Your first padel session: what to expect

Your first session is meant to be fun, not a test. Padel is easy to start, and most beginners are rallying in their first session. Here is what to expect.

What should I wear to padel?

• Shoes: court shoes or sports shoes with a grippy, flat sole. Avoid running shoes and fashion sneakers, which slip on the sandy turf most courts use. The LTA says clay-court tennis shoes are often the closest tennis alternative to padel shoes. See padel shoes.
• Clothes: normal gym or tennis clothes. The FIP competition rules call for suitable sports clothing, and specifically ban swimwear.
• Outdoors: a cap and sunscreen. Every open venue I found in Perth is outdoors.

What should I bring?

• Water bottle
• Small towel
• A racket, if you have one. If not, hire at the venue. West Coast Padel and Padel Perth Reabold charge $5, the Racquet Club venues $10 with balls included, and Padel West includes racket hire in the booking.
• Your booking confirmation or the app, so you can check in

Do I need to know the rules before my first session?

It helps to know five things. A coach will explain them, but knowing them in advance means more time playing:

1. Underarm serve. Bounce the ball, hit it at or below the waist, diagonally into the service box.
2. One bounce, then walls. The ball must bounce on your side before it hits your walls.
3. Play it off the glass. After the bounce, you can let the ball come off the glass and still hit it.
4. Not into your own mesh. Your shot must not hit the mesh fence on your side.
5. Tennis scoring. 15, 30, 40, game.

The full detail is in my padel rules guide.

What happens in an intro class?

Formats vary between clubs, but a typical beginner class runs like this:

1. Welcome and safety. Put the wrist cord on. It is compulsory under the FIP rules and stops rackets flying.
2. Grip and ready position. How to hold the racket and where to stand.
3. Basic shots. Forehand, backhand and volley, usually fed by the coach.
4. The serve. Practising the underarm serve.
5. The walls. Letting the ball come off the back glass.
6. Playing points. Short games, often with the coach calling out tips.

Intro classes are usually 60 minutes. Play Nation in Sydney and Indoor Padel Australia's Northern Beaches club, for example, both list 60-minute intro classes.

What happens at a padel social?

A social is a drop-in session where players are mixed into games, usually for 90 minutes. You turn up on your own or with a friend, and the organiser puts you on court with others at a similar level. Many clubs run them for set levels, such as beginner socials on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings at West Coast Padel in Perth.

You will often see formats called Americano and Mexicano on club timetables, such as the Mexicano events at Padel Spot Minto. They are social tournament formats where you usually play with a mix of partners and opponents over the session. The organiser explains how it works on the day.

What is padel etiquette?

Clubs have their own customs, but these are near universal:

• Be on time. Bookings run back to back.
• Introduce yourself to the players on your court.
• Warm up together. A few minutes of rallying before you start. The FIP rules include a three-minute warm-up before competition matches.
• Call your own faults honestly. Social games have no umpire.
• Do not hit the ball hard at people when the point is over, and never hit or throw your racket into the glass. Both are against the FIP conduct rules.
• Collect the balls at the end and leave the court on time for the next group.

Will I be fit enough?

Padel is played on a small court with the walls keeping the ball in play, and you share the court with a partner. The LTA describes padel as built around short, sharp movements rather than the bigger swings and running of tennis. Go at your own pace, take water breaks between games, and stop if anything hurts. If you have a health condition or have not exercised in a while, check with your doctor first.

What are the most common first-session mistakes?

• Swinging too hard. Placement wins more points than power.
• Chasing the ball before it reaches the glass.
• Serving from too high.
• Hitting into your own mesh.
• Standing too close to the net.

My beginner's guide explains each one.

After your first session

If you enjoyed it, the usual next steps are:

1. Book a few more classes or socials. See padel lessons.
2. Join open matches through your club's booking app. See how to book a padel court.
3. Buy shoes, then a racket. See padel gear.