You know the rules, you’ve got a racket, and you’ve booked a court. But between “I know how it works” and “I’m playing well” there are a few lessons that no YouTube video or rulebook will teach you.
Quick note before we start: plan around 1.5 hours for your first doubles sessions and about 1 hour for singles. When your legs get heavy and the mistakes start piling up, it’s time to stop — better short and focused than long and frustrated.
Here are the things that would have helped me most in my first weeks on the court.
1. Stand Further Forward Than You Think
The most common mistake in beginner padel: all four players glued to the back glass wall. It feels safe — but it isn’t. Padel is won at the net.
The basic principle: when you’re in control of the ball (your serve, a solid return), move forward to the net as a team. The dominant position in padel is at the front, not the back. You only stay at the back when you’re defending.
The goal is always: get to the net as a pair as quickly as possible and stay there.
2. Move as a Team — Not as Individuals
In tennis, you think about yourself. In padel, you think about your team. You and your partner should move as if connected by an invisible rope: if one goes left, the other follows. If one moves to the net, the other comes too.
The gap between you should never be more than about 3–4 metres. If one of you is in the corner and the other in the middle — you’ve got a massive hole that any half-decent opponent will exploit immediately.
3. Precision Beats Power
The instinctive beginner reflex: hit the ball as hard as possible. The result: the ball slams against the glass wall and bounces back perfectly to your opponents. Or it flies out.
Padel is not a power sport. What really matters is precision — not just where the ball goes, but where it hits on your racket. You want to hit the ball in the sweet spot, the centre of the hitting surface. A cleanly struck slow ball is ten times more effective than a hard-hit ball that catches the frame.
This really clicked for me when I switched from a rental racket to my own. Suddenly I could feel the difference between a clean centre hit and an off-centre mishit — and I understood why “don’t hit so hard” was the right advice all along. Rental rackets are perfect for trying the sport, but once you know padel is for you, getting your own makes a real difference. → Which racket for beginners?
In your first weeks: focus on simply getting the ball back cleanly. Pace comes naturally once the technique is there.
4. The Glass Wall Is Your Friend
This was one of the first and funniest lessons my friends and I learned: the glass wall is your friend, not your enemy. When the ball bounces past you and hits the wall behind you, you get a second chance. Let it rebound and then play it.
The classic beginner mistake: trying to play the ball before it reaches the wall — rushed, tense, poorly positioned. Instead: let the ball bounce, let it come off the wall, read the rebound, then play it back with control. It feels counterintuitive at first, but quickly becomes second nature.
5. The Serve Isn’t a Winner
In tennis, a good serve can win the point outright. In padel, that virtually never happens. The serve is played underhand and is primarily there to start the point — not to finish it.
Focus on placement over power. A good beginner serve goes into the corner of the service box, ideally close to the glass wall. This makes the return harder without you taking any risk. And after the serve: move to the net immediately.
6. The Lob Is Your Best Weapon
When your opponents are at the net and you’re under pressure: play a lob. A high, deep ball over their heads forces them back and gives you time to move forward yourself.
Many beginners try to blast the ball through their opponents in pressure situations. It almost never works. The lob is the least glamorous but most effective weapon in beginner padel. Practise it.
7. Just Show Up As You Are
For your first sessions, you don’t need any special equipment. I started with running shoes, and hard court football boots work just as well — any sport shoe will do. Same goes for clothing: normal sports gear is perfectly fine. Padel is a low-barrier sport — just come with what you’ve got.
One practical tip: shorts with pockets are helpful, because you need somewhere to stash the second ball when you’re serving.
Once you realise padel is your thing and you’re playing regularly, it’s worth eventually getting proper shoes with lateral stability and an artificial grass sole (herringbone or omni pattern). Good all-court tennis shoes or dedicated padel shoes from €50–70 do the job. What you should avoid long-term: studded shoes or anything with a completely smooth sole — slip risk increases as your pace picks up.
8. Change Your Grip Regularly
The overgrip (the tape on your racket handle) wears out — faster than you think, especially if you sweat a lot. A worn grip means: the racket slips in your hand, you grip harder, your arm tires faster, your shots become less precise.
A new overgrip costs €2–3 and makes a noticeable difference. Change it every 3–5 playing sessions, or more often in summer.
Tip: Buy a roll of 3 or 5 overgrips instead of singles — it’s cheaper and you’ll always have one ready.
9. Play with Better Players
This is the fastest way to improve — and the one most beginners avoid. You’ll lose, and that’s the point. Against better players you’ll learn:
- Where you should be standing (because they’ll punish every gap)
- How quickly you need to react
- Which shots work and which don’t
Most padel venues in Austria have WhatsApp groups or community evenings where players of different levels come together. Use them. Nobody expects a beginner to be perfect — and most experienced players are happy to help.
10. Don’t Expect a Straight Learning Curve
In your first two or three sessions, you’ll be surprised how much fun padel is and how quickly you pick up the basics. Then comes a phase where you feel like you’re getting worse rather than better. This is normal.
You start thinking about things that were previously automatic: positioning, grip, wall play. It slows you down in the short term but makes you significantly better in the long run.
Most players who quit in frustration after 3–4 months would have been really good after 6. Stick with it.
Bonus Tips
Balls: Padel balls aren’t the same as tennis balls — they have less pressure and bounce lower. For casual games, affordable balls from Head or Bullpadel work fine (around €5–7 for a pack of 3). Fresh balls play noticeably better than worn-out ones.
Sweatbands, sunglasses & co.: All down to personal preference. Some players swear by wrist sweatbands, others never use them. Sports sunglasses can help on outdoor courts in sunlight — indoors you don’t need them. I personally play without. Try things out and see what works for you.
→ Complete equipment checklist with prices and recommendations
Summary
The key takeaways for your first weeks:
- Move to the net, don’t stay glued to the back
- Move as a team, close the gaps
- Precision over power — hit the sweet spot
- The glass wall is your friend — let the ball rebound
- Serve = start the point, don’t try to end it
- The lob is your best weapon under pressure
- Just show up as you are — special gear comes later
- Change your overgrip regularly
- Play against better players
- Keep going — the learning curve isn’t linear
Ready for the court? → Find padel courts near you Still have questions about the rules? → Padel Rules — Simply Explained Need a racket? → Best Padel Rackets for Beginners
Last updated: 2026-03