Padel At The Pub
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THE SPORT EXPLAINED

What is padel?

The social racket sport that is part tennis, part squash, and made for playing with mates before you head to the pub.

Book a CourtHow to play padel
THE SHORT ANSWER

Padel is a racket sport, usually played in doubles, on a 20m by 10m court enclosed by glass and fencing. You hit a lower-pressure ball with a solid, stringless racket, and the ball stays in play off the walls. It borrows tennis scoring and the wall play of squash, and it is built to be easy to pick up and sociable from the first game.

WILL I BE ANY GOOD?

Where are you starting from?

The honest answer to “what is padel” depends on what you already play. Pick your background and see what carries over.

WHAT CARRIES OVER

Nothing to unlearn. Padel is one of the easiest racket sports to start: the glass and fencing keep the ball in play, so you get rallies from your first session.

WHAT’S NEW

Everything, but the basics are quick to pick up: an underarm serve, the walls, and keeping score like tennis.

YOUR FIRST STEP

Book a court with coaching for your first session and learn the basics with someone alongside you.

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WHERE IT CAME FROM

The padel sport: from a Mexican holiday home to UK pubs.

1969

Born in Mexico

Enrique Corcuera built the first padel court at his holiday home in Acapulco, mixing ideas from tennis and squash into a smaller, enclosed game.

1970s

Spain takes it up

The sport reached Spain in the 1970s and took hold there, which is where much of its modern popularity began.

Today

Spreading across the UK

Padel is now one of the fastest-growing participation sports in the UK, with new courts opening in towns, clubs and pubs.

WHY PADEL AND PUBS

A sport that ends at the bar.

Four players, one table

Padel is usually played in doubles, so most games arrive as a group of four who already want to sit down together afterward.

Quick to get going

There is no kit to buy, no club to join and no long warm-up, so a game fits neatly into an evening and leaves plenty of time for food and drink.

No one left on the sidelines

Walls keep the ball in play and everyone rallies, so mixed-ability groups still have a good time.

Ready to see it for yourself?

Learn the rules in our how to play padel guide, then book a court at The Black Horse in Chesham and see it first hand.

01494 611766

QUICK ANSWERS

Padel, in a few questions.

Is padel the same as padel tennis or paddle tennis?

Padel and padel tennis are the same sport. Paddle tennis is a separate, older American game played on a smaller court, so if you meant the enclosed, glass-walled game, padel is the right name.

Is padel the same as pickleball?

No. Padel is played on an enclosed court with a stringless racket and a ball that rebounds off glass and fencing. Pickleball is played on an open court, roughly the size of a badminton court, with a plastic ball. Our padel vs pickleball comparison breaks the two down side by side.

Who is padel for?

Almost anyone. The ball stays in play, the court is compact and the game is usually played in doubles, so first-timers, mixed-ability groups and returning players can all enjoy it together.

Do I need to be fit or sporty?

No. It is an active game, but you set the pace, and short rallies with plenty of breaks make it much more forgiving than most racket sports.

Is padel a posh or expensive sport?

It has that reputation in some places, but nothing about the game requires it. Padel is played in doubles, so a court is shared by four people, racket hire is available on site, and in a pub it is a casual game with friends, not a members-only affair.

Why is padel so popular right now?

It is easy to learn, social by design and quick to play, which is why it is spreading so fast. Courts fit into spaces such as pubs, clubs and gardens, so it is turning up close to where people already spend their time.

Run a pub with space to spare? Bring padel to your pub.