How to play Padel – Everything you need to know (Beginner’s Guide)

Padel was originally invented in Acapulco, Mexico, by Enrique Corcuera in 1969. It is currently most popular in Spain and its former colonies, specially Mexico, Argentina and Chile.

In recent years, it has also gained relative popularity in European countries such as Italy and the Nordic countries, although it is now beginning to spread rapidly across Europe and to other continents, such as North America.

Which side should I play in Padel

Knowing your side on the padel court is detrimental to determining whether you play aggressively or defensively.

Most players who play padel encounter common problems on which side they should play. Is it the left-hand side and left shoulder? Or the right-arm side and right shoulder?

If I’m left-handed, should I always play on the right side allowing my forehand and bandeja to be towards the middle?

If you want to learn more about which side of the court you “should” play, read on!

Gold Point in Padel, the Sudden Death of a Game

The mechanics of a padel match are constantly evolving. World Padel Tour and the International Padel Federation incorporate new regulations to make the game more interesting.

The Gold Point was a new rule change introduced by the World Padel Tour in 2020. It’s recognized as one of the alternative scoring methods in padel.

But why was it called the gold point? Why is it coined as the sudden death of a game?

These could be a few questions you have in mind at the moment. You’ll have the answer to those and a whole lot more about the gold point of padel in this article which is a part of our Padel University series.

Serving Rules Padel

Service in padel is not as noteworthy compared to that of tennis. However, practicing the right way to serve the ball is still CRUCIAL in every padel match.

A good serve would help your team take advantage of the net position or even score a point by producing an ace. It’s also the shot that dictates the ball’s direction, spin, and trajectory.

In turn, you have the upper hand in forcing your opponents to press themselves at the back glass. You also have the power to dictate the shot that they’ll use for easy returns.

How padel players serve the ball is quite different from tennis players.

In tennis, you launch the ball up in the air before you serve. But, in padel, you only need to bounce and strike the ball, and you can only do it via an underarm serve.

Another thing to note with padel service is the lines. It’s important to keep your feet behind the service line and not cross the imaginary central line.

You must also hit the ball diagonally towards your opponent’s service box.

These are the BASIC things you must know about a padel serve. But, there are many things to note for you to improve that serve.

Stick with us as we discuss more about padel service. We’ll help you get on the move in your following games.

What is an Ace in Padel, and how do I achieve it?

Like Tennis, Padel also understands the concept of Aces, which is when a player cannot return to their opponents’ service.

True aces, or aces where the opponent can’t even reach the ball, are possible. The best part is, you can train your services to achieve aces just like the pro players (when facing an amateur).

It just takes PRACTICE and the RIGHT TECHNIQUE.

Let’s look at the best ways to achieve an ace in Padel.

We’ll go over the proper techniques, strategies, and angle you will need to ensure that your Padel service goes where you want it to.

What Is a Tiebreak in Padel?

Padel is highly similar to tennis. There are few distinctions, like how a padel court (33 x 66 feet) is 1/3 of a tennis court.

Tennis is checkers, while padel is chess.

Lee Sponaugle, President of All Racquet Sports

But tennis and padel rules are essentially the same.

Following that, the tiebreak games are also the same. If both teams tie at 6-6 in a set (six games), the tiebreak winner wins with a 7-6 score.

Let’s learn more, shall we?