Padel vs Pickleball: The Key Differences, From a Padel Player

Padel vs pickleball: the short answer

I play padel. I'm part of the early bookings, the coffee after a match and the WhatsApp groups that never seem to sleep. So when friends ask me about padel vs pickleball, I try hard to be fair, because pickleball deserves a fair hearing.

Here's my honest verdict. Pickleball is the quicker "first hour" sport. It has a small open court, a light paddle and a soft, patient game at the net. Padel is almost always doubles, played in a walled glass box, and it moves faster and more continuously. The walls feel like the enemy at first. Once you understand them, they forgive your mistakes.

Neither sport is objectively better. It depends on what you want from your time on court.

Padel vs pickleball at a glance

	Padel	Pickleball
Court size	20 m × 10 m	13.41 m × 6.10 m
Walls	Glass and mesh, in play	None
Singles or doubles	Almost always doubles	Both
Serve	Underhand, after a bounce, at or below waist	Underhand, diagonal
Scoring	Tennis-style (15, 30, 40), sets	Games to 11, win by 2
Racket or paddle	Solid, perforated, stringless racket	Flat, solid, lighter paddle
Ball	Like a tennis ball, slightly lower pressure	Perforated plastic
Pace	Fast, continuous	Controlled, stop-start
Typical rally	Longer, because the walls keep the ball alive	Shorter, often decided at the net
Learning curve	Quick to start, but the walls take time	Very quick to start
Availability in SA	Widespread and growing fast	Growing, but a smaller scene

Where each sport came from (briefly)

Pickleball started in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, where Joel Pritchard and friends improvised a game for their families. The popular story is that it was named after a dog called Pickles. The other explanation points to a "pickle boat", a rowing term for a crew of leftovers, as this Sport Singapore overview notes.

Padel began in Acapulco, Mexico, in 1969, when Enrique Corcuera built a walled court at his home. It took hold in Spain and Argentina, and the rest of the world followed.

The court: size, walls and surface

Padel is played on a 20 m × 10 m court. Glass back walls and glass-and-mesh sides enclose it. The net is about 88 cm high at the centre and 92 cm at the posts. Most courts are artificial grass with sand infill. For more detail, see The Padel Court Explained.

Pickleball uses a 13.41 m × 6.10 m court, the same footprint as a badminton doubles court, with no walls. The net is 86 cm at the centre and 91 cm at the sidelines. The non-volley zone, known as the "kitchen", extends 2.13 m from each side of the net. Courts are usually hard surfaces.

A padel court is roughly two and a half times the area of a pickleball court. Both are smaller than a tennis court, and padel is roughly three-quarters the size.

There is a practical consequence in South Africa. You can line several pickleball courts onto one tennis court, which is why pickleball often appears at existing tennis clubs. Padel needs purpose-built cages.

Rules and scoring compared

Padel

Padel is almost always played as doubles. You bounce the ball, strike it underhand at or below waist height, and serve diagonally into the opposite service box. Once the ball has bounced on the ground, either team may play it off the walls.

Scoring follows tennis: 15, 30, 40, sets to six games and tie-breaks. Many social and professional formats use a "golden point" at deuce, so the next point wins the game.

Common fault: hitting the ball straight into your opponents' glass or mesh before it bounces on their side.

Pickleball

Pickleball can be singles or doubles, and the serve is underhand. The two-bounce rule means the ball must bounce once on each side before anyone may volley. You may never volley while standing in the kitchen.

Games go to 11, and you must win by 2. Many articles get the next point wrong. Traditional pickleball uses side-out scoring, which means only the serving team can win a point. If the receiving team wins the rally, they win the serve, not a point. That is not rally scoring. Some formats and leagues now use rally scoring, where every rally counts, so check which one your club plays.

Common fault: volleying with a foot in the kitchen, including when your momentum carries you in after the shot.

Equipment: rackets, paddles and balls

A padel racket is solid, stringless and perforated. It has a foam or EVA core and a carbon or fibreglass face. It can be no longer than 45.5 cm and no thicker than 38 mm. Most rackets weigh around 340–375 g and come with a wrist strap. Padel balls look like tennis balls but have slightly lower pressure.

A pickleball paddle has a flat, solid face built around a composite, graphite or polymer core, and it is lighter than a padel racket. Pickleball balls are perforated plastic, with separate versions for indoor and outdoor play.

For your first few sessions, you need very little:

• A borrowed or hired racket or paddle. Most clubs offer one.
• Proper court shoes. For padel, look for soles designed for sand-filled turf, often with a herringbone or omni pattern. For pickleball, choose hard-court shoes with good lateral support. Running shoes offer less lateral support and can make rolled ankles more likely.
• Balls. These are often supplied with the booking.

Hold off on expensive gear until you know what you enjoy. Prices in rand vary a lot, and an entry-level racket or paddle is more than enough while you learn.

How each one actually feels to play

Pickleball is patient and tactical. Much of the game happens at the kitchen line, with soft "dinks" dropped just over the net while each side waits for the other to pop one up. Points are quick and play is stop-start. Hands and touch matter more than legs.

Padel feels more continuous. Rallies keep going off the glass, and lobs, positioning and teamwork with your partner decide most points. It is also wonderfully social, because four people share one small box and talk constantly.

I remember when the back wall finally clicked for me. For weeks I had lunged at every ball before it reached the glass, terrified of letting it past. Then one evening I turned, waited and let the ball come off the wall. It slowed, sat up and gave me all the time in the world. That small moment of trust changed the whole game for me.

Fitness depends on how you play. Padel tends to involve more movement than pickleball, because the rallies run longer and the court is bigger. Calorie burn varies so much with level, intensity and the person that I'd treat any figure you see online as a rough guess.

Is padel harder than pickleball?

On day one, pickleball is usually easier to rally in. Padel also gets beginners rallying quickly, far sooner than tennis does, but the walls confuse most people at first.

By month six, both sports have real depth. Padel's walls, lobs and the bandeja add a tactical layer that keeps many players hooked. The bandeja is a controlled overhead that keeps you at the net.

Your background shapes the learning curve. Tennis and squash players tend to adapt quickly to padel. Table tennis and badminton players often take naturally to pickleball.

Common beginner mistakes:

• Padel: Swinging too hard. Let the walls do the work. Rushing forward alone is another one, so move up and back together with your partner.
• Pickleball: Hitting hard from the baseline. Learn the third-shot drop. Creeping into the kitchen is the other, so keep your feet planted behind the line when you volley.

Padel or pickleball for beginners, older players and anyone mindful of their body

Is padel good for older people? Yes. The court is smaller than a tennis court, the serve is underhand, you share the work with a partner, and the walls buy you time. In Spain, padel is played widely across age groups.

Pickleball also has a strong following among older players because it involves so little running.

Joints are worth considering:

• Surfaces: Padel's sand-filled turf usually feels softer underfoot than pickleball's hard courts.
• Common niggles: Both sports bring their own. "Padel elbow" and calf strains are common in padel, often because of over-hitting or skipping the warm-up.
• Warming up: Ten minutes of gentle movement before you play helps.
• Existing conditions: If you have a joint, heart or back condition, see your doctor or physio before you start.

A simple guide:

• Choose pickleball if you want the gentlest start, prefer touch over movement, or your local tennis club already runs sessions.
• Choose padel if you want a social doubles game, enjoy longer rallies, have a tennis or squash background, or want a bit more of a workout.

Where padel vs tennis fits in

A padel court is smaller than a tennis court, the serve is underhand, and the scoring is the same. For beginners, it is much less punishing. There are fewer double faults, far less chasing of balls to the back fence, and the walls keep rallies alive.

That is why so many lapsed tennis players in South Africa are moving to padel. You keep the familiar strokes and scoring, lose much of the frustration, and play alongside friends of quite different standards without anyone feeling stranded.

Playing padel and pickleball in South Africa

Padel courts have spread rapidly in recent years, especially in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria, and there are clubs along the Garden Route too.

Is there pickleball in South Africa? Yes. It is growing, often at tennis clubs, community centres and residential estates, but its local footprint is smaller than padel's.

Practical points:

• Booking: Most padel clubs take bookings through an app or their website, and many run social leagues and "Americano" mix-ins where you rotate partners.
• Court hire: Venues usually charge per court for an hour or 90 minutes, split four ways. Rates in rand vary by city and time slot.
• Climate: The climate lets you play outdoors most of the year, and many venues have covered courts for wet winter days in the Cape.

So, is padel or pickleball better? My honest take

For me, it's padel, and not because of any spec sheet. I love the four of us in one box, laughing at a lob that clips the glass. I love the walls that turn a lost point into a second chance, and the sense of play that I'd forgotten as an adult.

Pickleball has its own charm, and I mean that. It is welcoming, clever and very easy to start, and I've never met anyone who regretted trying it.

So try both. Whichever you choose, treat it as time that's yours, not another item on the to-do list.

If you'd like to learn padel properly

If padel appeals to you and you'd like to learn it slowly and well, I host the Cape Coast Padel Retreat on the Garden Route near George.

It is a week for a small group of 6–8 people. Each day brings coaching with local coaches, with plenty of free time around it. Optional adventures, such as safari, are there if you want them. Every guest has a private room, and you're welcome at any level, including if you've never held a racket. The next dates and all the details are on the retreat page.

Frequently asked questions

Is padel or pickleball better?

Neither is objectively better. Pickleball is easier to pick up in the first hour, while padel offers longer rallies, more movement and a very social doubles format. It depends on what you want from your time on court.

Is there pickleball in South Africa?

Yes, pickleball is played in South Africa. It is growing, often at tennis clubs, community centres and residential estates, though its local footprint is smaller than padel's.

Is pickleball an inclusive, welcoming community?

Pickleball attracts a broad mix of people, from retirees and families to former tennis and badminton players. Open-play sessions tend to be friendly and easy to join.

Is padel for older people?

Yes. The court is smaller than a tennis court, the serve is underhand, you share the work with a partner and the walls buy you time. If you have a joint, heart or back condition, see your doctor or physio before you start.

Is padel harder to learn than pickleball?

At first, slightly, mainly because the walls confuse most beginners. Pickleball is usually easier to rally in on day one, but both sports have real depth once you progress.

What is the difference between padel and pickleball?

Padel is a doubles game played in a 20 m × 10 m walled court with a stringless racket and a low-pressure tennis-style ball. Pickleball is played on a smaller open court with a light paddle, a plastic ball and a no-volley “kitchen”.

How big is a padel court compared with a pickleball court?

A padel court is 20 m × 10 m and a pickleball court is 13.41 m × 6.10 m, so padel is roughly two and a half times the area.

Can you use a pickleball paddle for padel?

No. Padel requires a padel racket built to its own specifications, and the balls and court behave differently.

Is padel easier than tennis?

For most beginners, yes. Underhand serves, a smaller court and the walls mean fewer faults and longer rallies sooner.

Do I need experience to join a padel coaching holiday?

Usually not, but check with the organiser. Our Garden Route retreat welcomes complete beginners, and the coaching adapts to each player.