Do I need my own racket to start?

No. Almost every club rents rackets. Play three or four times before buying so you know whether you prefer a round, teardrop or diamond shape.

What shoes should I wear for padel?

Trainers with a flat or herringbone sole. Most padel is played on artificial turf, where a herringbone pattern grips best. Running shoes work to begin with but wear quickly and offer poor lateral support.

How long does a padel game last?

Court bookings are usually 60 or 90 minutes. That is typically two or three sets socially, often with partners rotating between them.

Do I need to be fit to play padel?

No. The court is small and points are short bursts rather than sustained running. It is one of the most accessible racket sports for people returning to sport after a long gap.

Your first game of padel

6 min read · Updated 2 August 2026

You need almost nothing to play padel for the first time, and most clubs will rent you the one thing you do need. Here is what actually happens, so you can turn up without that first-session uncertainty.

What to bring

Trainers with a flat or herringbone sole. Running shoes are fine to start; padel-specific soles grip artificial turf better and last longer on it.
A racket — nearly every club rents them for a few pounds or euros. Do not buy one before your third or fourth session.
Balls, if the group has not sorted them. A tube of three lasts several sessions socially.
Water. Rallies are longer than you expect and courts are often indoors and warm.

What happens on court

You will play doubles. Somebody serves underarm after bouncing the ball behind the service line, and the point plays out much like tennis until the ball reaches a wall — at which point it stays in play, which is the bit that surprises everyone first time.

A typical session is 60 to 90 minutes. Socially, groups often play a set, rotate partners and play again, so you get to play with everyone rather than being stuck in one pairing.

Five habits that make you a good partner immediately

Let the ball come off the wall. Your instinct will be to rush it. Wait, let the glass bring it back to you, and hit it as it drops.
Move with your partner, not independently. Both forward or both back, side by side.
Call the ball. "Mine" and "yours" prevents the two most common collisions.
Lob when you are under pressure. It is not defeatist — it is the main way to take the net.
Hit at about seventy percent. Control beats power at every level below advanced, and often above it too.

What you will get wrong, and it's fine

Almost everyone makes the same three mistakes: standing too far back, hitting too hard, and being surprised by the back wall. None of them matter. They correct themselves within a few sessions and nobody you play with will care.

The one thing worth being careful about is the serve. Contact must be at or below waist height, after bouncing the ball behind the line. Serving overarm out of habit is the most common rule breach among people coming from tennis.

How often to play to improve

Once a week gets you comfortable within a couple of months. Twice a week is where progress becomes obvious — you will move from reacting to the ball to anticipating it, which is the real step change.

The single biggest accelerator is playing with people slightly better than you. Roughly half a point above your level on the 0–7 scale is the sweet spot: enough pressure to stretch you, not so much that you stop touching the ball.

Common questions

Do I need my own racket to start?: No. Almost every club rents rackets. Play three or four times before buying so you know whether you prefer a round, teardrop or diamond shape.
What shoes should I wear for padel?: Trainers with a flat or herringbone sole. Most padel is played on artificial turf, where a herringbone pattern grips best. Running shoes work to begin with but wear quickly and offer poor lateral support.
How long does a padel game last?: Court bookings are usually 60 or 90 minutes. That is typically two or three sets socially, often with partners rotating between them.
Do I need to be fit to play padel?: No. The court is small and points are short bursts rather than sustained running. It is one of the most accessible racket sports for people returning to sport after a long gap.