Padel FAQ for beginners

No. Most padel clubs have loaner rackets you can borrow for free at the front desk, so you don't need to buy anything for your first few games. If you want your own later, a basic beginner racket is under £30 — see our what to wear guide.

Whatever you'd wear to the gym — leggings, shorts, joggers, a t-shirt or vest. The one thing worth getting right is supportive, grippy trainers, ideally court or tennis shoes, since padel involves a lot of quick stopping and starting. Full details in our what to wear guide.

Technically yes, but you shouldn't. A tennis ball runs at higher pressure, so it bounces much higher and faster off the glass, which throws off rallies and puts more strain on your racket and your arm. Fine for a casual knockabout with nothing else to hand, not for an actual game — see our full tennis balls vs padel balls guide.

It's similar but easier to pick up. Padel is always doubles, played on a smaller enclosed court, the serve is underarm and below the waist, and the surrounding walls are part of play. Scoring uses the same 15-30-40 system as tennis — see our basic rules guide.

Formal matches use the same points system as tennis: 15, 30, 40, game, then sets. Casual and social games often skip that and just count points to 16 or 32, with each player serving 4 or 8 points in a row before the serve rotates. More in our scoring guide.

Most complete beginners start somewhere around 0.5–2.0 on the Playtomic scale, and it will move as you play recorded matches. If you're not sure, ask your club or coach for a levelling session — a low-pressure session where they watch you play and tell you where you sit. See our padel levels guide.

No — you can join a social or open session on your own and you'll be paired up on the day. Beginner group classes are also a great way to meet other players if you're going solo. More in our getting into padel guide.

A social format where you rotate partners every round and scoring is by points rather than sets, so you end up playing with and against everyone. It's one of the easiest, friendliest ways to try padel for the first time.

No — padel is generally considered one of the easiest racket sports to pick up. The smaller court and underarm serve make early rallies much more forgiving than tennis, and most people can have a fun, playable game in their first session.

In the UK, the LTA runs an official padel court finder you can search by postcode or town. Many clubs also take bookings through the Playtomic app, which shows live availability and open social sessions near you. See our find a club guide.

Loads of clubs run sessions labelled Intro or Beginner, plus women-only sessions specifically. Ask your club what they offer — these are built exactly for people starting out and are a genuine confidence boost.