Learning padel: Is it really that easy?

More and more people are hearing about padel for the first time and immediately ask: Is padel hard to learn? 🤔

The short answer is: No, padel is considered a racket sport that is especially quick AND easy to learn. That is why the padel community is growing so rapidly worldwide.

Is padel easy and quick to learn?

Yes, padel is very accessible for beginners. After a short time, new players can already rally and enjoy playing. 😄

This is mainly because:

  • the court is smaller than in tennis
  • it is usually played in doubles
  • the racket has no strings and is easy to control
  • the walls help keep the ball in play

Many beginners can already manage longer rallies after their first session. Padel can be played both indoors and outdoors.

Why is padel easier than many other racket sports?

Padel is designed so that rallies last longer and mistakes happen less often. This means you can enjoy playing for longer.

Here are a few reasons:

  • The serve is especially easy to get over the net: underhand serve instead of a complex overhead serve (like in tennis)
  • The court is smaller (20 x 10 meters)
  • If the ball hits the glass wall, you can continue playing
  • The ball is slower than in tennis because it has lower air pressure

All of this makes matches more fun more quickly, even for beginners. 🥳

Differences between padel and tennis.

Padel and tennis may look similar at first glance, but they differ significantly.
Tennis Padel
Large court Smaller Court
Mostly singles Mostly doubles
Overhead serve
(difficult for beginners)		 Underhand serve
(easy for beginners)
Balls must be collected after each point Balls stay on the court

Unterschiede zwischen Padel und Squash.

Padel wird auch manchmal mit Squash verglichen, da beide Sportarten mit Wänden gespielt werden.

Squash Padel
Only indoor Indoor or outdoor
Played against a front wall Played over a net and with back walls
Very fast rallies More tactical and slower
Mostly singles Mostly doubles

Padel combines elements of tennis and squash but remains its own unique sport.

The most important padel rules.

The basic rules are easy to understand:

  • Usually played 2 vs 2 (doubles)
  • The serve is below hip height
  • The ball may bounce once on the ground
  • After that, it may also hit the glass wall
  • Scoring is the same as in tennis (15-30-40, sets to 6 games, tie break)

Feeling inspired?

Here you will find all 📍 padel locations in Vienna. Most are very easy to reach. Grab a few friends, book a court, and fun is guaranteed!

Can children learn padel?

Yes, padel is very suitable for children. Many clubs already offer training programs for young players.

Children can usually start from around 5 to 7 years old, depending on their size and coordination. There are special smaller and lighter padel rackets for kids. 👧👦

Children learn through padel:

  • Coordination
  • Ball control
  • Teamwork
  • Reaction skills
  • Movement
  • And fun
Two padel balls symbolizing a padel doubles team

Published on May 3rd, 2026 by Gérald Piletta

Back to the overview: More about Padel