About Padel
What is Padel?
It’s the doubles only sport that has Lionel Messi and his Barcelona team-mates hooked!
Nicknamed as ‘’Tennis with walls’’ & ‘’Squash in the sun’’ Padel is a racket sport that combines the best elements of tennis and squash. It is only played in doubles and is practiced outdoors as much as indoors.
The game was invented by Enrique Corcuera of Mexico, who created the first Padel club in Marbella in 1974. The sport then became very popular in Spain, which has been the professional circuit host of the World Padel Tour where it has been played since 2005. Over the course of the past 10 years, Padel has begun to spread rapidly to the rest of Europe, South & North America, The Pacific, Middle-East and Asia!
Extremely fun, social and accessible for all, Padel is a breath of fresh air that is revitalising clubs with an activity complimentary to tennis and squash.
Padel is a sport which combines action with fun and social interaction. It’s a great sport for players of all ages and skills, as it is both quick and easy to pick up. Most players get the basics within the first half an hour of playing so that they can enjoy the game.
Padel is not as dominated by strength, technique and serve as it happens in Tennis and therefore is an ideal game for men, women and youth to compete together. An important skill is match-craft, as points are won rather by strategy than by sheer strength and power.
THE PADEL COURT
The court is about one third of the size of a tennis court. (2500 sq. ft)
The ball can bounce of any wall but can only hit the turf once before being returned. Points can be scored when the ball bounces twice in the opponent’s side, or hits any of the surrounding walls directly.
- Dimensions: 10m x 20m
- A net divides the court into two sides
- Glass Walls and wire mesh surround the court.
PADEL RACKET, BALL AND EQUIPMENT
The game is quick and easy to learn, making it a fun and addictive sport to play. Using a short, string less racket with an elastic surface with holes and a low compression tennis ball, the service is made underarm.
Shots are played either before or after the ball bounces off the surrounding glass walls, adding a unique dimension to the sport over conventional tennis.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RACKET
A Padel racket is solid with no strings. It is replaced by holes. It is smaller and more compact than a tennis racket which makes it very easy to handle for everyone.
FEATURES
- Weight: between 340g to 370g, slightly heavier than a tennis racket.
- Maximum dimensions: the racquet cannot be more than 45,5cm long, 26cm wide and 38mm thick.
- Material: Most of the frame of the racket is made of fiberglass or carbon. The face may contain kevlar. Carbon and kevlar are introduced to some higher end rackets to make them extra resistant to shocks and accidents. The face of a padel racket is usually made of soft materials (foam) or hard materials (eva).
Padel balls are similar to tennis balls. Players must use regular non-marking shoes to be more comfortable on the artificial turf with sand in-fill. There are also other accessories specific to this sport like bags, grips, apparels and many more.
PADEL SUCCESS FACTORS
- It is easy to learn and play
- It is affordable (4 people per game)
- High fun factor
- Is not physically very demanding
- Very social in nature
- Suitable for all ages
You can now enjoy Padel in Germany, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Spain, Finland, France, Guatemala, Netherlands, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Monaco, Paraguay, Portugal, Dominican Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, Great Britain, United States, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay and INDIA!!!
