Beginner guide · 8 min read
Padel for complete beginners: everything before your first game
The rules in plain English, what to wear, how to book a court and what a first session is really like. You'll be rallying within the hour. Nobody expects you to be good.
Updated September 2026 · By About Health Clubs
In one paragraph
Tennis, shrunk and softened, with walls
Padel is played in doubles on a court about a third the size of a tennis court, enclosed by glass and mesh walls you're allowed to play the ball off. Scoring is tennis scoring. The serve is underarm. The racquet is solid and short, so there's no sweet spot to miss. Those four things are why beginners enjoy it from the first session rather than the tenth.
The rules
Six rules cover 95% of points
1
Serve underarm, below the waist
Bounce the ball once, hit it at or below waist height, diagonally into the opposite service box. You get two attempts, like tennis.
2
The ball must bounce on the floor first
A shot that hits your opponents’ wall before the floor is out. After it bounces, it can hit any wall and stay in play.
3
You can play the ball off your own walls
If the ball passes you and hits your back glass, you can still return it as long as it hasn’t bounced twice. This is the shot that feels strange and then feels brilliant.
4
The mesh is out on your side, in on theirs
Hit the wire fencing on your own side before the ball crosses the net and you lose the point. If the ball bounces on their side and then hits their mesh, it is still live.
5
Tennis scoring, golden point optional
15, 30, 40, game; six games a set; best of three. Many clubs play a single deciding point at 40–40 to keep sessions to time.
6
No volleying the serve
The returner must let the serve bounce. Everything after that can be volleyed.
What to wear and bring
Whatever you'd wear to the gym. The only thing worth getting right is footwear: trainers with a flat, grippy sole. Running shoes are fine for a first go, but their soft heels roll on artificial grass, so if you keep playing, buy padel or clay-court tennis shoes. Bring water, and in winter bring a layer for the walk to an outdoor court.
You don't need a racquet. Every health club and padel venue we've checked lends or hires them for a few pounds, and most coaches would rather you borrowed for the first month. When you do buy, a round-shaped beginner racquet at £50 to £100 is the right choice; the teardrop and diamond shapes marketed at "advanced" players are harder to control.
How to book a court
At a health club, courts are booked through the club app in the same way as a class, typically 7 days ahead, with a limit on peak-time bookings per member. At dedicated padel venues you book online and pay per court, then split it four ways. Expect £30 to £60 an hour for the court, so £8 to £15 each.
The awkward part for beginners is finding three other people. Solve it with a club's beginner social session or "Americano" (a rotating mini-tournament where you play with everyone). Every racquets club runs them, they are designed for people who know nobody, and they are the single best way to start.
What the first session is like
Ten minutes of gentle hitting from the service line, where the coach or your partners will tell you to hit softer than feels natural. Then the walls, which is the bit that makes people laugh: you turn, let the ball hit the glass, and hit it after it comes back to you. Then points. Most people play a real, if scrappy, game within forty minutes, and the score is close enough to care about.
You will be sore in the calves and forearm the next day. That's normal and passes after the second or third session.
Padel rewards patience over power. The beginner who lobs and waits beats the beginner who smashes, every time.
Where to play
Health club or pay-and-play?
Health club membership
Best if you'll play twice a week
Court use is included at David Lloyd and Virgin Active, alongside the pool, gym and socials. From around £85 a month, it undercuts pay-and-play once you're a regular, and finding partners is far easier.
Compare the two racquets chains (not yet available)
Dedicated padel venue
Best for trying it out
No commitment, book a beginner session for £10 to £20 and see if you like it. Venues in most UK cities now, many with coaching and leagues. Costs add up quickly if you fall for it.
See which clubs have courts (not yet available)
FAQs
Common questions
Is padel good exercise?
Yes. An hour of social padel typically burns 400–600 kcal and is mostly short sprints and lunges. It is gentler on the shoulder than tennis because of the underarm serve, but harder on the calves.
Can I play padel if I have never played tennis?
Most UK padel players never played tennis. The small court, walls and solid racquet remove the parts of tennis that take years to learn. Squash and badminton players tend to pick it up fastest.
How much does padel cost per month?
Pay-and-play, once a week: roughly £40–£60 a month for your share of the court. Twice a week or more, a racquets club membership from around £85 a month usually works out cheaper and includes the rest of the club.
Do I need lessons?
Not to enjoy it. One or two group lessons early on fix the two habits that hold beginners back (hitting too hard and standing in the wrong place) and are worth the £15–£25 each.
Ready to find a court? See every UK club with padel.
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