Your first padel session

Padel is one of the easiest racket sports to start: the court is small, the racket is short, and a rally happens in your first ten minutes. Almost everything that goes wrong on a first visit is organisational rather than technical, so this is the practical version of what to expect.

Book the court, not a place

Padel is booked by the court, not per player. You reserve a court for a slot, usually sixty or ninety minutes, and you bring three other people. Most clubs take bookings through their own site or an app, some still by phone, and evening slots go first.

If you cannot find four players, look for the club's open sessions. Many clubs run social or "americano" evenings where you turn up alone, are put into changing pairs and play short matches against everybody. It is the fastest way into a local padel scene, and it is designed for people who do not yet know anyone.

What it typically costs

Prices vary by city, by time of day and by whether the court is indoors, but the shape is consistent. A court typically costs somewhere between twenty and forty euros an hour, cheapest outdoors in daylight and most expensive indoors on a winter evening. Divided by four players, that is usually five to ten euros each.

A first group lesson typically costs less than an individual one by a wide margin, and many clubs sell a beginner block of four to six sessions that works out cheaper again. Racket rental, where clubs offer it, is usually a small flat fee per session. Balls are sometimes included and sometimes sold at the desk, so ask when you book.

What to bring

• Shoes. Clay-court tennis shoes or dedicated padel shoes with a herringbone sole. Running shoes slide badly on sanded turf and are the main cause of first-session ankle rolls.
• A racket, or the plan to rent one. Do not buy before you have played. Ask the club whether they rent, and if they do not, borrow.
• Water and a towel. Rallies are longer than they look and indoor halls get warm.
• Comfortable sports clothing. There is no dress code at club level.

Leave the wristband of the racket on your wrist for the whole session. It is not decoration: an enclosed court gives a flying racket nowhere to go.

The first hour on court

Play doubles. One player from each pair stands on each side of the centre line, and the pair that is at the net has the advantage, so the basic pattern of a point is to work your way forward and to push your opponents back.

Three things will make your first hour better than it would otherwise be. Let the ball come off the back glass instead of rushing it; the rebound is slow and generous, and standing too close to the glass is the most common beginner error. Lob when you are in trouble, because a high ball buys time and forces the net players back. And serve gently and accurately rather than hard: the serve is underhand and low, and a fault costs more than a soft serve does.

The rules that decide points are worth ten minutes of reading beforehand. Padel rules explained covers scoring, the serve and how the walls work.

Etiquette

Padel clubs are informal, but a few conventions keep the evening pleasant.

Arrive a few minutes early and leave the court promptly at the end of your slot; the next four people are standing behind the glass. Do not walk behind or across a court while a point is being played, and wait at the door until the rally finishes. Collect the balls at the end and hand them back if they belong to the club.

Call your own lines honestly and replay the point when nobody is sure. At club level there is no umpire, and a replayed point costs nothing. If you break a ball or notice damaged glass or a loose net, tell the desk rather than the next players.

Finally, mixed-level games are normal in padel and part of why it grew so fast. Play the ball to the person, not at them, and keep smashes for people who want them.

What to do after the first session

If you enjoyed it, book again within the week; the gap between a first and second session is where most beginners lose the thread. Ask about beginner courses, which are usually the cheapest way to get the basics of the volley and the lob into your hands. And do not buy a racket for at least a few sessions, then read how to choose one before you do.

Finding a club is the last piece. The lists on this site are ordered by score alone, so the club at the top is the one players rated and completed best, not the one that paid. If the club nearest you is not listed yet, you can add it in a couple of minutes.