Your First Padel Session: What to Expect (2026)

Very little. Wear comfortable sportswear and clean trainers; padel-specific shoes help with grip but are not needed to start. Most clubs hire rackets for a few pounds and sell balls, so you do not need your own equipment, as our beginner's guide explains. Bring water and a small towel. That is genuinely all, which is part of why padel is so easy to try. If you decide you love it, our beginner racket guide covers buying your own frame later.

Padel (an enclosed-court racket sport) is played as doubles, so you need four players. If you have three friends, book a court directly through the venue or an app like Playtomic. If you do not have a full four, look for a club's beginner or social mix-in session, where the venue pairs you up with other players of a similar level. Many clubs run regular taster sessions specifically for newcomers, which are the easiest and friendliest way in. Our guide to finding a partner has more options.

You will be struck by how small and enclosed the court is, with glass walls all around. After a quick knock-up to warm up, you will start playing points almost immediately. The serve is underarm and gentle, hit below waist height after one bounce, so it is easy to get the ball in play. Rallies tend to last longer than in tennis because the walls keep the ball alive. Do not worry about technique or tactics on day one; just enjoy hitting the ball and getting a feel for the bounce off the glass.

Use the walls. The single thing that confuses newcomers is that a ball which goes past you is not out; after it bounces on the floor it can come off the back glass and you play it on the way back. Letting the ball bounce and using the walls is what makes padel different from tennis, and getting comfortable with it quickly will transform your first session. Beyond that, the scoring is the same as tennis, which our scoring guide covers, and the full rules are in our rules guide.

A typical session is 60 to 90 minutes. Court hire across the UK usually runs roughly £20 to £40 per court per hour, which split between four players is only a few pounds each, plus a small racket-hire fee if you need one. A beginner or coached session may cost a little more but is excellent value for a friendly, structured introduction. Padel is genuinely good exercise without feeling like a workout, so expect to come off court warm, smiling and probably wanting to book again.