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26 guides, each one argued over before it went in
Padel, explained properly
The guides behind the puzzles. What to do, why it works, and what changes as you get better.
New this week
Padel shoes by foot type: wide, narrow, flat and high arches
Padel shoe brands are not cut to one universal last, and knowing your foot shape narrows the search faster than reading reviews does. Here is what wide feet, narrow feet, flat feet, high arches, heavier players and old ankle injuries should look for, and what to avoid.
newThe chiquita in padel: the soft ball that beats the net
A chiquita is a slow, low ball with slice, played to land at the feet of a net player so they have to volley upward instead of down. It works because it takes pace off the ball, not because it is hit well.
newCan the ball hit the fence in padel? Drawn, case by case
Yes, the ball can hit the fence in padel, but only once it has already bounced on that side of the court, never before. Hit your own mesh before the ball has crossed the net and you lose the point outright, even though the exact same ball hitting your glass would still be alive.
Lab notes
The Padel Price Index: what an hour of padel costs in 13 cities
The Lab lists 224 clubs in 20 cities, each with the price it publishes.
We scored 303 padel positions. Attacking was the right answer in 16 of them.
Every position in the Lab's bank has one right call and up to three wrong ones, each with a written reason.
The lob is the best shot in padel and the most overused. Both are true. The difference is where the other pair is standing.
In the Lab's bank the lob is the right answer 28 times and the tempting wrong answer 47 times.
New to padel? Start here
What is padel? The sport explained in five minutes
A racket sport played in pairs on a small court with glass walls you are allowed to use. Easy to start, slow to get good at. Spain now has more padel courts than tennis courts.
Padel vs pickleball: the differences, and which one you should try
Both are booming, both are easy to start, and people confuse them daily. They are different sports with different courts, balls, rackets and rhythms. Here is how to tell them apart and which suits you.
Your first padel game: what to bring, how to score, where to stand
You booked a court, or someone added you to an open match. What to bring, how to score, where to stand, in the order it comes up.
Every guide
Padel rules explained: everything you actually need on court
The full rulebook is long and most of it never comes up. These are the rules that decide real points, in the order you will meet them.
Padel positioning: where to stand, and when to move
More club points are lost by standing in the wrong place than by hitting the wrong shot. Positioning is the cheapest improvement in padel and almost nobody practises it.
The bandeja: the shot that keeps you at the net
The bandeja is not a smash and it is not meant to win the point. It is the shot that lets you answer a deep lob without giving the net back, and it is the clearest sign of a player who has stopped playing tennis.
Padel wall play: how to stop being afraid of the glass
The glass is the reason padel is not small tennis. It is also the reason most beginners spend six months hitting balls into the back fence. Here is the timing.
The lob in padel: the most undervalued shot in the game
The lob is not a panic shot. At every level from club to professional it is the main tool for taking the net, and the players who lob well are the ones who look like they have all the time in the world.
The eight mistakes every padel beginner makes
Nearly all of them come from playing padel as though it were tennis. Fix these and you will jump a level without hitting a single new shot.
The padel serve: how to hit one that wins you the net
Nobody aces anyone in padel. The serve has one job, which is to get you and your partner to the net before the return comes back, and most club serves fail at it.
Padel volleys: the block, the punch, and where to stand for both
The net is where padel points are won, and the volley is how you keep it. Most club volleys fail for one reason: the player swings.
Bandeja, víbora or smash: which overhead to hit and when
Every lob gives you a choice, and choosing wrong loses more points at club level than hitting badly does. The height of the ball and where you are standing decide it, not how you feel.
Padel levels explained: what 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 actually mean
Every app and every club asks for your level and nobody agrees what the numbers mean. Here is what each level looks like on court, so you can put yourself in the right box and stop getting the wrong matches.
How to choose a padel racket: shape, weight, balance and core, in that order
Brands sell you carbon counts and colours. Four things decide how a racket plays, and you can work out which one you need in ten minutes.
Padel for tennis players: what carries over and what you have to unlearn
Tennis players pick up padel faster than anyone and then get stuck at the same place, usually about six months in. The swing that got you here is the thing in the way.
Padel elbow, sore shoulders and the other injuries: why they happen and how to stop them
Padel has an injury profile all its own: elbows from the volley, shoulders from the overhead, calves from the stop-start, and eyes from the ball that comes off the glass. Most of it is preventable and most of it starts with the racket.
What is padel? The sport explained in five minutes
A racket sport played in pairs on a small court with glass walls you are allowed to use. Easy to start, slow to get good at. Spain now has more padel courts than tennis courts.
Padel vs pickleball: the differences, and which one you should try
Both are booming, both are easy to start, and people confuse them daily. They are different sports with different courts, balls, rackets and rhythms. Here is how to tell them apart and which suits you.
Your first padel game: what to bring, how to score, where to stand
You booked a court, or someone added you to an open match. What to bring, how to score, where to stand, in the order it comes up.
Padel shoes: how to choose them, and why running shoes will hurt you
The court is artificial turf with sand in it. The wrong sole slides on it; the right one grips and lets you turn. This is what to look for, what the pros wear, and which pair suits your feet and your court.
Padel balls: pressure, brands, altitude, and why your tube goes dead in a week
A padel ball looks like a tennis ball and is not one. Less pressure, a smaller bounce, and a life of about four games. Here is what the numbers mean and which tubes are worth buying.
Padel grip size and overgrips: the cheapest fix for your elbow and your control
Nearly every padel racket ships with a handle that is too thin for the hand holding it. An overgrip costs three euros and changes more than a new racket would. Here is how thick, how many, and which.
Padel after 50: your first month, and how to still be playing at 70
Padel is the racket sport people take up in their fifties and do not give up. Smaller court, underarm serve, walls that give you a second chance. The knees and the shoulder still need a plan; here it is.
Padel shoes by foot type: wide, narrow, flat and high arches
Padel shoe brands are not cut to one universal last, and knowing your foot shape narrows the search faster than reading reviews does. Here is what wide feet, narrow feet, flat feet, high arches, heavier players and old ankle injuries should look for, and what to avoid.
The chiquita in padel: the soft ball that beats the net
A chiquita is a slow, low ball with slice, played to land at the feet of a net player so they have to volley upward instead of down. It works because it takes pace off the ball, not because it is hit well.
Can the ball hit the fence in padel? Drawn, case by case
Yes, the ball can hit the fence in padel, but only once it has already bounced on that side of the court, never before. Hit your own mesh before the ball has crossed the net and you lose the point outright, even though the exact same ball hitting your glass would still be alive.
Playing padel with glasses: what club players actually wear
Glasses are safe to wear for padel, and most players who need correction settle on a wrap style sports frame with a strap rather than their everyday pair. Contact lenses and protective eyewear both have a place too, and which one suits you comes down to how close the ball gets to your face in your game.
Left or right in padel: which side should you play
The Lab's bank of 303 tactical positions has 239 set on the left side of the court and only 64 on the right, because the left, backhand side is where a padel rally actually asks you to decide something. That split, plus who takes the middle ball, is most of the answer.
Padel scoring explained: the maths behind deuce
Padel is scored exactly like tennis: love, 15, 30, 40, game, with sets to six games and a tie-break at six games all. The one real choice a competition makes is what happens at deuce, advantage, golden point or the newer star point, and the three change how often you actually win the game.