How to Play Padel: A Beginner's Guide
Contents
Padel combines tennis scoring with squash-style walls. You play in pairs on an enclosed 10 × 20 m court (dimensions).
1. The basics in 60 seconds
- Serve underarm: bounce the ball, hit it at or below waist height, diagonally into the service box.
- Let it bounce: the ball must bounce in your opponents’ half before touching any wall.
- Use the glass: after the bounce, the ball can come off the walls and stays in play until it bounces a second time.
- Score like tennis: 15, 30, 40, game, often with a golden point at 40–40.
2. Grip and ready position
- Hold the racket with a continental (“hammer”) grip, so forehands, backhands, volleys and overheads all use one grip.
- Put the wrist strap on. The FIP rules require it.
- Ready position: knees bent, racket up in front of the chest, weight forward.
3. The serve
Stand with one foot behind the service line, bounce the ball and strike it at or below the waist into the diagonal box. It’s a fault if it lands outside the box or hits the metal fence before its second bounce. Glass is fine. Full rules: padel rules.
4. Five shots to learn first
| Shot | What it is | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Volley | Hit before the bounce, short punch | At the net: the default attacking position |
| Back-glass return | Let the ball rebound off the back wall, then hit | Deep balls you can’t reach in front |
| Lob | High, deep shot over the net players | To push opponents back and take the net |
| Bandeja | Controlled, sliced overhead | To answer a lob while keeping the net |
| Smash (remate) | Full overhead | Short lobs you can finish |
5. Positioning
- Pairs move together, both at the net or both back.
- Net position wins most points. The lob is the main way to take it from the other pair.
- Leave balls that will come off the back glass. Chasing them early is the most common beginner mistake, especially for tennis players.
Your first session plan (60 minutes)
| Minutes | Activity |
|---|---|
| 0–10 | Mini-rallies from the service line, soft volleys |
| 10–20 | Underarm serve and move to the net |
| 20–35 | Back-glass feeds: let the ball come off the glass, then return |
| 35–45 | Lob and recover, rotating pairs |
| 45–60 | Games with golden point, using our scorer |
Equipment: a round, soft racket is easiest to learn with. See the beginner racket checklist and the equipment checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Is padel easy to learn?
Most beginners rally sooner than in tennis, thanks to the smaller court, the underarm serve and walls that keep the ball in play. Using the glass well takes practice.
Do you need four players for padel?
Standard padel is doubles. Some venues have narrower single courts, but the FIP rules describe the 10 × 20 m doubles court.
Can the ball hit the wall before bouncing?
Not on your opponents’ side. The ball must bounce in the opponents’ half first, and then it may hit the walls. You may play the ball against your own walls to return it.