Start Playing Padel in 30 Days

Your Complete Beginner's Guide to America's Fastest-Growing Sport

Find Your First Court See the 30-Day Plan

What You'll Learn Here:

How to go from zero to confident player in 30 days
Where to find free beginner clinics near you
What it actually costs (spoiler: less than you think)
Everything you need before your first game

What You Won't Find:

✗Complicated jargon (we have a glossary for that)
✗Intimidating technical stuff (we keep it simple)
✗Gatekeeping nonsense (padel is for everyone)

Your 30-Day Padel Roadmap

Follow this plan and you'll go from "What's padel?" to "When's our next game?" in one month.

Week 1: Discover

Time investment: 2 hours total

Watch this 5-minute intro video

Understand the basics of how padel is played

Read "How to Play Padel"

Quick version: It's tennis meets squash on a smaller court with glass walls you can use. Always played in doubles. Easier to learn than tennis. Ridiculously fun.

Read full guide →

Find clubs near you

Use our directory to locate facilities within 30 minutes of home. Look for "offers beginner clinics" and "equipment rentals".

Search courts →

Book your first clinic

Most clubs offer FREE or $20-40 intro sessions. Don't skip this—30 minutes with a coach saves you hours of confusion.

Week 1 Goal: Scheduled and ready for your first session

Week 2: Experience

Time investment: 2-3 hours total

Attend beginner clinic (60 minutes)

What to bring:

• Court shoes (tennis/athletic, non-marking soles)
• Athletic clothes (shorts, moisture-wicking shirt)
• Water bottle
• Positive attitude

What NOT to bring: Racket (rent at club), stress, expectations of being good

Play your first game (90 minutes)

Book a court with friends or join drop-in play. Yes, you'll be terrible. Yes, you'll have fun anyway.

Realistic first game: You'll miss serves, hit the back wall with your racket, forget the score, and laugh a lot. This is normal and good.

Join club's WhatsApp group

Almost every club has one. This is how you find playing partners, ask questions, and become part of the community.

Learn basic terms

Check out our padel glossary for common words you'll hear.

Week 2 Goal: You've actually played padel and didn't die

Week 3: Practice

Time investment: 4-6 hours total

Play 2-3 more games

Try different experiences:

• Indoor vs outdoor (different feel)
• Different clubs (find your favorite vibe)
• Different partners (play with various skill levels)

Rent different rackets

Try round shape (easiest), teardrop shape (balanced), and different weights. Don't buy yet! You don't know your style after 3 games.

Watch one pro match (20 minutes)

YouTube search: "Premier Padel highlights" or "World Padel Tour"

Week 3 Goal: Comfortable on court, walls feel less weird

Week 4: Commit

Time investment: 2-4 hours + decision

Calculate your costs

Most common: $150-250/month for regular play (2x/week)

Make your decision: Casual or Regular?

CASUAL PATH (1-2x/month)

• Keep renting equipment
• Pay per session
• Join drop-in games
Low commitment, still fun

REGULAR PATH (1+x/week)

• Get membership (saves money)
• Buy basic equipment ($150-300)
• Join league or regular group
You're officially a padel player

Buy equipment (if going regular)

Starter setup ($150-300):

• Beginner racket: $80-120
• Court shoes: $70-100
• Balls: $20 (case)
• Bag: $30-50 (or use gym bag)

Equipment Guide for Beginners →

Week 4 Goal: You're now a padel player! 🎉

Where to Play

We've mapped 525+ courts across America

Texas (20+ clubs)California (13 clubs)Florida (15+ clubs)Arizona (7 clubs)New York (6+ clubs)View All States →

Top padel cities: Austin (America's padel capital!), Miami (traditional stronghold), Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, San Diego

Ready to Start?

525+ courts nationwide. One of them has your name on it.

Find Courts Near You →Learn the Language →