Want to know more about the sport of padel? You’ve come to the right place. We’ll introduce you to the basic aspects that distinguish the game from racket sports such as tennis, badminton and squash.
Easy to play and perfect for socializing – padel is growing all over the world. We provide you with all the interesting facts and special features about this new racket sport.
Padel is a relatively new sport
Padel shares many aspects with other racket sports such as tennis, badminton and squash. Compared to these, however, the history of padel tennis is a very modern one. A Mexican, Enrique Corcuera, is considered the founder of the game as it is known today. In the late 1960s, he built a court for a racket-based game in his native Acapulco. It turned out to be somewhat smaller than a normal tennis court due to ownership and he enclosed it with walls, which he integrated into his new game.
Padel is more popular in Spain than normal tennis
Padel tennis is one of the fastest growing sports in the world when it comes to active participation. According to the International Padel Federation (FIP), the sport is played by around 25 million people worldwide; it is particularly popular at grassroots and professional level in Mexico, Argentina and Spain. The FIP estimates that there are padel courts in over 90 countries.
In Spain, padel tennis attracts more players than the regular tennis discipline. Over 20,000 courts are actively used, while in countries such as Sweden, Italy and the UK, the number of players increases rapidly with every additional court that is built.
Padel is mainly played in doubles
It is rare for padel to be played as a one-on-one game. At a professional level, the sport is built around doubles, which can ultimately be traced back to the 1970s and 80s when the first tournaments were organized.
There are also other reasons why the double makes sense. The speed of the game combined with the smaller space available to the players makes playing singles dramatically more difficult. That’s not to say that padel can’t be played one-on-one, it just needs the right court. A tennis court is open for singles and doubles games, which is simply not possible in padel. Most courts are designed for doubles.
Padel rackets have no strings
The modern padel racket has no strings, which distinguishes it from other racket sports. It consists of a short handle and a foam core surrounded by a solid outer cover. The material used for this is versatile; it ranges from fiberglass to carbon and graphene.
Enrique Corcuera is once again responsible for the use of this type of racket. He and his wife used small wooden paddles instead of tennis rackets to play their game at home. The small court and the power of a tennis racket meant that the balls flew uncontrollably in all directions. This meant that a less powerful tool was needed to slow the ball down and keep the game going. Over time, rackets evolved into what we know today, but the basic principle remained the same.
The impact is performed from below
That’s correct, it’s based on the “forearm serve”. You hit the ball at hip height or below and try to get it into the opposite diagonal box. This may seem a little strange and you may think that there is no attacking play and that the serve is just a starting point, but the person serving has total control over the ball, which means they also claim control over the speed, spin and direction. The serve determines which shot the opposing player responds with — whether he is forced to use the glass walls or not.
You have the option of playing a point outside the course
The rules of padel allow you to return the ball as soon as it lands behind the plexiglass wall, provided it does not touch the ground a second time. Corresponding options for leaving the court are common and are also used.
Padel tennis is a good workout
Padel is generally considered to be a non-strenuous sport. You don’t need the same amount of energy as in tennis or sports, which is mainly because you don’t have to walk too much due to the size of the court. However, that doesn’t mean that your body doesn’t feel it when you play padel tennis.
Padel matches usually last about an hour, which makes them a good combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercise to keep your cardiovascular system healthy. It also improves your coordination, reflexes and mental health.
