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Padel is the world’s fastest growing sport, but is still fairly new to most people.
Whether you are a complete beginner or have already started your padel journey, Padel39 is here to help answer any questions that you may have. To get the ball rolling, here are the top 10 most asked questions that we receive about padel:
Padel is a highly sociable racket sport that combines elements of tennis and squash.
Padel is typically played as doubles on an enclosed court that is smaller than a tennis court, with walls that you are allowed to use as part of the game.
The rules and scoring are similar to ‘traditional’ tennis, but the game is played with a solid paddle, rather than a strung racket, and a slightly depressurized tennis ball. Padel is fast-paced, great fun and highly sociable. Typically, padel offers a much faster learning curve than tennis, for most players.
Although many people confuse padel and pickleball, as they are both relatively new racket sports played on a smaller court, they are not the same, and fairly different sports when you look closer.
Padel is played with a solid paddle and padel courts have walls that are an integral part of the game. Pickleball is played on a flat, hard surface without walls, using a plastic ball with holes and a paddle that resembles a large table tennis racket.
As the dust settles on Paris, and we look forward to Los Angeles hosting the olympic games in 2028, you may wonder if padel is the sport for you if you are harboring dreams of being an olympian…
We are afraid to say that, right now, padel is not an Olympic sport.
Its explosive growth has caused some to start pushing for it to be part of the Olympic Games in the future, so who knows what the future holds. The International Padel Federation (FIP) is actively working on behalf of the padel community to be considered for Olympic inclusion, so don’t give up on your Olympic aspirations just yet.
Although many people think of padel as a brand new sport, it actually dates back to 1969. Padel originated in Acapulco, Mexico.
The Padel39 brand name is a nod to its heritage, as 39 are the first two digits of Acapulco zip codes.
Enrique Corcuera is credited with inventing padel.
He wanted to build a tennis court at his home in Acapulco, but didn’t have enough space. Not one to give up, he built a smaller court with walls and created a new set of rules, giving birth to what we now know and love as padel.
At first glance, padel and tennis balls look the same, but they are slightly different and you should always use dedicated padel balls to get the best out of your session.
Padel balls are slightly smaller and have less pressure than tennis balls. This makes them slower and easier to control in the smaller confines of the padel court.
We can help provide proper padel balls here at Padel39, so don’t panic if you don’t have your own equipment.
For your first few taster sessions of padel, we can offer you all the equipment that you need to enjoy the sport.
Most players who get hooked want to get their own equipment and the racket is one of the first purchases that will be on your shopping list.
We are often asked for advice about choosing the right padel racket. The truth is that the ‘right’ racket will depend on your playing style and skill level, as well as personal preferences, so we would recommend trying a few different rackets to see what works best for you. The weight, balance and materials used in construction all give padel rackets a unique feel and it is ultimately a personal preference.
As a general rule, beginners are best suited to rackets with a round shape as they tend to offer more control and are generally easier to control. As your skills improve, some players move to a more teardrop-shaped racket as they offer more power without sacrificing all control. Elite players often lean towards diamond shaped rackets, as they will offer the maximum power, but they do require much more precision in use and we would not recommend them for padel novices.
At Padel39, we have a Pro Shop stocked with the latest rackets, and informed staff and coaches that can help you make the right decision.
Here at Padel39, we are biased as we are obsessed with padel. But we are not alone - padel is the world’s fastest growing sport, so we are not alone in our addiction.
There are many reasons why padel is so popular, but the most important factors, in our humble opinion, are as follows:
1. Accessibility: Padel is easy to learn. Whilst it will take years to become a master, the initial learning curve is much kinder than other racket sports, especially tennis. Even those with no previous racket sport experience will be enjoying themselves on the padel court within minutes rather than years.
2. Sociability : Padel is almost always played as a doubles game, so is inherently social in nature. You are constantly communicating with your playing partner, but the smaller court size helps you enjoy the sport as a foursome. It is not just the matchplay that is social - come and try the Padel39 experience, where you will enjoy the after match drinks in idyllic surroundings.
3. Fun Factor : You really need to try padel to appreciate how fun it is. The introduction of walls and the fast pace lead to exciting rallies and creative shot-making which is unique to padel. We love all racket sports, but many of our members keep telling us how much more enjoyable it is when compared to tennis where frustration is often the emotion of the day!
4. Low Impact : Whilst there is no doubt that padel can be physical and the elite level requires an excellent level of physical fitness, padel is generally much easier on the joints than other sports such as tennis. You can play at your own pace, so it is a sport that is suitable for players of all ages and fitness levels.
Building your own padel court is an expensive process, but that is where we step in. We have created Padel39 to give you access to fantastic courts, plus the benefits of being part of a welcoming community.
In padel, it is typical for each of the four players to pay their portion of the court rental. At padel39, we plan on session of 90 minutes, which enables you to play a match. If you are a Padel39 member, your rate is discounted at different levels, depending on your chosen membership package. If you just want to try padel before joining the club, the Non-Member rate is $30 per session per player.
Padel is traditionally played as a doubles sport. Whilst it can technically be played as singles, there are very few specialist singles courts in the world and playing on a standard court is much more of a physical challenge if you are playing on your own.
We would encourage you to embrace padel as a social activity, with significant physical and mental health benefits, so we like to be traditional and consider padel as a sport to be enjoyed in pairs.
