Padel is, alongside other sports, one of the most practiced sports among people. It has become quite famous in the last few years, and it has shown to be even more fast-paced than tennis on some occasions.
Therefore, people might want to know more about what padel tennis is, who invented the padel tennis, and a lot more. So, if this is the case for you, what we have to say here might be interesting for you to know! Pay attention as we will take a look back at when padel first begin and we’ll talk about how this sport has evolved in the last years.
Who invented padel
What if we tell you that padel is a relatively young sport? Would you believe us? Because if you don’t, then it will surprise you how recent the padel game has been around. Compared to other sports, those who play padel tennis are enjoying a new sport, for saying it so. It was created nearly 53 years ago, and the one who first had the idea to play it was a Mexican businessman named Enrique Corcuera.
The idea for this game came when Corcuera decided to adapt his squash court, which he had in Acapalculo back in the day, to create something interesting. Back then, it was named Paddle Corcuera, due to who created it, but the name has changed a bit as we can see.
Therefore, that’s why Corcuera is considered the father of Padel. A small idea, some changes in his squash court, and he got the chance to create a new sport that many people would find interesting.
Some years passed by before padel actually became a thing among people. It was in 1974 when a friend of Enrique decided to try the game, and it was the moment when he also fell in love with it. The game changed a bit to what his old friend invented a few years ago, but the magic was still there.
A game of this kind would surely have some rules to think about, and that’s what we will talk about now. So, leaving history aside, it’s time to talk about rules and how the game is played.
Can you play singles in padel?
We do know that tennis is mostly played in singles, but what can we tell about padel? Does it work the same or do people have to always go with someone else to play it? These can be considered basic rules, so it’s quite important for people to pay attention to them.
As we know, most padel games are played with a couple. But does it mean people can’t play with someone else if they wish? As a matter of fact, they can, there’s no limitation regarding that.
Even though the game is built around a court that is smaller than the current tennis court, this is meant for people to get a fast-paced game style. There’s where the difference comes, and that’s where we can explain something else as well.
People can play this game alone, but playing with someone else on their team is what actually makes padel a unique game that a lot of people tend to enjoy.
Where can I play padel tennis?
Well, this question is a bit hard to answer as it will mostly depend on where people are living. Different countries around the world give access to padel courts in ots of cities, and there are lots of padel tournaments as well. This is something no one can deny and that creates a space where people can go and play some padel tennis matches.
In case you want to enjoy some games with your friends, then it’s time to find some courts to play padel tennis when you and your friends have the chance. Another option for people to consider, and that can be seen as the most famous among some players in the world is to build a padel court in the backyard of your house.
Sounds a little too fancy for some people, but we have to say that it is a good alternative. Just imagine it, a private court, you can invite whoever you want to play with you, you won’t need to pay to use it,
What are the rules of padel?
Of course, we couldn’t keep going with the history of padel and what it is without actually talking about its rules. This is a pretty important thing to know because, such as any other game, the rules are vital for people to actually enjoy what they are playing.
Therefore, we have to talk about what rules people have to follow. Remember, this looks like tennis, but the rules aren’t the same. There will be differences, and that’s important for people to keep in mind.
The first, and most basic rule, is to play in a proper padel court. There’s no need to play on a tennis court because sizes are completely different, and the experience will be different in each case.
Other than that, we have pretty similar rules to what we have seen in tennis, but they are not the same. The second, and most important rule, is that people serve the ball by bouncing the ball to the ground below the hip.
And, as there are walls in the court, there are other rules for people to remember, especially if you want to score some points and win, of course. Here’s how you score a point.
- If the ball bounces on the ground twice on the rival side, point.
- The ball hits the balls into the net, that’s a point too.
- If the opponent hits the ball in a non-playable area, that’s also a point.
- The ball can’t hit someone’s grid of that’s a point for its rival.
- And people can’t get hit by the ball, at least not intentionally, because that’s a point to your rival.
What is the World Padel Tour?
Such as it happens in other important sports around the world, padel has its own World Tour. In this tournament, the best padel players from the world will show who’s the best in this sport.
Something that is pretty curious about this sports tour is the fact it isn’t as old as other competitions. We do know that padel is a relatively new sport, so this shouldn’t be a surprise for many of us.
Basically, this is everything people have to know about padel. Obviously, it is also the most important competition among the padel tournaments, and that’s something we can see when looking at the players participating on the torunament.
The tournament takes place after 15 or 20 WPT tournaments are played, and where a final master round is played among those who had a better qualification. After this final round takes place, the winner is chosen from the best participating couple in the Padel World Tour.
There are still some things we have to talk about, such as when the tournament was created and where it takes place, so let’s talk about those little details.
World padel tour players
When was the World Padel Tour created?
When talking about the World Padel Tour, we are talking about a relatively new tournament, as we mentioned before. Let’s remember that this sport has been around for less than 70 years, and this major tournament has been taking place since 2013.
It sounds like something crazy due to how important this sport has become among sports lovers worldwide, but the growth of the tournament has been quite amazing.
Up to this point, we are about to see the 10th edition of the tournament later in 2022. The tournament will hold in the same format as before, so we will see masculine and feminine matches.
To close things up with the creation of the World Padel Tour, we have to remember it began as the substitute for the Padel Pro Tour, which was the major tournament before this one. It changed after an arrangement with the Padel Professional Tournaments organization, which was also supported by the AJPP and the Fememine Padel Association.
Where is the World Padel Tour played?
Sometimes, we can see that tournaments vary from one place to the other depending on the organizational committee. Well, this is not the case of what happens with the World Padel Tour as it is held only in one location since its first edition back in 2013.
For all the Padel lovers, Madrid is the city where the WPT is played. So, if you are planning on assisting one, now you know exactly where to find more information about it!
And, remember what we said before, the tournament doesn’t change the place where it takes place year after year!
How big is the padel in Spain?
Spain can be considered as the place where most padel tournaments take place. Let’s be fair, by simply putting the WTP on Madrid, we can already have an idea of how big the tournament is there.
But, there is more information that is worth knowing about Spain and how padel works there. Up to this point, there are more than 1.000 padel clubs, and the number is still increasing as the sport is getting more recognition among people.
Other than that, there are over 11.000 courts available for people to use in Spain. It is quite a lot, but if we take a look at how many people play padel in Spain, we can tell why there are so many places to play. As for now, around 2 to 6 million people in the country enjoy padel!
How to choose your padel racket?
Choosing a padel racket is like choosing a complement for your body. The racket will be a part of you, so you will need to feel comfortable with it. There’s no need to choose a “pro racket” just to show off.
The best option for people, especially those who are new to padel, is to choose a racket that is not too heavy. Even for professionals, using a racket that is not too heavy can help you improve your time, so that’s our recommendation.
How to choose padel shoes?
The best shoes for people are those that will give proper grip to people who are playing panel. Therefore, the best option for padel players should be a shoe that has a herringbone pattern on the sole. The reason why is because it will give people a better grip in padel courts, which is perfect to get better performance.
Other than that, the shoes shouldn’t be bigger than your actual shoe size. It will give a better grip when making harsh movements.
How to choose a padel bag?
This question is actually somehow easy to answer. People shouldn’t pick a bag that’s too big for them. Therefore, choosing a bag that can fit all the equipment someone needs to carry is more than enough.
Also, try to choose a bag that is resistant. Padel rackets might not be so heavy to carry, but it might be good for people to keep that in mind in case they take more things with them.
How to choose the proper padel balls?
To answer this, we have to say something that might confuse some people. It will depend on how often someone plays padel. If you are an experienced player, then the balls you will choose to use are different.
If you are an occasional player, then you should focus on getting a ball that offers proper bouncing, as well as pressureless balls as they are better for occasional players as well.
But, if you are more experienced, then this is something completely subjective. Choose the one that you feel more comfortable with!
What’s the difference between padel balls to tennis balls?
If someone tells you that you can use a tennis ball to play padel, they are somehow right. But it is not recommended due to the main fact that the size of each ball is slightly different from the other.
The diameter of the padel ball is around 6.35 to 6.77 cm, whilst the tennis ball can reach up to 6.86 in diameter, the size difference comes due to the fact that a tennis ball requires more pressure.
Also, the texture of the ball is different too, so keep in mind if you want to take a tennis ball to a padel game.