Padel is taking the UK by storm — but why is it so popular? And, perhaps more importantly, how do you get started? Here writer Samantha Rea reveals everything you need to know.
“A lot of people get hit with the ball,” says padel professional Hanna Maddock. “You’ll definitely get hit if you’re playing!”
I already have been. We’re sitting in the canteen at the National Tennis Centre, in London’s SW15, after a knock-about on one of the three padel courts.
Hanna, who has been ranked British number three, has just spent an hour or so patiently hitting padel balls in my direction. Unfortunately, I have the spatial awareness of Mr Bean, so I am currently nursing a slightly swollen nose.
Now approaching 25, Hanna has been playing padel since she was 16. She’s since represented Great Britain in the European and World Championships, and she’s now a pro on the Pro Am Padel Tour, playing against celebrities – so I reckon she can get my beginner’s game off the ground.
I’ve also turned to Josh Whiteman, co-founder of Playtime Padel, which owns and operates padel courts as well as offering coaching. Josh comes from a tennis background, having played professionally around the world since being spotted at age 12, so I’m curious to know what he thinks of padel’s reputation as an easy version of tennis.
“I think it’s an unfair reputation. It’s definitely a proper sport!” he declares, having been playing for over two years now.
After sitting down with them both, and trying the game for myself, here’s everything you need to know about padel as a beginner or burgeoning pro.
Why is padel so popular?
“It’s so social and it’s such a fun game that you can play at any age and any level,” explains Hanna. “You don’t need to be really good to have fun and to have a rally going. Even if you’ve just started, you can be on court with three other people that are your level and you’ll have a lot of fun. It’s such an accessible sport.”
Josh agrees, saying: “I think people love it so much because there’s always four of you. That’s a good number of people to get together, especially if you’re all good friends, and the smaller court size means you’re close enough to each other to chat while you’re warming up and rallying. It’s that social aspect. Some people play music – they might bring speakers – and often people will go out together after, or even just sit on the side of the court.”
How can you find other people to play padel with?
If your friends aren’t up for it, don’t let that put you off. You’ll easily be able to find people to play with by joining a padel club.
“You’ll meet people who are about your level and organise games via a WhatsApp group,” advises Hanna. “One-to-one coaching is good to learn the technique properly, but it’s also good to ask the coach to put you into a group class – they’ll set up a session with a few other people who are on your level.”
Josh agrees, explaining: “You might do an assessment with a coach who’ll then put you in a group with people of the same level. Or it could be an open group where people will post, ‘Looking for people to play’ or ‘I’ve booked this court and there’s two of us – do two more people want to join?’
“You can also go to a padel mix-in – they’re coach-led sessions for about six people. The coach will normally do a few drills then everyone rotates, so there’ll be four playing and two waiting. It’s a way for people who don’t know each other to come together, get a little bit of coaching and have a great game.”
Is padel easier than tennis?
“As a sport to pick up from scratch, padel’s easier because it has simpler movements and simpler techniques,” says Josh. However, he adds: “Any long-term padel player would wipe the floor with me because it’s such a tactical and technical game that even if you’ve got a really good racquets background, you can’t beat the people who’ve played padel all their lives.”
Hanna agrees: “If you’re at a low level then padel is easier than tennis because it’s in a smaller space and you can get a rally going, but if you’re at a high level, padel’s not an easy sport. It takes hard work to get to a high level, and you need to be mentally strong because you can lose a match very quickly. You could be winning 5-1 then suddenly the match completely changes and you could lose 7-5.”
Is padel the same as pickleball?
“No, it’s very different. Padel has so much more to it – I think pickleball’s a lot easier,” says Hanna, with a laugh. Josh agrees, adding: “It’s interesting how some countries adopt padel and some adopt pickle. America is crazy on pickleball, and the UK has chosen padel – and this is the start of the padel boom!”
Do I need special shoes for padel?
“There are padel-specific trainers which have a special grip for the court, so you don’t slip,” says Hanna. And Josh explains: “They’re great because they’ll give you support for your ankles and more stability in your movements, so you can run faster.”
If you’re a beginner who’s not yet ready to invest in padel shoes, Hanna and Josh agree that tennis shoes come a close second, if you happen to have them. If not, then wear whatever sports shoes you have.
If you’ve got a cupboard full of trainers, the ones best suited to padel will have a flatter sole and a wider base, advises Josh. This will provide support and stability, and it’s more likely to be found in a cross-training shoe rather than running trainers. “Running shoes are built for going forwards in a straight line, so when you change direction on the padel court, you risk turning your ankle,” he explains.
What do I wear for padel?
“In tennis you’d traditionally wear white, but padel clothes are colourful, with fluorescents and big logos – it’s more modern,” says Hanna who favours a padel skirt and top. “There are so many padel brands and so many nice clothes. When you compete you usually co-ordinate your outfit with your partner – and at a high level you make sure your clothes are different to your opponents.”
However, you can – of course – wear whatever you like, as long as you can move freely and comfortably.
Is it better to play padel indoors or outdoors?
“It’s harder to play outdoors because the sun gets in your eyes and the wind complicates the game by moving the ball around,” says Hanna, who prefers playing indoors. “Without the wind moving the ball, you know exactly where it’s going. So for beginners, it’s easier to learn on an indoor court, but it’s good to play on both. Just wear visors or sunglasses when you’re playing outside.”
What’s the quickest, easiest and cheapest way to get started?
“Look up the rules online and pick up tips from tutorials,” says Josh. “The Padel School has amazing YouTube tutorials, so you can learn quickly that way. Most padel clubs have introductions to padel where they go through the rules for beginners, and on our Playtime Padel courts we try to have some free introductory drop-in classes with a coach.
“Then just book a court with friends. Everyone picks it up at a different pace, but if you learn the rules before you arrive, you could be having a great game by the last 20 minutes of your first session.”
What’s the best way to warm up (and down) when playing padel?
“Walking or cycling there is good to get the heart rate going, and aim to arrive early so you can warm up before your session starts, rather than wasting any court time,” suggests Josh. “Start slowly with dynamic stretches, warming and stretching the muscles in a movement-based way. Rotate your shoulders, back and core, and include pulse-raisers like jogging, skipping and heel flicks – putting your hands behind your back and flicking your heels up to touch your hands.”
When Hanna’s competing, she warms up for half an hour before a match. “I do some mobility with an elastic resistance band – I might tie it to a fence for arm movements. I also do short sprints and stretching, then once you’re on court, you spend five minutes warming up with the opponent.”
After a match, Hanna advises waiting until you’ve cooled down properly then stretching hamstrings, quads, calves and shoulders. “In padel you never know where the ball’s going to go, so you’re always moving suddenly, backwards or to the side. Lots of people get shoulder or elbow injuries, or twist their ankle on court, so you need to make sure to stretch all your body and do a good recovery.”
Feature image credit: Unsplash
