If you play pickleball and you're thinking about trying padel, the first thing you'll notice is the walls. Padel is played in an enclosed court, usually in doubles, with a stringless racket and tennis-style scoring.
Pickleball is played on a smaller open court with a paddle, a plastic ball and a no-volley zone at the net called the kitchen.
Both are easy to start and both are social. They play quite differently, though. Here's how pickleball vs padel compares, and what changes if you switch.
Padel vs Pickleball at a glance
|
Feature |
Padel |
Pickleball |
|---|---|---|
|
Court |
10 m by 20 m, enclosed by glass and mesh walls |
20 by 44 ft (about 6.1 m by 13.4 m), open, with a kitchen on each side of the net |
|
Walls in play |
Yes |
No |
|
Equipment |
Stringless, perforated racket with a foam core. Ball similar to a tennis ball with slightly lower pressure |
Solid paddle. Perforated plastic ball |
|
Serve |
Underhand, after one bounce, at or below waist height, diagonal |
Underhand, below the waist (or a drop serve), diagonal, must clear the kitchen |
|
Scoring |
Tennis-style (15, 30, 40). Golden point at 40-40 is common |
Usually to 11, win by 2. In standard scoring, only the serving side scores |
|
Usually played as |
Doubles |
Doubles, with singles also played |
What changes if you play pickleball:
1. The walls are the big one. In padel the ball can bounce once on the floor and then come off the back or side walls, and it's still in play. A ball that would have gone past you in pickleball can come back off the wall, so points tend to last longer.
2. The court is bigger too. A padel court has roughly two and a half times the floor area of a pickleball court, so there's more ground to cover.
3. There's no kitchen. Padel has no non-volley zone, so apart from the serve, which has to bounce first, you can volley from anywhere, including right up at the net.
4. Scoring is different. Padel uses tennis scoring (15, 30, 40), and golden point at 40-40 is common, where the next point wins the game. Pickleball is usually played to 11, win by 2, and in standard scoring only the serving side can score.
5. The gear is different as well. A padel racket has no strings. It has a perforated face like a paddle, but it's thicker and has a foam core. The ball is close to a tennis ball with slightly less pressure, not a plastic pickleball.
What carries over
Quite a lot. You already understand doubles positioning, and the serve will feel familiar, since in both games it goes diagonally across the court. What takes getting used to is playing off the walls, and that just takes practice.
Who plays padel and who plays pickleball?
Who you'll meet on court is a little different too. In the US, pickleball's largest age group is 25 to 34, with players over 65 a close second, and the average player is around 35. A Spanish study of padel found most players were between 35 and 54. These figures come from overseas, so treat them as a guide, but they give you a rough idea of who plays padel and who plays pickleball before you choose between the two.
Which is easier to learn?
Both are easy to start. Pickleball's smaller court means less ground to cover. In padel, the walls keep points going, so beginners can string rallies together while their technique is still catching up. If you can't decide, play both and see which one you keep coming back to.
Where to play padel in the Philippines
Padel is newer here, so there are fewer courts than for pickleball. Check availability before you go and book ahead if you can.
Our partner clubs include Warehouse 71 (Alabang, Muntinlupa City), Play Padel Greenfield (Greenfield, Mandaluyong City), Play Padel McKinley (McKinley, Taguig City), and ProSmash (Alabang, Muntinlupa City, and Circuit, Makati City).
Getting your first padel racket
A beginner-friendly racket helps in your first few games. STARVIE has been in padel since 2002, and you can browse the range in our padel rackets collection.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ):
Is padel the same as pickleball?
- No. Padel is played in an enclosed court with walls, tennis-style scoring and a stringless racket. Pickleball is played on a smaller open court with a paddle and a plastic ball.
Can pickleball players switch to padel?
- Yes. Doubles positioning and the diagonal serve carry over. The main new skill is playing off the walls.
Is padel harder than pickleball?
- Not necessarily. Both are beginner-friendly. The walls keep padel points alive, and pickleball's smaller court means less running.
Padel court vs Pickleball court: which is bigger?
- Padel. A padel court is 10 m by 20 m, while a pickleball court is 20 by 44 ft (about 6.1 m by 13.4 m).
What age group plays padel and pickleball?
- In the US, pickleball's largest age group is 25 to 34, with players over 65 a close second. A Spanish study found most padel players were between 35 and 54. These figures come from overseas, so treat them as a guide.
