Before you book
You need four people, a court for an hour, a racket each and a tube of three balls. Every UK pay-and-play centre hires rackets, most sell balls at reception, and the court fee is split four ways, so a first game normally costs each player less than a round of drinks. Use the directory to find a court with racket hire near you, and pick an off-peak slot: weekday daytimes are cheapest and you will not be rushed off by the next booking.
If you are going alone, look for a beginner group session or an "americano" in the club's app. Both put you on court with people at your level.
Grip and ready position
Hold the racket with the continental grip: shake hands with the handle so the V between thumb and forefinger sits on the top bevel, as if you were holding a hammer. This is the only grip you need. It serves, volleys, lobs and slices without changing, which matters on a court where the ball comes back off the glass faster than you can adjust.
Put the wrist cord on (it is compulsory) and stand with your knees bent, weight on the balls of your feet and the racket up in front of you at chest height. Padel is played with a short, compact swing. If you take a tennis backswing the ball is past you.
Where to stand
There are only two positions in padel: at the net (about a metre and a half back from it, both players level) and at the back (roughly a metre in from the back glass, both players level). Pairs move together, side by side, and the entire tactical game is about getting to the net and staying there.
When serving, the server starts behind the service line and immediately follows the serve in to join their partner at the net. When receiving, both players start at the back and work forward with a lob or a chiquita.
The six shots that matter
You can play good club padel with six shots. Learn them in this order.
Volley
At the net, ball not yet bounced
Short punch with a firm wrist, racket face slightly open, aimed deep at the opponents' feet or into the corner where the glass meets the mesh. Do not swing.
Lob
You are at the back, opponents at the net
Lift the ball high and deep so it lands near their back wall. The point of the lob is not to win the rally but to push them back and let you move up.
Bandeja
A lob comes over that you cannot smash
A high sliced "tray" shot, hit at shoulder height with an open face, that lands deep and low. It lets you stay at the net without gambling on a smash.
Víbora
A short lob, you want to attack
A bandeja with side spin, hit harder and aimed so the ball kicks off the side glass. Harder to learn, more damaging when it works.
Chiquita
You are at the back and want to advance
A soft, low ball dropped at the feet of the net players. They have to volley up, and you use that half-second to come forward.
Back-glass return
A deep ball you cannot take on the bounce
Let it go past you, turn, and hit it after it comes off the back wall. Beginners rush this; the ball comes back further than you expect.
The smash exists, of course, but at beginner and intermediate level it loses more points than it wins: the ball comes back off the glass to opponents who are still at the back, and you have left the net to hit it. Learn the bandeja first. Add the smash when your lobs are being returned short enough to put away over the side wall.
Playing off the glass
The walls are what beginners find hardest and what makes padel easier once they click. Three rules of thumb:
- Let it go. A deep ball that would be a stretch to take on the bounce is easier after the back glass. Turn side-on, watch it come off the wall, and hit it as it drops in front of you. Give it more room than feels natural; the ball travels further off the glass than you expect.
- Floor then glass is yours; glass then floor is out. On your side the ball can bounce and hit any wall. Anything you send over must bounce on the opponents' floor before it touches their glass or mesh.
- Mesh is unpredictable, glass is honest. A ball off the glass follows the angle it went in. A ball off the mesh dies or spits. Move early on anything heading for the fence.
Tactics that win club points
- Get to the net and stay there. At most levels the pair at the net wins around two thirds of the points. Every shot you play from the back should be about earning the net, not winning the point outright.
- Lob more than you want to. A good deep lob is the most important shot in padel and the least glamorous. When in doubt at the back, lob.
- Hit to the middle. Balls down the centre create confusion about who takes them and remove the angles. The corner where glass meets mesh is the other high-percentage target.
- Play slow when you are behind. Speed helps the net pair. Soft, low balls at their feet make them volley up and give you time to advance.
- Talk. "Mine", "yours", "leave it" and "wall" are the whole vocabulary. Silent pairs lose to talking pairs.
Beginner mistakes
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting hard from the back | Ball comes off the opponents' glass and back to them as an easy volley | Play slow and low, or lob |
| Standing in no man's land | Balls land at your feet, half-volleys everywhere | Commit: net or back, never between |
| Big tennis backswing | Late on everything, especially off the glass | Racket up, short punch, contact in front |
| Smashing every lob | Ball rebounds off the back glass and the point restarts with you out of position | Bandeja unless the lob is short |
| Taking the ball before the wall | Stretching for deep balls and framing them | Let it come off the glass |
| Serving hard | More faults, no benefit; the receiver has to let it bounce anyway | Serve for placement, wide or at the body, and follow it in |
Your first month
- Session 1 to 2: hire a racket, play with friends, learn the serve and the one-bounce rule. Do not worry about the walls.
- Session 3: book a beginner group lesson. One hour with a coach on the back glass and the volley is worth five hours of guessing.
- Sessions 4 to 6: join an americano. Rotating partners shows you what different players do and gets you a group to book with.
- By week four: buy a round-shaped beginner racket and proper shoes, and find a regular slot. Most clubs let you join a box league once you can hold a rally.
The rules guide covers everything you will argue about on court, and how much padel costs has current court prices by city so you can plan a weekly game without surprises.
Frequently asked questions
Can a complete beginner play padel? +
Yes. Padel is designed to be playable in your first session. The underarm serve, solid racket and walls mean beginners rally almost immediately. Book an hour with three friends or join a beginner group session at a club.
What should I wear to play padel? +
Normal sports kit and trainers with good grip. Clay-court tennis shoes or dedicated padel shoes have the herringbone sole that works best on sand-dressed turf. Running shoes are fine to start but slide on the sand.
Do I need lessons to play padel? +
Not to enjoy it, but one or two coached sessions early on will save months of bad habits, especially with the walls. Most UK clubs run cheap beginner group lessons of four to six players.
How long is a game of padel? +
Courts are booked by the hour or in 90 minute slots. A social match of one or two sets usually fits in an hour. Competitive best-of-three matches take 60 to 90 minutes.
What is the best padel racket for a beginner? +
A round-shaped racket with a soft core and a low balance point. Round rackets have the biggest sweet spot and are the most forgiving. Spend £50 to £100 and upgrade once you know your game.
Which is better for padel, forehand or backhand grip? +
Use the continental grip (hold the racket like a hammer) for everything. It works for volleys, serves, bandejas and back-glass shots without changing grip, which you rarely have time to do on a padel court.