Padel vs tennis: what is actually different
Same scoring, a smaller court, walls you can use and a racket with no strings. Here is why tennis players love padel, and why beginners do too.
Padel borrows a lot from tennis, which is why tennis players pick it up so quickly. But the differences change the whole feel of the game.
The court
A padel court is 20 by 10 metres, roughly a third of a tennis court, and it is closed in by walls. You cover far less ground, and the ball is almost never "gone". Points last longer, and a lot of them are won by patience rather than power.
The walls
In tennis, a ball past the baseline is out. In padel, it is often just the start of the next shot. After the ball bounces, it can come off the back or side glass and you can still play it. Learning to read the glass is the biggest new skill for a tennis player.
Always doubles
Padel is played two against two, almost always. That makes it more social, and it makes positioning and teamwork matter as much as technique.
The serve
Tennis players serve overhead and as hard as they can. In padel the serve is underhand, after a bounce, below waist height. It starts the point rather than winning it.
The racket and the ball
A padel racket has no strings. It is a solid, perforated paddle with a foam core, shorter than a tennis racket and held with a wrist strap. The ball looks like a tennis ball but has slightly less pressure, so it is a little slower and easier to control.
The score
The same as tennis: 15, 30, 40, game, six games a set. Many clubs add the golden point at deuce to keep games moving.
Why beginners find it easier
- The underhand serve means no double faults from a nervous toss.
- The small court means less running and more hitting.
- The walls give you a second chance at balls you would miss in tennis.
- Doubles means there is always someone to share the court, and the laughs.
Why tennis players find it hard
Their instincts. Big swings send the ball off the back glass and straight back to the opponents, and hitting the ball before it reaches the glass is often the wrong choice. The fix is to shorten the swing, let the ball come off the wall, and win the net.
Whichever you come from, the best way to understand padel is to play it. Book an hour and see.
