How to play padel: a beginner's step-by-step guide

This guide is for your first handful of sessions. It covers what to practise and in what order. It is not a substitute for a coach, and technique advice varies between coaches, but these basics are common ground at most Australian clubs.

Step 1: Know the five rules that matter on day one

1. Serve underarm, after a bounce, at or below the waist, into the diagonal box.
2. The ball must bounce once on your side before it touches your walls.
3. After that bounce you can let it come off the glass and still hit it.
4. You can volley, except on the return of serve.
5. Tennis scoring: 15, 30, 40, game.

My full rules page covers the rest, including the mesh fence rule that catches most beginners.

Step 2: Put the wrist cord on

Every padel racket has a cord at the bottom of the handle. Put your hand through it before you play. The FIP rules make it compulsory, and in a real game you lose the point if you drop the racket or break the cord. More importantly, on a small court with four people swinging, it stops a racket flying into someone.

Step 3: Hold the racket the simple way

Most coaches teach new players a continental grip, sometimes described as holding the racket like a hammer or like you are about to shake hands with it. The same grip works for forehands, backhands, volleys and the serve, so you are not changing grips mid-rally on a small, fast court. Keep your grip relaxed. Squeezing hard tires your forearm and takes away touch.

Step 4: Get into the ready position

• Feet about shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent.
• Racket held up in front of you, roughly chest height, not hanging by your knees.
• Weight on the balls of your feet.

The ball arrives quickly at the net. If your racket is already up, you can block most volleys back without a big swing.

Step 5: Learn the five shots that matter early

The serve

Underarm, bounce first, contact at or below the waist, aim deep into the box. See my serve guide.

The forehand and backhand from the back

Compact swings, low to high, played after the bounce. In padel you rarely need a big tennis-style backswing. Turn your shoulders, swing through, and aim to get the ball back low over the net or high as a lob.

The volley

At the net, punch the ball rather than swing at it. Short movement, firm wrist, racket head up. Aim for your opponents' feet or the gap between them.

The lob

The most useful shot for a beginner. When the other pair is at the net, hit the ball high and deep over their heads so they have to turn and run back. That gives your pair the chance to move forward and take the net.

The overhead (bandeja)

When you are lobbed, you will be tempted to smash. Smashing hard into the back glass often sends the ball straight back to the opponents. Many coaches teach a controlled overhead, often called a bandeja, that keeps the ball deep and lets you hold the net. Learn it from a coach. It is the shot where technique matters most.

Step 6: Let the ball come off the walls

This is the step that separates new padel players from experienced ones. When a ball goes past you after bouncing, do not panic. Turn side-on, move back with it, let it hit the glass, and play it as it comes off and drops. My guide to playing off the walls explains how.

Step 7: Move with your partner

Go forward together, drop back together, and slide across together. Leaving one player at the net and one at the back opens a big gap through the middle. See doubles positioning for where to stand.

The mistakes almost every beginner makes

• Hitting too hard. Power shots from the back often hit the opponents' glass on the full (point lost) or bounce off it into their hands.
• Hitting the mesh on your own side. Glass is fine to play off. Mesh on your side is not.
• Chasing balls before the glass. Give the ball room. It will come back to you.
• Smashing every lob. A controlled overhead deep into the corners is usually better.
• Standing on the net. Too close and you are easy to lob.
• Forgetting the waist rule on serve. Keep contact low.
• Not talking to your partner. Call "mine" and "yours".

How long does it take to get decent at padel?

There is no fixed answer, and it depends a lot on whether you have played other racket sports. Most new players can rally and play a social game in their first session or two. Reading the back glass and the overhead shots take longer. Regular social sessions, a few lessons and playing with people slightly better than you is the usual path.

What should I do next?

1. Read what to expect at your first padel session.
2. Find a beginner class or social near you in where to play.
3. Check the glossary so terms like bandeja, vibora and golden point make sense.
4. If you want lessons, my padel lessons guide explains formats and prices.