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Padel tennis, a dynamic and exciting squash-tennis hybrid, is one of the world’s fastest-growing sports. Tennis fans will love padel - with its fast-paced gameplay and social nature it’s a great sport for players of all ages and skill levels. Children, parents, grandparents - everyone can take part and get together to play a game.
A smaller court, softer ball and underarm serve means it is a great leveller and allows for a gentler approach. Most players get the basics within the first 30 minutes of playing.
There’s quite a celebrity following too - with David Beckham and Andy Murray fans of padel. Here’s everything you need to know about playing padel on your next Neilson Beach Club holiday.
The lowdown
- Fast-paced and fun to play
- Play at 4 Beach Clubs in Greece, Sicily, Turkey and Mauritius
- Inclusive group coaching
- Equipment included
- For players of all ages and abilities
What is padel tennis?
Padel tennis, also known as padel or paddle, is played by more than ten million people worldwide and is a fast-emerging sport in the UK - officially recognised as a branch of tennis.
Padel is usually played as doubles format on a court enclosed by glass walls and metal mesh fencing (often with an open roof). The court is one-third of the size of a tennis court with a net dividing the court into two sides.
The main differences to tennis are that the court has walls, and the balls can be played off the walls in a similar way to squash using a solid, stringless bat. The height of the ball served must be at or below the waist level.
How to play padel tennis
The rules of padel are relatively straightforward and broadly the same as tennis. Scoring follows the same format as tennis, going from 15, 30, 40, then a game, with 6 games needed to win a set and the best of 3 sets winning the game.
The service is underarm and must be hit below waist level. Shots are played before or after the ball bounces off the turf or surrounding glass walls. The ball can bounce off any wall but can only hit the turf once before being returned. The ball remains in play until it has bounced twice.
Once you get into the swing of things, you’ll find that rallies are much longer and fun as you rely a lot less on power and can play off the walls, keeping the ball in play for longer.
Padel equipment
All padel equipment is provided on our holidays, you just need to turn up and play.
The racket is smaller and more compact than a tennis racket with a shorter handle – giving you more control over ball placement. The face of the padel racket is perforated with a pattern of holes and has no strings. The racket also has a wrist strap which you wear during play.
Padel balls are like tennis balls but have less pressure, offering a better balance between speed and control.
Are padel tennis lessons included?
Padel tennis is one of our inclusive activities at Levante Beach Club, Neilson x Cook's Club Adakoy in Turkey and our new Neilson x Mangia's Torre del Barone Resort in Sicily. There are four courts, two established and two new courts at Levante, with group coaching sessions available throughout the week - they are included in your holiday and are a great introduction to the game. Adakoy has a single court and our staff are on hand for intro to padel sessions or if you've played before, there is a refresher session, both again included in your holiday. And if you really love your padel, try the new resort in Sicily where we have a full racket sports complex ideal for padel pros and beginners.
If you want to carry on playing outside of the group sessions you can book a padel court for free play - this is available for a little extra cost at Levante but free of charge in Adakoy.
In addition to padel at Levante Beach Club, we have a daily programme of tennis coaching for all abilities, social tennis, and extras such as super drills (available as a supplement). But if you are a fan of all 3 racket sports that Neilson Beach Clubs offer, there only one place that offers all three, come and join us at the new Neilson x Mangia's Torre del Barone Resort in Sicily.
Are there padel lessons for children?
We run one session per week for children aged 5-8 and 8-11 years. These sessions are included and will be available to book at the Beach Club. Any children over the age of 12 can join the adult sessions. And if you book a court for free play, children aged 11 and over are welcome to join you.
There's also a fantastic range of inclusive kids' clubs for all ages - with paddle boarding, dinghy sailing, tennis, beach games and so much more.