Padel For Dummies Cheat Sheet

If you’re considering joining the 35 million plus people around the world who are now playing “the world’s fastest growing sport” regularly, it can help to have some inside knowledge of who padel is right for and how to get the most out of your time on court.

Questions to ask yourself before stepping on the padel court for the first time

Padel can admittedly be a bit intimidating for some new players early on, especially given the complex-looking court. In some places, such as in the United States or the United Kingdom, padel is also not necessarily the most affordable or accessible activity you can participate in. So, before deciding on whether to join the ever-growing padel revolution, it might be worth asking yourself these key questions:

• Do you love playing racquet sports, such as tennis or squash, but find them to be too hard on your body as you get older?
• Have you tried playing pickleball and enjoy the social nature of it, but find yourself wishing it were a bit more challenging or better exercise?
• Do you like the idea of getting fit, but dread the idea of running or going to the gym?
• Did you just move to a new area and are struggling to find new friends or a fun, vibrant community to connect with?
• Are you tired of just going to happy hours after work to socialize with coworkers over drinks rather than doing something a bit more active and productive?
• Do you want to find a way to connect with people of all different backgrounds from all over the world?
• Do you enjoy active but relaxing activities when on vacation — or traveling to exotic locations, such as Bali, the Maldives, and the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia, just to participate in these activities?
• Are you someone who does a lot of business on the golf course, but secretly wishes it weren’t so time-consuming?
• Is the idea of a sport where disciplined strategy trumps brute power or sheer athleticism appealing to you?

If your answer to any of these questions is “Yes,” then padel is likely right up your alley!

What to expect when you start playing padel

If you’ve decided to give padel a go, you’re in for a treat! If you’re anything like most people who pick it up, you’ll be hooked after your first time on court. Even so, many new players aren’t quite sure of what to expect when they start playing, so here are a few things to keep in mind.

• Padel is a sport, not a game. While padel is much easier on the body for many people than racquet sports like tennis or squash, you’ll likely get quite a bit more exercise playing padel than you will in other social racquet sports, such as pickleball. Of course, you don’t need to be in marathon-level shape to have fun playing, but you should definitely expect to get your heartrate up and break a good sweat — so be sure to pack a towel and plenty of water!
• Having a background in tennis or squash is helpful, but not required. While many tennis and squash players naturally gravitate to padel, plenty of players come to the sport with no racquet-sports background whatsoever. While some knowledge of tennis can help you pick up both the scoring and the game play of padel faster, you can still get the hang of things your very first time on court, even if you’ve never swung any kind of racquet.
• Come for the competition, but stay for the socializing. One thing people the world over love about padel is its highly social nature (which is due in large part to the fact that it’s almost always played as a doubles sport with four players sharing the court at the same time). While you may be tempted to just shower and head home after playing, many players stick around after the matches to enjoy a beer, wine, coffee, or meal with friends and strangers alike. In fact, in some padel-playing cultures (especially in Latin America), you may well find players building entire evenings or weekends around socializing before, after, and while playing padel.
• The walls can be your friend. While the glass and fence walls surrounding a padel court can understandably be intimidating for new players, the more you play, the more you come to realize that you can almost always use the glass to your advantage. So, rather than worrying about not knowing how to play off the glass and fence, embrace the fact that you become more comfortable with them each time you play.
• Padel is a game of second (and third and fourth) chances. As comedian Andrew Schulz told Joe Rogan on his podcast, the thing that is so infectious about padel is that even if a ball gets by you, you’re rarely out of the point thanks to the walls and the game’s unique rules. In other words, in padel you should always be ready to keep fighting, even if it seems like all hope is lost!
• Patience takes you further than power. Another thing many people love about padel is that it’s a sport that ultimately rewards patience and perseverance over power. While you may be tempted to muscle your way to victory early on in your padel-playing journey, just know that over time, the players who stick to the right strategies and make the least mistakes are usually the victorious ones.
• Habits this addictive are often illegal. It’s often said that more than 90 percent of people who play padel once come back to play it at least a second time. While the data behind this statement is admittedly more anecdotal than scientific, it’s true that most people continue playing padel after their first time on court and often fall hopelessly in love with it. So, plan to spend plenty of time (and possibly money, depending on where you live) on your new favorite activity!

Some dos and don’ts when playing padel

First and foremost, except maybe at the pro level, padel should be a sport where all four players are court are competing fiercely but also having an incredible amount of fun while doing it. At the end of the day, the joy of padel isn’t in winning or losing; it’s in the joy the sport brings everyone on court. With that in mind, here are a few golden rules for playing padel:

• Do always go into a match with an open mind and an open heart. Even if you’re playing with three total strangers, padel is a great way to make new friends fast and have a tremendous amount of fun in the process.
• Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. While winning is always nice, steady improvement is even more important and generally leads to more winning. So, try not to put nearly as much focus on winning a single point or entire match as you do on enjoying playing it and learning from it, regardless of the outcome.
• Do be a good partner. Always congratulate your partner when they hit a good shot and encourage them when they make a mistake. And keep in mind that communication, both on and off court, is key to healthy (and winning) partnerships in padel.
• Don’t be a bad opponent. While competitive, padel is also classy. In that spirit, celebrate when your opponents make an incredible shot or you play an amazing point and always call balls fairly. When in doubt, either make a call in your opponent’s favor or just call a let and replay the point.
• Do try to focus on avoiding mistakes. Although being the hero of the match and hitting winners all day long can be tempting, you do both yourself and your partner a much bigger favor by just reducing the numbers of errors you make while playing.
• Don’t talk while your opponents are trying to hit the ball. Even if unintentional, give your opponents the same kind treatment you’d expect from them and don’t do anything that can distract them when they are about to hit the ball.
• Do pull your own weight. Nobody likes playing with people who never bring a can of balls or a post-match six pack and always seemingly “forget” to pay for their share of the court fee. Always avoid being that person!
• Don’t be a flake. Emergencies happen, and sometimes you have no choice but to cancel a match at the last minute. But getting the reputation of being someone who regularly bails on matches at the 11th hour and leaves the other three players hanging is something you never want.
• Do consider getting proper coaching from a qualified pro: While you can find all the basics in Padel For Dummies (Wiley) by Austin Edwards, there’s no substitute for doing lessons or clinics with a coach or pro who is qualified to teach you how to properly play the sport.
• Don’t get suckered into paying a fortune for equipment. Padel tends to be a rather expensive sport, and you can easily be talked into paying top dollar for high-priced racquets and other gear you don’t really need, especially when you’re just starting out.
• Do warm up and cool down properly. Warming up and cooling down is one of the best ways to keep yourself injury-free and playing padel at the highest level possible for years to come.
• Don’t forget the most important rule in padel. If you ever find yourself not having fun on a padel court, you’re doing it wrong!