🎾 How to Choose the Right Padel Gear: You don’t need a truckload of gear to play padel—but having the right setup makes all the difference.

Essentials:

- Unlike tennis racquets, padel rackets are solid with holes and no strings. Choose a round shape for control (ideal for beginners) or a diamond/teardrop shape for more power (better for advanced players).
- Look for padel-specific or clay-court tennis shoes with good lateral support and grip for synthetic turf and sand.
- Padel balls look like tennis balls but are slightly less pressurised.
- Keep your handle dry and secure by replacing your overgrip regularly.
- Lightweight, breathable activewear is best—think tennis-style attire.

📜 How to Understand Padel Rules:
Padel is simple once you grasp the key rules. Here are the fundamentals:

- Always played in doubles—two players per side.
- Enclosed with glass and wire mesh walls, which are part of play.
- Must be underarm, struck below waist height, and bounce once before hitting diagonally into the opponent's service box.
- After the serve, the ball can bounce once before hitting the back or side glass walls.
- You can return it after a wall bounce—but not after it bounces twice.
- You can volley (hit the ball before it bounces), but not off the serve.
- Balls that hit the fence or wall before bouncing are out.

⏱️ How to Keep Score in Padel: Padel follows the same scoring system as tennis:

- Points: 15, 30, 40, Game.
- If tied at 40–40: It's "deuce", and a team must win by two consecutive points to win the game.
- Six games wins a set, and matches are usually best of 3 sets.
- Serving alternates every game, and within a team, players alternate who serves each time their team serves again.

🎯 How to Serve in Padel: Serving in padel has its own unique style:

- Start behind the service line on your right-hand side.
- The ball must bounce once on the ground before being struck.
- Hit the ball underhand, and it must pass diagonally into the opponent’s service box.
- The serve must land in the box without touching the side glass or fence.
- You get two serves (just like tennis).
- No volleys on the return of serve!

Tip: Consistency is more important than power. Get your serve in play!

🪞 How to Use the Glass Walls in Padel: The glass walls are what make padel so unique and fun:

Defensive Play:
- If a ball hits your wall after bouncing on your side, it's still in play—wait for it and return calmly.
- Letting the ball bounce off the back glass gives you more time to prepare your shot.

Offensive Play:
- Use walls for angles and spin—hitting into the side wall can trick your opponent.
- You can even leave the court (in some formats) to return a ball that bounces off the glass and goes out!

Tip: Be patient—mastering the walls takes time, but it’s worth it.

🤝 How to Follow Padel Etiquette:
Padel is built on social play and good sportsmanship.

Court Behaviour:
- Greet your opponents before and after the game (padel tap or handshake).
- Call out the score clearly before each serve.
- Wait for points to finish before retrieving stray balls.
- Don’t smash unnecessarily at beginners—keep it fun!

Partner Communication:
- Talk constantly: call "mine", "yours", or "switch".
- Stay positive, even after mistakes.
- Encourage and support your partner.

Tip: Great etiquette makes games more enjoyable for everyone, no matter the score.