At your local lawn tennis club, you might be hearing a lot of talk about padel tennis which has made you want to take up the sport for yourself. Padel is a rising star in the racquet sports scene and it’s a game that has been imported from English expats who were introduced to the sport in Marbella, Spain. Padel is becoming more popular in the UK with more courts opening across the country every year and with the opening of new courts there are a lot of clubs that invite new players to try the sport.
Padel is accessible to all players of different ages and abilities, with the rules of the game being very similar to tennis but requires less years of training to be good at the game. If you are looking to get into the sport, this article will explain the ins and outs of how to get started and will give you an overall of what to expect from playing on a padel sports court.
What Equipment Do You Need To Play On A Padel Sports Court?
The equipment needed is fairly basic because the sport is meant to be accessible to anyone who wants to play. However, you may want to consider what padel equipment you want to use if you’re competing in a regulated tournament before you step onto the court. These include:
The Padel Racket:
- Both sides of your racket can be smooth or rough with perforated hole (an unlimited number of cylindrical holes each measuring between 9 and 13 mm in the centre area)
- Handle (maximum length: 20cm, maximum width: 50mm and maximum thickness: 50mm)
- Head (maximum length: 45.5cm, maximum width: 26cm and maximum thickness: 38mm)
- Nothing is allowed to be attached to your padel when playing
- Padels must be equipped with an on-elastic cord of a maximum length of 35 cm fixed for safety
The Ball:
- The ball should be a rubber sphere that is either coloured either white or yellow
- 6.35cm to 6.77cm in diameter
- Between 4.6kg and 5.2kg m2 of internal pressure
Clothing:
- Wear suitable sports clothing (sleeveless t-shirts or swimwear are not permitted)
- Regulation footwear should be worn
- Teams should are recommended to wear the same clothing
How To Play On A Padel Sports Court?
Playing on a padel court is not too different to playing on a tennis court, apart from the walls that surround the court. The walls of the court are mostly used by players to score points, like squash. The most effective way to score points is to use the corners of the padel court to outmanoeuvre your opponent (s). The rules of padel are very similar to tennis apart from these differences which are mainly seen in the serve:
- All play begins with an underarm serve
- Contact with the ball across the centre service line is permitted
- If the ball bounces in the service box and strikes the side or back wall, it is a permitted serve and must be allowed by the player’s opponent
- If the ball hits the net then bounces in the service box and strikes the side or back wall, it is a let and the point must be replayed
- If the ball lands in the service box and hits the wall, it is considered a fault
- If the ball is in contact with the net then lands in the service box and hits the wall, it is considered a fault
