How to get started

Tick these off as you go

A woman in black lunging low to reach a ball on a blue padel court — Low, and after the bounce

02

The rules in two minutes

Padel is doubles. Singles courts exist but are rare.
Scoring is tennis scoring: 15, 30, 40, game, six games to a set, best of three sets.
The serve is underhand. Bounce the ball behind the service line and hit it at or below waist height, diagonally into the opposite service box. You get two serves.
The ball must bounce on the turf on your opponents' side before it touches any wall or fence. Hit their glass on the full and you lose the point.
After that bounce the ball can hit the walls and you can still play it, as long as it has not bounced on the turf twice.
You may hit the ball into the glass on your own side to send it back over the net. You may not use the wire mesh that way.
A serve that bounces in the box and then hits the mesh fence is a fault. One that bounces and hits the glass is live.
You can volley anything except the return of serve, and you cannot touch the net.

The official rulebook

International Padel Federation (FIP) The world governing body, which publishes the official rules of the game

03

How to choose a first racket

Shape decides how forgiving it is.

Round heads have a large sweet spot in the middle and suit beginners. Teardrop heads are a middle ground. Diamond heads put the weight and sweet spot high for power and punish off-center hits.

Balance matters more than total weight.

A low or even balance feels light in the hand and is easier on the elbow. Head-heavy rackets hit harder and tire the arm.

Pick a weight around 12.5 to 13 oz (355 to 370 g).

Lighter players and anyone with a history of tennis elbow should stay near the bottom of that range.

A soft foam core gives a comfortable, springy hit that helps slow swings clear the net.

Hard cores reward fast swings you do not have yet.

A fiberglass face is softer and cheaper than carbon and is the right choice for a first racket.

Stiff full-carbon faces are for later.

Before each session

Check the wrist cord is not frayed, re-wrap the overgrip if it is slick, and never leave the racket in a hot car. Heat softens the foam core and kills the feel.

A hand holding an orange and blue perforated padel racket in front of the court glass — Solid face, drilled holes, no strings

A man seen from above bending to a ball beside a white line on blue turf

04

The skills to work on first

One grip, the glass, the lob

Continental grip

Hold the racket like a hammer and keep that one grip for volleys, serves and wall shots.

Letting the ball go

Turn sideways, let the ball pass you, and hit it after it comes off the back glass. This single habit separates padel players from tennis players.

The lob

A high, deep ball over the pair at the net is the most useful shot in the game, because it takes the net away from them.

Net position

Points are won from the net. Move up together after a good lob and back together when you are lobbed.

The soft volley

Block the ball deep to the corners rather than swinging at it.

05

What trips beginners up

What to expect, and what to stop

Expect the glass to confuse you for the first few sessions. Reading a rebound is a new skill even for good tennis players.
Expect long rallies to leave you more out of breath than the small court suggests.
Expect to lose to patient pairs who hit softer than you do.
Stop hitting hard. A fast ball comes back off the glass as an easy setup for the other pair.
Stop standing in the middle of the court between the service line and the back wall. Be at the net or behind the service line.
Stop taking big tennis backswings. There is no room near the glass, and a short compact swing is more accurate.
Stop splitting from your partner. If one of you goes forward and the other stays back, the gap between you is where you lose the point.

Two players touching rackets on a blue padel court with the mesh fence behind them

06

Where to play and what it costs

Four players, one booking

Padel needs a purpose-built court, 66 feet by 33 feet (20 by 10 m) with glass and mesh walls, so you play at a club rather than a public park. In the US most courts are in Florida, Texas, California and the New York area, with new clubs opening in most large cities. A court is usually booked for 90 minutes and costs roughly $40 to $100 depending on the city and the hour, split between four players. Clubs run open matches, where you take one of four paid spots and are grouped by level, and Americano socials, where partners rotate every few games. Both are the easiest way in if you do not have three friends ready to play. Courts are indoor or outdoor, and the game is the same on both. Glass is slick when wet, so outdoor sessions stop for rain.

Find a court and a game

07

Where to learn

One group lesson early on is worth more than any gear upgrade, because a coach will fix your grip and teach you to use the back glass in an hour. Between sessions, free video lessons cover the lob, the wall shots and where to stand. Watching a professional match helps most if you ignore the smashes and follow how the four players move as two pairs.

Lessons and matches to watch

08

Why the kit looks like this

The kit is small because the club supplies the court, the net and the walls. The racket and balls are the only things the game cannot happen without. Shoes are recommended rather than essential because clean-soled court shoes will get you through the first sessions, but they are the next thing to buy: padel is all short sprints and pivots on sand-dressed turf. Overgrips and a frame protector are a few dollars each and keep the racket in your hand and in one piece. The bag is optional: its job is to keep the racket padded, away from your shoes and out of the heat. Court fees are the real running cost, not gear.

Four padel rackets fanned in a circle with yellow balls on blue turf — Four rackets, one can of balls

09

Pack the bag

Compare the options below, then set your tiers and check out from the bag. Clicking a card selects it there, and clicking the selected card again takes that line out. The racket, balls, shoes, overgrips and frame protector start in the bag. The racket bag is optional, so it starts out until you pick one.

Beginner padel racket

essential · Core equipment

It is the one piece of gear the sport is named for: a short, solid, perforated racket with no strings. A round, soft one gives you a big sweet spot while your timing is still rough.

budget

Head EVO Speed Padel Racket Paddle Series (226403)

4.7(1.1K)

$87.80

Padel

How to get started

The rules in two minutes

How to choose a first racket

The skills to work on first

What trips beginners up

Where to play and what it costs

Where to learn

Why the kit looks like this

Pack the bag

Beginner padel racket

Padel balls

Padel court shoes

Padel overgrips

Padel racket frame protector

Padel racket bag