What is padel?

The basics

Padel is a racket sport played in doubles on an enclosed court, about a quarter smaller than a tennis doubles court. The court is surrounded by glass walls and metal mesh — and crucially, you can play the ball off those walls, just like squash. That's where things get interesting.

You use a solid padel racket (no strings — it has holes drilled into it), and a depressurised tennis ball. Scoring works exactly like tennis: 15, 30, 40, game. The main difference is the serve — you bounce the ball on the ground and hit it underarm, below waist height.

How it differs from tennis and squash

If you've played tennis, padel will feel familiar but immediately more forgiving. The court is smaller, rallies last longer, and because the walls keep the ball in play, beginners feel competent much faster than in tennis. The underarm serve means you're not fighting to land the ball in a box before the point even starts.

The wall element is borrowed from squash, but the similarities end there. Padel is played outdoors (usually), in doubles, with an overhead view of the court rather than four walls closing in on you. The pace is different. The strategy is different. The social element is entirely different.

Why it's growing so fast in the UK

Padel has been enormous in Spain for decades and has swept through Sweden, the UAE, and Latin America. The UK caught up later, but it's catching up fast. As of 2026 there are hundreds of padel venues across Britain, with new courts being added inside tennis clubs, leisure centres, and purpose-built padel centres every month.

The growth isn't hard to explain: it's social, it's accessible, and it's addictive. Unlike tennis, you don't need to be fit or technically proficient to have a good time in your first session. Most people who try it want to play again the following week.

What it feels like to play

The first thing you notice is the glass. Standing inside a padel court feels like being in a greenhouse — enclosed, slightly intimate, very different from standing on an open tennis court. When the ball comes off the back glass and stays in play, there's a specific satisfaction to it that you don't get from other racket sports.

Because it's doubles, there's constant communication with your partner. You're working out positioning, covering for each other, calling shots. It's collaborative in a way that solo tennis isn't. That's a big part of why padel tends to become a social habit rather than just a sport.

The learning curve is real but gentle. Your first session might be chaotic — the glass throws you off, the court feels small, you misjudge distances. By your third or fourth session, you'll start reading the walls. By session ten, you'll understand why everyone keeps coming back.

How to get started in the UK

Find a court. Search for padel courts near you — Google Maps now surfaces them well. Most leisure centres with racket sports facilities are adding padel, and many tennis clubs have converted courts. LTA Padel's court finder is also useful, or browse our full UK court directory for town-by-town listings.

Book a beginner session. Most venues offer introductory sessions or group lessons specifically for first-timers. These are worth doing even if you've played tennis — the wall rules and court dimensions take getting used to. Most clubs will also advise on what to wear; there's less to it than you'd think. You can hire a racket at the venue — don't buy one before you've played.

Bring three friends. You need four players for a game. If you don't have three willing victims, look for social sessions at your local club — these pair you with other players of a similar level. There are also a few other ways to find people to play with if you're starting from scratch.