What is padel?

Padel is a form of tennis that is easy to play, fun and extremely sociable. It is played mainly in a doubles format on an enclosed court about a third of the size of a tennis court and can be played in groups of mixed ages and abilities, as it is not power dominant. The rules are broadly the same as tennis, although you serve underhand and the walls are used as part of the game with the ball allowed to bounce off them.   One of the fastest growing sports across continental Europe, padel has gained increasing popularity over recent years, with over six million people currently playing in Spain.

Find out more about Padel, how to get started, competitions and where to play

Essex Tennis Padel Club Championships Sunday 24 September 

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Padel Club Championships 2023

At a glance where to play in Essex:

For enquiries relating to Padel in Essex please get in touch with our Essex Tennis Padel Officer, Will Bailes on williamb@essextennis.org.uk or complete the Contact Us form at the foot this page.

The LTA are the Governing Body of Padel Tennis in the UK

County Associations are developing playing and competitive opportunities throughout the country—the following information gives a futher useful overview of Padel.  For information about construction please go to the relevant section of our  facilities document’ on this website.

Padel Tennis in outline

Compared to tennis, the court is smaller and has no doubles lines, and the net is lower. Paddle tennis is played with a solid paddle as opposed to a strung racquet, and a depressurised tennis ball is used. The same court is used for both singles and doubles, with doubles being the dominant form of play. Scoring is the same as normal tennis.

The difference between Padel and Tennis

https://padel.wsbsport.com/en/differences-between-padel-and-tennis/

https://everythingpadel.co.uk/padel-and-tennis/

If you want to be confused?! 😕😔

When you are chatting to friends/others who live in different parts of the world 🌍 there is often confusion because:

Padel, paddle tennis and platform tennis are three similar but different sports

To make things even more confusing, platform tennis is often called “paddle tennis” by its players and sometimes only “paddle”.

https://www.epiruslondon.com/blogs/tennis-hacks-blog/what-is-padel-paddle-tennis-platform-tennis-and-what-are-the-differences

Court Dimension detail and specifications [UK]

https://www.lta.org.uk/4ad2a4/siteassets/play/padel/file/lta-padel-court-guidance.pdf

YouTube Padel Demonstration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UovbktzFZwk