How to play padel, explained simply

Start simple. Padel is doubles, so grab three people and a 10x20m court. Serve underhand after one bounce, score like tennis, and remember the ball stays live off the walls. If you want a full checklist for the day, see how to get started playing padel. Most first-timers are rallying within their first session.

The scoring and most strokes carry straight over, so tennis players pick it up fast. The two new habits are serving underhand and playing the ball off the glass instead of chasing it down. Give yourself a couple of sessions to stop swinging so hard.

You serve underhand and diagonally after one bounce, you score with the tennis system, and the ball can rebound off the back and side walls and stay in play. It is always doubles. Those four rules cover almost every point you will play — the full padel rules guide goes deeper on scoring and what counts as out.

Slow the game down and make the walls work for you. Tennis players instinctively hit hard and flat, which sends the ball off your back glass right back to them. Lob over their heads, aim soft shots into the glass corners, and let their own power create your openings. Patience wins these matches more than pace.

Do not swing at the wall itself. Let the ball pass you, bounce, come off the glass, then hit it as it drops back into the court. Wait for it, give yourself space, and treat the rebound like a normal groundstroke. It feels strange for a week, then it feels natural.

One session to have fun, a few months to feel competent. Padel how to play basics like the serve and scoring click on day one. Reading the walls and moving well with a partner is what takes longer. That gentle learning curve is why so many people stick with it.