How to Get Into Padel in Australia as a Beginner

Padel is officially having its moment in Australia. Courts are opening up across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and beyond — and the community is growing fast. If you've been curious about giving it a try, there's never been a better time.

Here's everything you need to know to get started with padel in Australia as a complete beginner.

Padel is a doubles racquet sport played on an enclosed glass-walled court. Think tennis meets squash — you use a solid paddle (no strings), the ball can bounce off the walls, and the court is about a third the size of a tennis court.

It's fast, social, and surprisingly easy to pick up. Most beginners are having genuine fun within their first session.

Padel has exploded globally over the past decade — it's the second most played sport in Spain and is growing rapidly across Europe, Latin America and now Australia. Here's why people love it:

• Easy to learn — the walls keep the ball in play longer, so rallies last even for beginners
• Always doubles — you always play with three other people, making it inherently social
• Great workout — the enclosed court means constant movement and quick reactions
• Addictive — most people who try it once are hooked

The good news: you don't need much to get started.

A padel racquet is a solid foam or carbon paddle with no strings. For beginners, a mid-range racquet in the $80–$150 range is more than enough. Don't spend big until you know you love it.

Key things to look for:

• Round shape — more forgiving for beginners (vs diamond shape which suits advanced players)
• Medium weight — around 360–375g is a good starting point
• Soft foam core — gives more control and forgiveness

Padel uses slightly depressurised rubber balls, similar to tennis balls but with less pressure. Most courts provide balls, so you don't need to buy your own to start.

Any court shoe with a non-marking sole works fine. As you get more serious, padel-specific shoes offer better lateral support for the quick side-to-side movements.

Any comfortable activewear works. No special clothing required.

Padel courts are growing rapidly across Australia. Here's how to find one near you:

• Google "padel courts near me" — most courts have Google Business listings
• Padel Australia (padelaustralia.com.au) — has a court finder
• Social media — search Instagram or Facebook for padel groups in your city

Major cities with growing padel scenes:

• Sydney — multiple venues across the inner city and suburbs
• Melbourne — courts in the CBD and outer suburbs
• Brisbane — growing quickly with new venues opening regularly
• Perth, Adelaide, Canberra — smaller but active scenes

Padel scoring is identical to tennis (15, 30, 40, game). The main differences:

1. Serve underarm — the ball must bounce before you hit it, and you must hit it below waist height
2. Walls are in play — after the ball bounces on the ground, it can hit the walls and still be returned
3. Ball out if it hits the fence — if the ball hits the metal fence (not the glass) without bouncing first, it's out
4. Always doubles — padel is always played 4 players (2 vs 2)

That's the core of it. You'll pick up the nuances quickly once you're on the court.

1. Don't swing hard — padel is about placement and control, not power. Soft hands win rallies.
2. Stay close to the net — the net position is dominant in padel. Don't hang back at the baseline.
3. Use the walls — don't be afraid of the walls. Learning to play off them is what makes padel unique.
4. Communicate with your partner — call "mine" or "yours" to avoid confusion in the middle of rallies.
5. Watch the ball, not your opponent — sounds obvious, but beginners often watch the other team instead of tracking the ball.

This is often the biggest challenge for beginners — finding three other people to play with, especially at a similar skill level.

Hobbimate is a free Australian app that connects you with padel players near you. You create a profile, select padel as your hobby, set your skill level, and browse players in your area. It's the easiest way to find a regular padel partner without having to rely on your existing social network.

Find a padel partner near you — download Hobbimate free →

Other ways to find padel partners:

• Book a social session at your local padel venue — most run regular social nights
• Ask at the court — the padel community is very welcoming to newcomers
• Spread the word — tell friends, workmates or gym buddies about padel and bring them along

Padel is one of those sports that's genuinely hard to stop once you start. It's social, active, and endlessly fun — and Australia's padel community is growing fast.

Find a court near you, grab a racquet, and get on the court. And when you're ready to find regular partners to play with, Hobbimate has you covered.

Walking onto a padel court for the first time can feel a little overwhelming — the glass walls, the enclosed space, the different bounce. Here's what to expect so you can relax and enjoy it:

The walls will confuse you at first — and that's fine. Every beginner tries to avoid the walls. Within a session or two, you'll start to see them as an advantage. The ball stays in play longer, rallies last, and the game becomes more fun.

You'll be surprised how quickly you improve. Padel has a steep early learning curve followed by rapid progression. Most beginners feel noticeably better after just two or three sessions. The sport rewards smart positioning and soft hands more than raw power, which means technique clicks faster than you'd expect.

The community is incredibly welcoming. Padel players in Australia are almost universally enthusiastic about introducing new people to the sport. Don't be shy about asking for tips or joining a social session — the padel community actively wants to grow.

Doubles makes it social by default. Because padel is always played four players, every session involves meeting and playing with new people. It's one of the most naturally social sports you can play.

If you're coming from a tennis background, here's what's different about padel:

• Underarm serve — no overhead serve; the ball must bounce first and be struck below waist height
• Walls are in play — after the ball bounces on the ground, it can be played off the glass walls
• Smaller court — about a third the size of a tennis court, so there's less ground to cover
• Solid paddle — no strings; the ball behaves differently off the face
• Always doubles — singles padel doesn't exist at recreational level

If you've never played tennis, don't worry — padel is arguably easier to pick up from scratch than tennis is, because the walls keep the ball in play and the underarm serve is far more forgiving than a tennis serve.