What Is Padel? The Fast-Growing Racket Sport Explained

New to Padel: How It Works & Why It’s Booming

Padel is a doubles-first racket sport played on an enclosed 20m x 10m court with glass walls. Players use solid paddles and a low-pressure tennis ball, serve underhand, can play off the glass after the bounce, and score like tennis. It’s social, quick to learn, and seriously fun.

Why everyone’s talking about padel

Glass walls, underhand serves, and long, fast rallies—padel rewards placement and teamwork more than power. Because it’s doubles-first and the serve is underhand, newcomers rally sooner and stay in points longer. That makes it perfect for friends, families, and league nights—and why clubs around the world are adding courts at pace.

The padel court (and why the walls matter)

A regulation padel court is 20 metres long by 10 metres wide, enclosed by a mix of glass and metal mesh. The glass isn’t just there to look slick—you can legally play the ball off the glass after it bounces, adding angles and recoveries you don’t get in other racket sports.

Quick facts

• Size: 20m x 10m, net across the middle
• Enclosure: glass back walls + side glass/mesh
• Lines: no doubles alleys (the whole width is in play)
• Surface: sand-dressed artificial turf or similar with good traction
• Lighting: good clubs (like ours) use LED for crisp visibility

Visiting Padel Park? You’ll play on maroon, premium indoor courts with LED lighting and safe run-offs.

The gear: paddle, ball, shoes

• Racket: solid face with drilled holes—no strings. Shapes and cores vary for control vs power.
• Ball: a low-pressure tennis ball that stays in play for longer (lighter/higher bounce).
• Shoes: court shoes with lateral support and grip.

No racket yet? Hire one at one of our vending machines 24/7, or at the pro shop during staffed hours.

Basic Padel rules (fast primer)

• Serve underhand and from behind the service line; the ball must bounce first, then be hit below waist height and land cross-court.
• After the bounce, the ball can hit the glass and still be in play; it cannot hit the fence or glass first.
• Scoring mirrors tennis: 15-30-40-game; best of sets; tiebreaks are common.
• Doubles first: most play (and all pro play) is doubles.

New players typically learn the walls in a couple of sessions—our Intro Courses and Small Group Sessions make it simple.

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Padel vs Pickleball vs Tennis (at a glance)

Court
Padel — 20m × 10m, enclosed
Pickleball — ~13.4m × 6.1m, open
Tennis — 23.77m × 8.23m (singles), open

Walls
Padel — In after the bounce
Pickleball — None
Tennis — None

Ball
Padel — Low-pressure tennis ball
Pickleball — Perforated plastic ball
Tennis — Pressurised tennis ball

Serve
Padel — Underhand
Pickleball — Underhand
Tennis — Overhand (usually)

Format
Padel — Doubles-first
Pickleball — Singles or doubles
Tennis — Singles or doubles

Learnability
Padel — Easy to start; fun with walls, hard to master
Pickleball — Very quick to start
Tennis — Steeper at first

We run both sports at The Park—try each to see what you love

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How to start playing

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FAQs: People also ask

Is padel easy to learn?
Yes. Underhand serves, doubles format, and playable glass walls mean you’ll rally quickly—even on day one.

How big is a padel court?
20m x 10m, enclosed by glass and mesh, with a central net and no doubles alleys.

What are the basic rules?
Underhand serve, ball must bounce before return, glass is in after the bounce, scoring like tennis.

Do I need my own racket?
No—hire one on site. Court shoes recommended.

Padel vs pickleball—what’s different?
Padel is on an enclosed glass court with a low-pressure tennis ball; pickleball is on an open court with a perforated plastic ball and a no-volley zone.

Where can I play in Hamilton?
At Padel Park (82 Duke Street, Frankton). We have 3 indoor padel and 3 indoor pickleball courts, 24/7 access, coaching, and leagues.

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