Padel
Padel is an enjoyable, tactical racket sport that is growing in popularity across the UK. It’s hard to come off court without a smile on your face and a keen desire to play again! Tennis and squash players quickly pick up the game and find many of their skills are transferable, allowing them to reach a good level of play in a relatively short period of time, while beginners can learn the basics of the game and improve rapidly. From children who are experiencing racket sports for the first time through to the more mature player, padel provides a great outlet for exercise, competition and fun. At the top level, it’s an incredibly tactical, and physical game. You only need to check out the top padel rallies from the World Padel Tour on YouTube to appreciate the game at its best.
Rules of Play
In padel scoring is the same as tennis – but there are many differences between the sports. A padel court has walls, so shots can be played off them, like in squash.
Also, unlike tennis, when a ball is served it must bounce once on the floor then hit from below, or at, waist height. When serving, players have two attempts to hit into an opponent’s box.
Players can also volley the ball during a rally however the ball is determined as “out” should it hit a wall directly. In padel, players can bounce the ball off a wall on their own side of the court – similar to squash.
Like tennis, a set is won when a team wins six games and there is at least two games difference – failing that the set is decided by a tie-break. Matches are best of three sets.
Padel courts are designed for four players and are roughly 25% smaller than the size of a tennis court. The speed of the game, combined with the smaller size of a padel court, makes singles play difficult, and most padel matches feature two pairs of players.
Some padel courts are designed especially for singles, but around 90% of all padel courts in the world are doubles specific. At a professional level only doubles is played on the World Padel Tour, the leading competition for elite players.
Padel in Hertfordshire
Facilities in Hertfordshire are growing rapidly as the sport increases in popularity, these are the LTA registered padel venues in the county:
Bishops Stortford
Bishops Stortford Lawn Tennis Club
Cricketfield Lane
Bishops Stortford
Herts
CM23 2TD
http://www.bsltc.co.uk/padel/
Bishops Stortford
Bishops Stortford Padel Club
Dunmow Road,
Bishops Stortford
CM23 5RG
https://www.bishopstortfordpadelclub.co.uk/
Broxbourne
Broxbourne Sports Club
Mill Lane Close
Broxbourne
EN10 7BA
https://broxbournesportsclub.com/
Bushey
Bushey Grove Leisure Centre
Aldenham Rd
Bushey
WD23 2TD
https://padeluniteduk.com/
Bushey
David Lloyd, Bushey
Hartspring Lane
Bushey
WD23 2DL
https://www.davidlloyd.co.uk/clubs/bushey/
Bushey
Padel Tree Metropolitan
Aldenham Road
Bushey
WD23 2TR
https://padel-tree.com/
Bushey
Queens’ School
Aldenham Road
Bushey
WD23 2TY
https://www.powerleague.com/padel
Hatfield
David Lloyd Club Hatfield
Mosquito Way
Hatfield
AL10 9AX
https://www.davidlloyd.co.uk/
Hemel Hempstead
Leverstock Green Tennis Club
18 Grasmere Close
Hemel Hempstead
HP3 8QZ
https://www.zing-padel.co.uk/
Hitchin
Padel Zone
5 Hunting Gate
Hitchin
SG4 0TJ
https://padel-zone.co.uk/
Potters Bar
Old Owen’s Sports Ground
Coopers Lane
Potters Bar
EN6 4NF
https://www.atmospadel.com/
Radlett
Encourt Padel
Unit GH Ventura Park
Radlett
AL2 2DB
https://www.encourtpadel.co.uk/
St Albans
PadelStars Batchwood Golf & Sports Centre
Batchwood Drive
St Albans
AL3 5XA
PadelStars St Albans – PadelStars
Watford
Padelstars Watford
Woodside Leisure Centre
Horseshoe Lane
Watford
WD25 7HH
https://padelstars.co.uk/padelstars-watford/
Welwyn Garden City
Game4Padel Gosling
Gosling Sports Park
Stanborough Road
Welwyn Garden City
AL8 6XE
https://www.game4padel.com/
Herts LTA Padel Sub-Committee
The members of this sub-committee are padel enthusiasts who meet frequently to develop padel within the county. For more details please contact Stuart Foster at hertstennis@gmail.com
LTA Padel Competitions
https://www.lta.org.uk/play/ways-to-play/padel/competitions/
LTA Padel Rankings
https://competitions.lta.org.uk/ranking/ranking.aspx?rid=305
Seniors https://competitions.lta.org.uk/ranking/ranking.aspx?rid=306