LOCAL PADEL LEAGUES

Want to get involved in one of the fastest growing sports across continental Europe?

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.

Padel has gained increasing popularity over recent years, with over six million people currently playing in Spain. There are currently 150 padel courts in Britain so now is the time to come and give padel a try.

 

PADEL COURTS

Padel courts are designed for four players and are roughly 25% smaller than the size of a tennis court. The speed of the game, combined with the smaller size of a padel court, makes singles play difficult, and most padel matches feature two pairs of players.

 

equipment

The bat – a padel bat is very different to a tennis racket. Made of EVA foam of different densities the striking surface of a padel bat is full and drilled with holes. It is smaller than a tennis racket, weighs roughly the same but is much thicker. Each bat has a safety strap that must be worn at all times when playing.

The ball -  At first glance a padel ball and a tennis ball look identical however they do have some small differences. Typically padel balls are smaller than tennis balls and weigh roughly the same. The key difference is the pressure – padel balls have a lower pressure, resulting in a lower bounce and a slightly slower game.  

Our friends at Padel Shack have everything you need - click here to start shopping.

 

When was padel first played in Britain?

In 1992 the British Paddle Association was formed by a group of passionate British expats seeking to compete in the 1992 World Paddle Championships.

Since then the sport has steadily grown throughout Britain.

In 2019 the LTA announced it will integrate British Padel into the organisation’s day-to-day operations.

In November 2020 the LTA was confirmed as the national governing body for Padel and as part of its Padel Development Plan it is looking to have 400 padel courts in place across Great Britain by 2023.

As of November 2021 there are around 89,000 active padel players across the UK playing at 65 different venues – a number that is set to grow substantially over the coming years.