Padel Tips for Beginners: Your First 10 Hours on Court
Padel is one of the fastest racket sports to pick up – after two or three sessions you'll be playing real rallies. Even so, many beginners waste their first hours on things that make no difference at their level. Here's what actually matters in your first ten hours – and what you can safely skip.
The shots you actually need
Four things are enough for your first sessions:
- Flat forehand and backhand: short backswing, contact in front of your body – pace doesn't matter yet.
- The lob: the most underrated shot in padel. A high ball over your opponents buys you time and the net position.
- A safe serve: underarm, towards the glass, placed rather than powerful.
- The simple volley: block, don't swing. Racket in front of your body, short contact, done.
Positioning beats technique
The most common beginner mistake isn't a stroke – it's where you stand. Padel has two good zones: at the back near the glass or up at the net – and one bad one: the middle, where every ball lands at your feet. Move with your partner as if tied together, both forward or both back. At beginner level, the pair that moves to the net together after a good lob wins most of the points.
What you do NOT need to practise
Skip everything that looks good on Instagram for now:
- Hard smashes: at beginner level almost every smash comes back – often off the wall, straight to your feet.
- Bandeja and víbora: important shots, but only once your lob and positioning are solid.
- Spin and trick shots: a flat, deep ball wins more points than any sliced one.
The biggest aha moment arrives on its own anyway: the day the glass wall stops being your enemy and you calmly take a ball off the back wall instead of chasing it.
Finding people to play with
Padel is a doubles game – and nobody expects you to show up with a full four. In the booking apps of many venues you can join open matches, and most clubs run beginner sessions or local groups. You can find courts and venues near you with our court finder. And before things get serious, it's worth reading up on the essential rules – the serve and the walls cause most of the early arguments.
Frequently asked questions
How fast can you learn padel?
Faster than tennis: real rallies are normal after two or three sessions. With a background in tennis, squash or badminton it's even quicker.
Do I need a coach as a beginner?
Not to get started. One or two lessons early on pay off, though – especially for playing off the glass, which no other sport prepares you for.
How do I find people to play with?
Join open matches in the venues' booking apps, beginner sessions at clubs, or local groups. Many venues will actively match you up if you ask on your first visit.