Padel is a racket sport played in pairs on an enclosed court, where the walls stay in play. The court measures 20 by 10 metres — smaller than a tennis court — and is bounded by glass below and mesh above. A ball that passes you is not necessarily lost: it may rebound off the glass and be played back. The racket is solid, stringless and drilled with holes, with a strap at the wrist. The serve is underarm, struck at or below the waist after one bounce. The scoring is borrowed from tennis: 15, 30, 40, game.
The practical consequence is that most people manage real rallies on their first afternoon. That is the sport’s whole argument, and it explains the courts now appearing behind hotels and along the edges of tennis clubs.
The Court Does the Teaching.
Four metres of wall stand at each end — three of glass, topped by a metre of mesh. The net is 0.88 m high at its centre and rises to 0.92 m at the posts. A service line runs 6.95 m back from the net on either side.
Those measurements matter more than they sound. A smaller court keeps four players within speaking distance, so the game is sociable by construction rather than by etiquette. The walls extend rallies: a shot that would end the point in tennis comes back off the glass, and play continues. A beginner is rewarded for chasing the ball instead of being punished for standing in the wrong place.
The Racket Is Not a Small Tennis Racket.
A padel racket has no strings. It is a solid board — a core of EVA foam between two carbon faces — perforated to shed weight and air resistance. There is no hoop, no string bed, and no long handle.
Two things surprise people arriving from tennis. The first is the wrist strap: it is not decoration, and on most courts you will be asked to wear it. The second is the weight. Ours sit at 355 or 365 grams, which reads heavier in the hand than the number suggests, because the mass is solid rather than spread around a frame.
| Padel | Tennis | |
|---|---|---|
| Court | 20 × 10 m, enclosed | 23.77 × 10.97 m, open |
| Walls | In play, after the bounce | None |
| Racket | Solid, perforated, no strings | Strung, longer handle |
| Serve | Underarm, at or below the waist | Overhead |
| Format | Pairs | Singles or pairs |
| Scoring | 15 · 30 · 40 · game | 15 · 30 · 40 · game |
Where the Choice Begins to Matter.
For the first month, any sound racket will do. After that the shape starts to show itself. A round face carries its weight near the hand and offers the largest margin for error. A teardrop sits between the two. A diamond carries weight high and rewards timing you may not have yet — which is why the shape alone says little about a player’s level. We have written about that at length.
The carbon reads the same way. 3K, 12K and 18K count the filaments in each strand of the weave, not the stiffness of the finished racket; the core does more of that work. Our note on carbon weaves sets out what the numbers do and do not mean.
The First One.
Begin softer than you think you should. The firmest racket in any line is built for a game already formed, and it will not teach you anything you do not already know.
Ours begin with the 3K carbon pair at $240 — the Miami Rose in a round face, the Monaco Red in a diamond, both on a soft core. The 12K rackets sit at $270, evenly balanced: the Bel Air Green and the Soho Blue. The 18K Tribeca Laser Black is $370 and asks the most. The Racket Guide carries a short fitting of five questions, and the full collection is here.
Delivery is complimentary worldwide and import duties are covered, with fourteen days to return a racket that turns out to be the wrong one. The terms are set out on the delivery page.
Questions, Answered.
Is padel the same as pickleball?
No. Pickleball is played on an open court with a rigid paddle and a perforated plastic ball. Padel is played inside glass walls, with a pressurised ball much like a tennis ball — slightly smaller, a little softer — and the walls are part of the rally.
Do I need to play tennis before padel?
No. Tennis helps you read the ball and hinders your technique: the padel swing is shorter, and the handle is too short to invite a two-handed backhand. People who have never held a racket often rally sooner than lapsed tennis players.
Is padel always played in pairs?
Almost always. Singles courts exist and are narrower, but they are rare. The standard court of 20 by 10 metres is built for four, and club play is organised around pairs.
Which racket suits someone starting out?
A round face with a soft core. The weight sits nearer the hand, the sweet spot is at its largest, and off-centre shots are forgiven. In our line that is the Miami Rose, at $240.
How long does a padel racket last?
With ordinary club play, years. What tires first is the foam core rather than the carbon face, which is why storage matters more than most people expect.
A racket outlasts the season if it is kept well; we have written a short guide to that.