Padel needs less kit than almost any other racquet sport. You can turn up to your first session with nothing but trainers and be completely fine.
Shoes matter most
Wear a flat-soled trainer with decent grip. Running shoes work, but they are built to move you forward, not sideways, so a court or cross-training shoe is better if you have one. What you want to avoid is anything with a deep tread or a raised heel. Padel involves a lot of short lateral steps and quick stops.
Dedicated padel shoes exist and use a herringbone sole for sliding. They are worth it eventually. They are not worth it before your third session.
Clothing
Anything you can move in. Shorts or leggings and a t-shirt is the standard. Indoor courts are climate-controlled, so you are not dressing for the weather. Bring a change of shirt if you are heading somewhere afterwards, because padel is more of a workout than it looks.
The racquet
Hire one. Most venues, including ours, have racquets available, and a hire racquet is perfectly good for your first several games. When you do buy, the thing to know is that round-shaped racquets have a larger sweet spot and suit beginners, while diamond-shaped ones concentrate power at the tip and suit players who already know where the ball is going.
Balls
Provided at the venue. Padel balls look like tennis balls but sit at slightly lower pressure, which is part of why rallies last longer.
Worth bringing
- Water. An hour of padel is a genuine workout.
- A small towel, particularly in summer.
- A wristband if you sweat through your grip.
- Nothing else.
Trainers and a t-shirt covers it. Everything else can be hired.
Padel 88 is a private indoor court in Prestons, in the Liverpool area of south-west Sydney. Every booking gives your group the whole court to itself, and bookings go through the Playtomic app.