New to padel
Everything you actually need for your first five games of padel in Ireland, on one page.
What padel is
Padel is doubles on a court with walls. You and your partner share one half of the court. After a legal bounce, the glass and the mesh are in play.
Your first game checklist
The five games
- Game 1. Don't win. Survive. Your only goal is to keep the ball in play for 3 shots. No smashes, no winners. Let the wall do the work and watch how regulars move. You are learning the bounce, not the score.
- Game 2. Make friends with the wall. After one bounce the ball is still in play if it comes off the glass. It is dead if it hits the glass before the floor, if it goes into the net, or if it lands out. Letting the back glass do the work feels wrong for a week, then it feels obvious.
- Game 3. Stand like a team, not a tennis player. You play side by side, not one-up-one-back. Move as a pair: when the ball goes to your side, you and your partner shift together. Cover the middle. That's where most easy points leak at this level.
- Game 4. Learn one shot: the lob. If you only learn one thing, learn a controlled lob over the net player's head. It resets the point, buys time, and wins you games against better players who attack too early.
- Game 5. Play your first proper point. By game five, aim to hold a rally of 6+ shots without panicking.
If the serve clips the net and lands in the box, serve again, unless it hits the mesh before the second bounce. It is not a fault, and the rally has not started.
Played tennis? The habits that carry over.Two habits the tennis page does not cover
A bad smash goes over the 4 m back enclosure and is out.
Pick a side at the start of the game. Switch only when you both call it.
Court etiquette
Call the ball, let a live point finish, be on time.
Habits that get you invited back
Padel is friendly and social, and the Irish scene is small. These habits get you invited back.
Do not throw balls or hit them away. FIP treats violent ball abuse as misconduct. Call early: mine, yours, watch, or leave. Wait until a live point finishes before crossing behind a court or walking in. A bounced ball can rebound off glass or mesh and stay in play.
Wear the wrist cord. Dropping the racket or breaking the cord loses the point. Length is under Gear.
Social padel at Irish clubs means meeting people, not a fixed four. The Padel Tennis Ireland social page says players are paired with someone on the day, so you do not need to turn up with a partner. Playtomic Open Play is the same: show up, rotate. If you booked or organised it, be on time. If the club uses balls provided by players, bring a can. If your level is a guess, be conservative. Rotate fairly. Don't hog the strong players.
Gentle warm-up: a few rallies, volleys and overheads, at the slowest player's pace. Before the first serve, agree advantage, Golden Point or Star Point. How scoring works explains the three formats. The server calls the score before every serve, loud enough for all four.
Call your own lines. No umpire, and no FIP rule gives the benefit of the doubt. On this site, if you are not sure, call it in. Some clubs replay the point instead. Agree before the match. It is not a FIP rule either way. Return a ball that rolls onto your court, and yours when it escapes. Apologise (a raised hand) for lucky shots off the wall or frame.
Arrive 10 minutes early, agree the format, and call the ball before you swing.
Gear: borrow a racket first
Borrow a round racket. Ask at the desk if they lend or rent one, and play a few sessions before you buy.
Court shoes (non-marking) or clean trainers. No studs, no flip-flops.
If the club uses balls provided by players, bring a can.
If you are buying
Buy shoes for sideways movement, with lateral support and a padel or clay-style outsole. Herringbone grips outdoor sand-filled turf. Omni or mixed is easier indoors or on less sandy courts. Use a stable, non-marking padel shoe. Replace it when the sole goes smooth. Running shoes are not padel shoes.
Unsure of the weight? Go lighter. Head-heavy means power and harder control. Even or head-light is safer for most. Round has the biggest sweet spot. Teardrop is a blend. Diamond is a power tax for beginners. A soft core forgives. A hard core is precision: punishment when technique slips. Fibreglass flexes (fine for entry). Carbon is stiffer — only helps if you can use it. The wrist cord is obligatory: non-elastic, 35 cm at most, fixed in the handle and worn on the wrist. Breaking the cord, or dropping the racket, loses your pair the point. Irish outdoor note: EVA firms up in cold weather. A softer core stays more playable on autumn and winter courts.
Use FIP-approved padel balls. A new ball dropped from 2.54 m onto a hard surface must bounce between 135 cm and 145 cm. Buy what your club stocks. Replace a ball when it feels flat.
Play three sessions on a borrowed round racket first, then pick the more forgiving one.
Where to play your first game
Many Irish venues take bookings on Playtomic. Others use their own system. You can also turn up to a social where you don't need a partner.
These clubs publish a beginner or coached session. For a social anywhere else, see games by county.
Dublin
- Dublin Sports Dome / Padel DomeOpen matches, Beginner sessions
- Portmarnock Padel (PSLC)Beginner sessions, Coached sessions, Junior sessions
- Star PadelAmericanos, Socials, Beginner sessions
Laois
- Padel 100 Bloom HQAmericanos, Beginner sessions
Work with a coach
Work with a qualified padel coach at your club.
Nothing replaces a coach watching you play and correcting you.
Ask whether they hold a padel coaching qualification, for example through the Padel Federation of Ireland (opens in a new tab), FIP Academy (opens in a new tab) or, in Northern Ireland, LTA Padel (opens in a new tab).