5 Proper Steps to Play Padel for Beginners in Rochdale Players Guide

08 Mar 5 Proper Steps to Play Padel for Beginners in Rochdale Players Guide

Playing padel starts with understanding the court, learning the basic rules, and getting a few sessions under your belt. 

It’s one of the easiest racket sports to pick up, and most beginners are rallying within their first hour on court.

Padel is social, low-pressure and fun from day one which is exactly why courts across Greater Manchester are fully booked.

At Deuce Padel in Rochdale, we help complete beginners get on the Padel court.

From beginner sessions for people with zero experience to easy court booking and racket hire, we make the first step for your padel passion simple.

Why is Padel One of the Fastest-Growing Sports in the UK?

A few years ago, most people in the UK had never heard of padel. Today, padel clubs are opening across England, Scotland, and Wales every month and courts are fully booked.

The game first began in Mexico during the 1960s. From there, it quickly became very popular in Spain and many countries in Latin America. 

Later, it spread across Europe, where places such as Sweden, Italy, and the Netherlands now have millions of people playing it.

The UK is catching up fast and places like Rochdale, Manchester, and the wider North West are right at the heart of that growth.

Research confirms that padel improves physical fitness, cardiovascular health, and mental well-being. 

Part of it is how quickly you improve. 

Unlike tennis, you don’t need years of coaching before a game feels enjoyable. Most beginners can have a proper rally on their very first session. That instant satisfaction keeps people coming back.

How to Play Padel in Rochdale: 5 Steps You Need to Take

This is the core of the guide. Work through each section at your own pace.

1- Understanding a Padel Court

A standard padel court measures 20 metres long by 10 metres wide. It’s fully enclosed by a combination of tempered glass panels and metal mesh fencing a distinctive cage structure.

A net runs through the center of the court, much like in tennis. Each half of the court is divided into two areas: one service box on the left and one on the right.

The rear glass wall and side glass panels are live playing surfaces. The ball can rebound off them, and you can play those rebounds as legal shots. 

This is one of the defining features of padel, setting it apart from every other racket sport.

2- The Basic Rules of Padel

Padel is played as doubles, two players per side, four players per match. The sequence of play is straightforward:

• The server starts the point with an underarm serve
• The receiving team must let the ball bounce before returning it
• After the serve, the ball can bounce once on the floor and then hit a wall, and the rally continues
• The ball is not allowed to strike the side wall unless it first touches the ground.
• A rally finishes if the ball bounces two times on the same side, touches the net, or goes out of the enclosed court.

The wall play is what makes padel unique. Learning to use the walls and read how the ball comes off them is where the skill and strategy of the game live.

3- How to Serve in Padel

Serving in padel is easier than in tennis. There is no overhead serve. The padel serve is underarm, controlled and consistent rather than dominant.

This is how your serve correctly:

1. Stand behind the service line on the right side of the court
2. Bounce the ball once on the floor
3. Strike it below waist height
4. Direct it diagonally into the opponent’s service box across the net

You get two attempts, just like in tennis. If both serves fail, it’s a fault, and your opponents win the point.

Keep the serve simple and consistent. A reliable underarm serve sets the rally up far better than a fast, inaccurate one.

4- How to Play Your First Rally

Once the serve lands, the rally begins. Focus on these steps as a beginner: 

• Positioning: You and your partner should stand roughly in the middle of your half of the court. Don’t crowd the net early. Don’t sit too deeply. The midcourt is your base.
• Court coverage: Each player covers their half. Left player covers left, right player covers right. Communicate clearly so there’s no confusion over shared balls.
• Shot selection: In your early sessions, forget about winners. Aim for the centre of the opponent’s court with controlled, mid-paced shots. The goal is consistency, not aggression. Make them play the shot.
• Reading the walls: Watch the ball all the way to the back glass. Observe the angle it comes off at. Within a few sessions, your brain starts to predict it automatically.
• Staying relaxed: Gripping the padel racket too tightly is one of the most common beginner errors. Hold it firmly but not stiffly. Soft hands give you more feel and better direction.

5- How Padel Scoring Works

Padel uses the same scoring system as tennis:

If a set reaches 6-6, a tiebreak is played. The tiebreak goes to 7 points and again a 2-point lead is required to win.

For beginners, don’t stress the scoring in your first few sessions. Just play points and let someone else keep track. It becomes second nature within a few games.

Padel Equipment: What You Need to Get Started?

The padel racket, sometimes called a padel bat is a solid, perforated bat with no strings, shorter than a tennis racket with a foam core. 

For beginners, look for a round shape with a soft EVA foam core, medium weight (355-375g), and a budget of £30 to £80. 

Deuce Padel offers rental padel rackets if you want to try before you commit.

Padel balls look almost identical to tennis balls but with slightly lower internal pressure. Most clubs supply them for court sessions so you won’t need your own to start.

For footwear, general sports trainers with a good rubber sole work fine as a beginner. 

As you play more regularly, padel-specific shoes or clay court tennis shoes offer better grip and ankle support on the artificial grass surface.

5 Common Beginner Mistakes in Padel (& How to Fix Them)

These are the five mistakes almost every new padel player makes in their first few sessions and the simple fixes that sort them out quickly.

1- Crowding the Net Too Early

It feels like good pressure, but moving to the net too soon leaves you exposed to lobs and wall rebounds. 

Treat midcourt as your default position and move forward only when you have a clear attacking opportunity.

2- Ignoring the Back Wall

The rear glass wall is not your enemy. It’s one of your best tools. Beginners who panic and back away lose easy points. 

Spend your first sessions simply watching how the ball rebounds off the glass. It becomes readable faster than you’d expect.

3- Hitting Too Hard

Power loses more points than it wins at the beginner level. Hard shots fly out or sit up perfectly for your opponent to attack. 

Slow down, aim for the centre of the court, and let control do the work.

4- Drifting Out of Position

When one player chases a wide ball, both partners shouldn’t follow. That leaves half the court open. The player not hitting the ball holds their position, always.

5- Not Communicating With Your Partner

Silence in doubles creates confusion and missed shots. Keep talking during rallies. Short calls like “mine, yours,” or “lob” are all it takes to keep a partnership running smoothly.

Where to Play Padel in Rochdale and the Surrounding Area?

Padel has grown rapidly across Greater Manchester. 

Active courts in Manchester, Salford, Stockport, Bury, and Oldham. Rochdale and the surrounding areas, including Heywood, Littleborough, Milnrow, and Middleton, now have quality local facilities that didn’t exist a few years ago.

Deuce Padel is the place to play padel in Rochdale. Beginner sessions are available for people with no prior experience. 

The atmosphere is friendly, the coaching is practical, and the community genuinely welcomes newcomers. A local court you can easily reach is a court you will actually use. 

Book Your First Padel Session at Deuce Padel!

At Deuce Padel in Rochdale, beginner sessions are built for people exactly like you. A friendly environment, approachable coaching, and a sport that most people fall in love with from the very first game.

Book your first session at Deuce Padel. Join the Rochdale padel community, meet people who love the sport and find out what everyone has been talking about.