Padel tennis, also known as paddle tennis, is a variant of the sport of tennis. It is played on a smaller court with paddles and a plastic ball. The game shares many similarities with regular tennis, but there are some key differences that set it apart. If you’re curious about padel tennis and wondering if it’s the same as regular tennis, read on to learn more…
Table of Contents
Similarities between padel tennis and regular tennis
- Players need to know how to serve, return serves, and hit forehands, backhands, overheads (volleys), etc.
- The ball can bounce once on each side of the court, forcing players to cover all areas of the court in order to play their best.
- In both sports you score points by hitting the ball without making errors, and games consist of a definite number of sets that go up to at least six/seven/nine or longer if necessary.
- Similar equipment is used in both sports – tennis rackets and balls for padel tennis, and regular tennis rackets and balls for regular tennis.
Differences between padel tennis and regular tennis
- Padel courts are smaller than tennis courts.
- Regular tennis is played with a ball that’s the same in both the men’s and women’s games. Padel tennis uses a 4-inch (10cm) diameter foam rubber ball specifically designed for padel play.
- Padel tennis is usually played without a net separating players, while regular tennis requires that you have a net to separate opponents when playing doubles.
Padel Tennis Equipment
The main equipment used in padel tennis is similar to regular tennis equipment – paddles and balls for each player, plus rackets worn by players on their dominant hand side.
The biggest difference between padel tennis equipment and regular tennis equipment is that a special ball, which has a small amount of air inside it, is used in padel tennis. This ball is yellowish-green and made of closed-cell foam rubber with a diameter of approximately 4 inches (10cm). The ball has a compression rating of 45, which makes it bounce less than the pressurized balls that are used in regular tennis games – for this reason, players need to know that they must hit the ball at their desired speed or they risk making errors, as there’s not as much room to make up for poorly hit shots.
Regular tennis uses different kinds of balls based on the type of court you’re playing on. Ball types include: indoor/outdoor; hard court/grass; and men’s/women’s balls – with each version having a different compression rating.
Conclusion
Padel is a form of tennis that requires less space to play. It’s played on an indoor court with lower nets and faster balls. The challenge for many players who are new to the game is learning how to handle this fast-paced ball, but it only takes time before you have mastered the art of padel.
If you want some help getting started or looking your best while playing, take advantage of our wide selection of high-quality padel wear that will keep you cool in the summer months and warm after dark during the winter months.
