Padel

What are the rules of padel?
Padel is played on a special court with walls and a net across the middle. It's normally played as doubles, with four players. When the ball is in play it can rebound off the walls after it has hit the ground once. It must cross the net in between each shot. Players win the point when their opponent cannot return a shot. Yout serve underarm into a diagonally opposite service box - the serve must bounce in the box and there are two chances bfore forfeiting a point to a double fault. Volleys are allowed apart from when returning a serve. Padel is scored like tennis, from 0-15-30-40 to win a game. Matches are three sets long: to win a set, players must win at least 6 games with 2 in hand (e.g. 6-4 or 7-5). Sets go to a points tie break if the score reaches 6-6.

How big is a padel court?
Padel courts for doubles play are 20metres x 10metres. They are enclosed by solid glass and wire rebound walls that are 4m high. A singles court is slightly smaller, but most people play doubles because of the speed of the game. The padel net across the middle of the court is 88cm high. 

Which padel racket to buy?
Choosing the best padel racket depends on your skill level and style of play. Beginners may like a padel bat that's evenly balanced, with a larger, round head. More skilled players may favour a lighter racket that's designed for more precision and greater spin. Check out these five expert recommendations of padel rackets for different skill levels. 

Why has padel become so popular?
Padel is well established in Spain and continental Europe. Now that more courts are opening in the UK, padel is really taking off, as more people can access the game. It's enjoyable, fast-paced and sociable, played on a smaller court than tennis and almost always as a doubles game. Many players say it's easier to pick up than tennis or squash, so you'll quickly gain the skills to play a good game. Padel is fun to play in mixed age and ability groups too. 

What is the difference between padel and tennis?
The main difference between padel and tennis is the court: padel doubles courts are 25% smaller than tennis courts and enclosed by solid (usually galss or concrete) and wire fencing. In padel, the ball can rebound off the walls and you serve underarm. In tennis, the ball can only bounce once on the ground and players can use a powerful overarm serve. The scoring system is the same. Padel rackets have a solid head with hles in it, while tennis rackets are strung. Both sports are played with a felted ball, but the padel ball is smaller and slightly less bouncy.

Is padel easy to learn?
If you've player another racket sport, you'll find it easy to learn padel. If you're completely new to rackets sports, you should still be able to pick up padel quickly. It's played with a solid racket with a short handle so it's easier to control and hit successfully. The court is relatively small nd enclosed, so you don't have to chase after balls that have gone out all the time. Because padel isn't a power dominant game, you can play in mixed age and ability groups, which is a great way to have fun and improve quickly. 

Is padel harder than tennis?
Many people agree that padel is easier to learn than tennis. The UK tennis governing body the LTA is championing padel as part of its strategy to make tennis more accessible. The LTA says padel is "fun, flexible, easy to play and extremely sociable." At a professional level it's a highly skilled and exciting game that moves at an incredible pace!