You’ve seen the enclosed glass courts at your local sports complex and wondered what that game is. Or a friend dragged you along and you spent an hour laughing and hitting balls off walls. Or maybe you’ve just seen padel exploding across social media and want to understand what all the noise is about.
Whatever brought you here: padel is genuinely one of the most fun sports you can pick up as an adult. It’s faster to learn than tennis, easier on your body than squash, and almost impossible to play without smiling.
This guide covers everything you need to start playing padel: what gear to buy, how the court and rules work, which shots to focus on first, and how to find people to play with.
Why padel? (And why everyone is suddenly playing it)
Padel is the fastest-growing sport in the world right now — and that’s not marketing speak. There are now over 25 million padel players globally, with participation growing over 250% since 2022. New courts are opening at a rate of roughly 9 per day worldwide.
Here’s why it’s catching on so fast:
The enclosed court keeps balls in play, the racket is forgiving, and the underhand serve is easy to learn. Most beginners have a genuine rally within their first 20 minutes on court.
Padel is always 2v2. Every session is social by design. You’ll meet people, build friendships, and find yourself in a WhatsApp group planning the next game before you leave the court.
You don’t need to be fast, strong, or young to be competitive at padel. Reading wall angles, court positioning, and partner communication matter more than raw athleticism. Players in their 50s and 60s regularly beat younger opponents.
An hour of padel burns 400–600 calories. You’re sprinting, pivoting, and reacting constantly — but you’re so focused on the game that it doesn’t feel like exercise until you stop.
The catch? You always need four players. That’s historically the hardest part of getting into padel regularly. We’ll solve that at the end of this guide.
What padel equipment do beginners actually need?
Good news: the gear list is short and the costs are reasonable.
1. A beginner padel racket
This is your main purchase. Padel rackets look nothing like tennis rackets — they’re solid (no strings), shorter, and perforated with holes to reduce air resistance.
For beginners, look for: A round-shaped head (more forgiving sweet spot than diamond or teardrop shapes), medium-soft foam core (easier on your arm), and a weight between 350–375g. Avoid “advanced” rackets with stiff cores — they require precise technique you won’t have yet.
Expect to spend $50–150 for a solid beginner racket. Babolat, Head, Bullpadel, and Wilson all make good entry-level options. Don’t buy a $300 advanced racket to start — the stiffer foam will work against you and increase injury risk.
Shape guide for beginners:
Best for beginners
Sweet spot is centred and large. Forgiving on off-centre hits. Easier to control for players still developing their technique.
Good for intermediate players
Balance of control and power. Works well once you’ve played 20+ hours and can consistently find the sweet spot.
Advanced players only
Maximum power but tiny sweet spot. Requires precise technique. Skip this until you’re consistently competitive.
2. Padel balls
Padel balls look almost identical to tennis balls but have slightly lower internal pressure. You can’t substitute tennis balls — they bounce too high off walls and feel wrong.
A tube of three padel balls costs $3–6. Like tennis balls, they go dead after a few hours of play. Most clubs supply balls with court hire, so check before buying your own.
3. Court shoes
Any shoes with lateral support work for padel — your existing tennis shoes, squash shoes, or indoor court shoes are all fine.
What to avoid
Running shoes only support forward motion and won’t protect you during the side-to-side movement padel demands. Don’t wear them — you’re asking for a rolled ankle. Any lateral-support sports shoe works; dedicated padel shoes are ideal but not required when starting out.
4. Clothing
Whatever you’d wear to the gym is fine. Padel is played indoors (or in covered outdoor facilities), so weather isn’t usually a factor. Wear something you can move freely in.
Total startup cost for beginner padel equipment
| Item | Cost Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner padel racket | $50–150 | Round shape, soft foam core |
| Padel balls | $0–12 | Often included with court hire |
| Court shoes | $0–100 | You may already own suitable shoes |
| Court hire (per session) | $5–8 per person | Split 4 ways, usually $15–30/hr |
| Total to get started | $80–200 | One-time + cheap ongoing cost |
The padel court explained
Padel courts look different from everything else, so let’s cover what you’re looking at before you set foot on one.
A padel court is 10 metres wide and 20 metres long — roughly a third of the size of a tennis court. The entire court is enclosed by walls: glass panels at the back and lower sides, metal mesh fencing above.
The walls are not just boundaries — they’re part of the game. A ball that hits the wall after bouncing on the floor is still in play. You’ll regularly play shots off the back wall and back into the court. This is what makes padel unique.
The net
Runs across the centre of the court, 88cm high at the centre and slightly higher at the posts. Lower than a tennis net, which makes cross-court shots more forgiving.
Service boxes
Two boxes on each side of the net, like in tennis. Serves must land in the diagonal service box. The service line is 3 metres from the net.
The back walls (glass)
4 metres of solid glass at each end. The ball bounces off glass predictably and fast. Learning to read and use back-wall rebounds is the skill that separates padel beginners from intermediate players.
Side walls (mesh + glass)
Lower glass panels (1m) with metal mesh above. The mesh absorbs pace differently than glass — side-wall rebounds behave differently from back-wall rebounds and take time to read.
Padel rules for beginners
The good news: padel uses the same scoring as tennis. If you know tennis scoring, you already know padel scoring.
Scoring
Padel uses standard tennis scoring:
0 = love, 1 point = 15, 2 = 30, 3 = 40, 4 = game (if ahead by 2). Reach 40-40? That’s deuce — you need two consecutive points to win the game.
First to 6 games wins a set (must win by 2). At 6-6, you play a tiebreak to 7 points (win by 2).
Recreational matches are typically best-of-three sets. Win two sets, win the match. Many casual sessions just play to a set or time limit.
The serve: the most important rule to learn
The padel serve is very different from tennis and trips up most beginners coming from a tennis background.
Padel serve rules:
- Serve underhand — racket must contact the ball at or below waist height
- Bounce the ball on the ground first, then hit it
- Serve diagonally into the opponent’s service box (same as tennis)
- The ball must not bounce above the server’s waist before being struck
- One foot must remain on the ground at contact; you cannot jump to serve
You get two serve attempts, just like tennis. The underhand serve sounds limiting, but experienced players generate surprisingly good spin and placement from it.
What’s in play and what’s out
This is where padel differs most from tennis:
Ball bounces on floor, then hits the wall → still in play
You can play the ball after it bounces off the back or side wall. This is the foundation of wall play.
Ball exits through a gap in the fence after bouncing → still in play
In some courts, balls that exit through the gap between the wall and the fence can be chased and played back in. This rule adds drama to defensive scrambles.
Ball hits the wall before bouncing on the floor → out
If an opponent’s shot hits your wall directly (without bouncing first), it’s a fault — you win the point.
Ball bounces twice before you hit it → out
Same as tennis — you must hit the ball before it bounces a second time.
Basic padel shots for beginners
You don’t need to master every padel shot before your first game. Focus on these four to start:
1. Groundstrokes (forehand and backhand)
Your bread-and-butter shots. Padel groundstrokes are shorter and more compact than tennis groundstrokes because the court is smaller and the racket doesn’t need to generate as much power.
Key difference from tennis
Don’t swing hard. In padel, a controlled, well-placed shot is almost always better than a powerful one. The walls punish pace because the ball rebounds into play. Focus on placement and consistency, not power.
For the forehand: stand sideways, compact take-back, make contact in front of your body, and follow through. For the backhand, most beginners find a two-handed grip gives better control early on.
2. The underhand serve
Practice bouncing the ball and striking it smoothly below waist height. You don’t need spin or pace to start — just consistent placement into the service box.
A reliable padel serve:
- Lands in the correct diagonal box
- Bounces and stays relatively low (harder for the receiver to attack)
- Doesn’t give the opponents a free smash
3. The lob
The lob is arguably the most important tactical shot in padel. When opponents are at the net, a well-placed lob over their heads forces them to retreat and resets the point.
Why beginners should learn the lob early: In padel, the team at the net controls the point. The only way to break their dominance is to lift the ball over them. A good lob wins you the net position. Players who ignore the lob spend entire matches on the defensive.
4. Reading wall rebounds
This isn’t a shot — it’s a skill. When the ball comes off the back wall:
- Let it bounce off the wall
- Position yourself behind the ball (not beside it)
- Play it forward back into the court
The instinct is to chase the ball to the wall and hit it there. That’s wrong. Step back, let the wall do the work, and strike the ball as it comes toward you off the rebound.
Pro tip
The back wall is your friend, not your enemy. Once you learn to use it offensively — deliberately playing the ball off the back wall at sharp angles — padel opens up completely. This is what makes a 2.0 player feel like a 3.5 when they finally get it.
Padel vs tennis: what actually changes
If you’ve played tennis, here’s a quick translation guide. If you haven’t, skip this section.
| Aspect | Tennis | Padel |
|---|---|---|
| Court size | 23.77m × 10.97m (singles) | 20m × 10m (always doubles) |
| Walls | No walls | Glass + mesh walls in play |
| Serve | Overhead, powerful | Underhand, below waist |
| Format | Singles or doubles | Always doubles (2v2) |
| Racket | Strung, longer, 27” | Solid with holes, shorter |
| What wins points | Power + placement | Placement + angles + wall use |
| Scoring | 15-30-40-game-set-match | Identical |
The biggest mental shift for tennis players: stop trying to hit winners. In padel, aggressive baseline smashes usually come back off the wall. The winning shot is usually the third or fourth ball in a combination — not a single explosive strike.
Common beginner mistakes in padel
Avoid these and you’ll progress significantly faster:
Hitting too hard
Padel’s enclosed court punishes power. A ball smashed at full force off the back wall often lands back in the middle of the court as a perfect setup for your opponents. Control and placement beat power at every level below professional.
Staying glued to the back wall
The back wall feels safe. It’s not. In padel, the team at the net controls the point. The goal is always to work your way forward and establish net position. Staying back means playing defence indefinitely.
Ignoring your partner
Padel is a doubles game. Communication — calling “mine” or “yours,” deciding who takes the middle, planning the next shot together — is as important as technique. Pairs who talk constantly beat more skilled individuals who don’t communicate.
Playing the ball into the wall instead of letting the wall play to you
When a ball is heading to the back wall, the instinct is to run forward and cut it off. Resist this. Step back, let the ball bounce off the wall, then play it as it comes back to you. Running into the wall is the most common beginner mistake on court.
Trying to use a tennis serve
The padel serve is underhand — there’s no exception. Players coming from tennis instinctively load up an overhead serve and immediately fault. The underhand serve takes adjustment, but it becomes natural within a few sessions.
Padel skill levels: where do you fit?
Most padel platforms use a 1.0–7.0 scale (similar to tennis NTRP). Here’s a rough guide:
Complete beginner
Learning the serve, basic groundstrokes, and how walls work. Can keep a short rally going but still inconsistent. This is where you’ll be for your first 5–10 sessions.
Recreational player
Consistent serve and groundstrokes, starting to use walls intentionally, understands net positioning. Playing regular matches. Most casual club players land here.
Competitive club player
Comfortable with bandeja and vibora overheads, uses walls offensively, clear tactical awareness. Enters local tournaments. Takes 1–2 years of regular play to reach this level.
Not sure where you sit? Take the Korta padel rating quiz — it takes 2 minutes and gives you a decimal rating you can use to find matched partners.
How to find padel partners as a beginner
This is the real challenge. You now have the racket, you understand the rules, you’re ready to play — but padel requires four players every time.
Options that actually work:
Join your club’s beginner nights
Most padel clubs run specific sessions for new players. Show up, get matched with whoever else is there, and learn with people at the same level. The easiest way to start.
Use a padel matchmaking platform
Platforms like Korta match you with padel players at your skill level in your area. You can find three other beginners, join a mixed group, or slot into an existing session looking for a fourth.
Local Facebook groups and WhatsApp communities
Search “[your city] padel” on Facebook. Most active padel scenes have community groups where players organise sessions and look for fourth players. Post that you’re a beginner — you’ll get responses.
Drag three friends along
The simplest option. Padel is one of the easiest sports to introduce to non-players because the learning curve is so gentle. Most people who try it for the first time are planning their next session before they leave the court.
Being a beginner in padel is not a disadvantage socially — the padel community is known for being welcoming, and most experienced players genuinely enjoy helping newcomers learn the wall game. Don’t overthink it. Just show up.
Your first padel session: what to expect
Walk into your first session knowing this:
- You will mis-hit a lot. That’s normal. The racket has a smaller sweet spot than it looks and the walls are disorienting at first.
- You will be slower to the walls than you think. Reaction time to wall rebounds takes practice. Don’t worry about it in session one.
- You will have a lot of fun. The combination of a small court, walls in play, and constant doubles communication creates a pace of play that most people find immediately enjoyable.
- You’ll want to play again. Almost everyone does.
Book your second session before you leave.
Next steps
Once you’ve played your first few sessions:
- Get your padel rating — use the Korta padel rating guide to figure out where you sit on the 1.0–7.0 scale
- Find consistent partners — use Korta to connect with players at your level in your area
- Book a beginner lesson — even two or three sessions with a coach will dramatically accelerate your wall play and positioning
The fastest way to improve at padel is simple: play more. The walls teach you — every session spent on court builds the instincts that coaching can only partially replicate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is padel easy to learn for complete beginners?
Padel has one of the gentlest learning curves of any racket sport. Most beginners can rally and play a full match within their first session. The enclosed court means fewer balls fly out of reach, the racket is easier to control than a tennis racket, and the underhand serve removes the biggest frustration of learning tennis. Expect to feel genuinely competitive within 4-6 sessions.
Do I need a tennis background to play padel?
Not at all. Many top padel players came from zero racket sport experience. If you do have a tennis background, you'll find the scoring and footwork familiar - but you'll need to unlearn the instinct to swing hard. Padel rewards placement and wall play over power, which is actually a bigger mental shift for tennis players than it sounds.
Can I play padel alone or do I always need four players?
Padel is fundamentally a doubles game - you always play 2v2 on a full court. That said, some clubs offer practice sessions where you can work on technique with just one other person. For regular play, you need four players. This is why finding consistent padel partners is the biggest challenge for beginners.
How much does it cost to start playing padel?
Your biggest upfront cost is a racket ($50-150 for a solid beginner option). Court hire typically runs $15-30 per hour split between four players, making each session $5-8 per person. Total startup cost including racket and a few sessions: around $100-200.
How do I find padel partners as a complete beginner?
The easiest way is to join a padel club's beginner sessions or drop-in nights - most clubs specifically run these for new players. You can also use platforms like Korta to find padel players at your skill level in your area. Being upfront about being a beginner is actually an advantage: most padel communities are welcoming, and experienced players often enjoy helping newcomers learn the wall game.
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