for players who are brand new. If you’re trying padel for the first time, borrowing or hiring gear is often the smartest move. It allows you to experience the game before committing to purchases and helps you understand what feels comfortable for you.
However, once you’ve played a few sessions and feel that familiar itch to get back on court again, owning your own equipment becomes worthwhile. Personal gear feels more consistent, more comfortable, and ultimately helps you progress faster.
Let’s break down each piece of equipment — starting with the most important.
Choosing Your First Padel Racket
Your padel racket is the single most important piece of equipment you’ll own, and fortunately, beginners have plenty of forgiving options available.
Unlike tennis rackets, padel rackets are solid and stringless, with holes drilled through the face to improve aerodynamics and control. They’re designed to promote longer rallies and reward placement over power, which is why padel feels so accessible early on.
For beginners, the most important things to look for in a racket are forgiveness, comfort, and control. You want a racket that helps you keep the ball in play, absorbs vibration, and doesn’t punish off-centre hits.
Racket Shape: Why Round Is Best for Beginners
Padel rackets come in three main shapes: round, teardrop, and diamond. While more advanced players may gravitate toward teardrop or diamond shapes for added power, round rackets are overwhelmingly the best choice for beginners.
Round rackets have a larger sweet spot positioned centrally on the face, which makes them far more forgiving when your timing or technique isn’t perfect — something every beginner experiences. They also tend to have lower balance, making them easier to manoeuvre at the net and less tiring on the arm.
If you’re unsure, choosing a round racket is almost always the safest decision for your first purchase for many of the reasons we have outlined in .
For a great guide and tips on avoiding common mistakes buying your first padel racket check out our article “Buying Your First Padel Racket? Beginner Traps & How to Avoid Them”.
Weight and Comfort Matter More Than Power
Many beginners assume heavier rackets equal more power, but in padel this often backfires. Heavier rackets can strain the wrist, elbow, and shoulder, particularly if your technique is still developing.
A lighter, well-balanced racket allows you to swing comfortably, react quickly, and play longer sessions without fatigue. Comfort should always come before power — especially early on.
If a racket feels easy to control and doesn’t cause discomfort after a session, you’re on the right track.
If you’d like more help narrowing things down, we’ve created detailed beginner guides and reviews in our dedicated Padel Racket section to help you cut through all the confusing jargon and terminology so you can choose a racket confidently.
Padel Racket Guides & Reviews
A number of our most popular padel racket reviews guides and comparisons cover beginner padel rackets and include:
“The 5 Best Round Padel Rackets Under $150 For Beginners”
“The Best Adidas Padel Rackets for Beginners (2025)”
“Babolat Contact Padel Racket Review 2025 – Best Budget Beginner Racket”
Do You Really Need Padel Shoes?
Footwear is where beginners often hesitate, and understandably so. The good news is that you don’t need padel-specific shoes to play your very first games.
If you already own supportive tennis shoes or court shoes, they’ll usually be fine when starting out. However, as soon as you begin playing regularly, proper padel shoes become one of the most worthwhile upgrades you can make.
Padel involves a lot of short lateral movements, quick stops, and changes of direction — especially near the net. Shoes designed specifically for padel offer better grip on artificial turf, improved lateral stability, and cushioning designed for the sport’s movement patterns.
Over time, this not only improves performance but significantly reduces the risk of ankle and knee injuries. If you
If you’re planning to play more than occasionally, investing in proper padel shoes is strongly recommended. To get your started there are many great value options we highlight in our guide “Best Padel Shoes Under $100 for Beginners (2025 Edition)” that wont break the bank and will provide a great starting option.
Our dedicated Padel Shoe Hub covers everything from beginner shoe guides to in-depth reviews and comparisons to help you find the right pair of shoes to suit your specific needs. We specialize in matching shoes for players with specific needs with our most popular articles including:
- “The Ultimate Padel Shoes for Wide Feet”
- Choosing the Best Padel Shoes for High Arches (2025): Reduce Your Foot Pain Now with this Guide!
- “5 Best Padel Shoes for Support and Stability 2025”
- “The Best Padel Shoes of 2025: Ultimate Guide to Grip, Cushioning, and Stability”
Padel Balls: Small Differences That Matter
At first glance, padel balls look almost identical to tennis balls, which leads many beginners to assume they’re interchangeable. They’re not.
Padel balls are slightly lower in pressure, which results in a lower bounce and slower pace. This subtle difference makes rallies longer and gameplay more controlled — particularly when the walls come into play.
While brand differences won’t matter much during your first few sessions, using padel-specific balls helps the game feel exactly as it’s meant to. Most clubs provide balls for social play, but if you’re buying your own, always choose balls labelled specifically for padel.
If you’d like to dive deeper, we’ve covered padel balls extensively in our Padel Equipment Section— from beginner information guides explaining the intricacies of padel balls to detailed buying guides and our ranked reviews of the best padel balls available right now (“The Best Padel Balls of 2025: Reviewed and Ranked”).
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Grips, Overgrips, and Comfort
One often overlooked piece of equipment is the grip. A comfortable grip helps you control the racket, absorb sweat, and avoid unnecessary tension in your hand and forearm.
Most rackets come with a basic factory grip, but many players add one or two overgrips on top. This slightly increases thickness, improves comfort, and allows you to fine-tune how the racket feels in your hand.
There’s no perfect number of overgrips — it’s purely personal. The key is that the racket feels secure without requiring you to squeeze tightly. If your hand feels relaxed during play, you’re doing it right. For a deeper dive into the nuances of how padel overgrips can add a whole lot to your game check out our article “Overgrips: How to Improve Your Padel Grip and Game!”
Otherwise for our reviews and buying guides of the best overgrips on the market check out:
- Head Overgrip Review: The Best Head Padel Overgrips Compared
- The Best Wilson Overgrips for Padel(2025): A Beginner-Friendly Guide to Feel, Comfort & Control
Accessories You Don’t Need (Yet)
One of the easiest mistakes beginners make is over-buying accessories. Wrist straps, vibration dampeners, pressurised ball tubes, and specialist bags all have their place — but none of them are essential early on.
A simple sports bag, comfortable clothing, and water bottle are more than enough to get started. As your playing frequency increases, you’ll naturally discover what extras are genuinely useful for you.
Padel is meant to be simple. Let it stay that way in the beginning.
Borrow First, Buy Second
If there’s one overarching rule for beginner equipment, it’s this: don’t rush.
Borrow rackets. Hire shoes. Try different brands. Pay attention to how things feel rather than what looks impressive on paper. Your preferences will evolve quickly as you play more, and your second racket choice will almost always be better informed than your first.
Padel is forgiving, welcoming, and flexible — your equipment choices should be too.
Bringing It All Together
With this article, you now have the full beginner toolkit. Across this three-part series, we’ve covered what padel is, how the game works, the basic rules and shots, and finally, the equipment you need to get started confidently.
You don’t need perfection, expensive gear, or deep technical knowledge to enjoy padel. You just need curiosity, a racket, and a willingness to have fun. Everything else comes naturally with time on court.
If you’ve read all three parts, the only thing left to do is play.
Welcome to your padel life.
