Know the difference between padel and tennis? To a person who knows absolutely nothing about both, they might almost look similar.
Both are played with rackets on an equally divided court, with identical balls and the same point count.
These are obviously only characteristics that have aspects in common but, of course, there are many others that are completely different.
To remove any doubts that could ever arise, today we are going to see what are the real differences between padel and tennis, vamos!
Rules difference between Padel and Tennis
Before diving into other material aspects, let's take a look at the differences in the regulation, so as to understand the basis of the differences.
Common rules
In common between padel and tennis there are several rules, starting with score which provides for an account of 15/30/40 games.
Each set closes when a pair or a single (in tennis) have 6 points and an advantage of 2 over the opponent.
If you arrive with a point difference, you continue to play one more game and then, if necessary, you go to tie break.
There joke (which we talked about in this article) both in padel and in tennis it must be done by ending up in the opposite rectangle, but the similarities end there.
The field, when viewed from above, has the same subdivision, although that of padel is definitely more small. For the field size of padel, read our article.
The dynamics of the tennis pair game and of padel are the same, with alternation in serving and identical rule on exchanges.
The difference is that the padel in singles, although present worldwide, is not recognized as an official variant from federation, so there are no single tournaments.
The differences
However, when it comes to the differences in regulation, there is much more to write than there would be on the similarities.
Primarily the padel has no real home run (if the passage from above is excluded), as the field is surrounded by walls that can be used as banks.
Indeed in the padel it is customary to bounce the ball against the glass or the metal part of the net, to put the opponent in difficulty.
This creates a completely different dynamic in play, with smashes crashing against the glass and then bouncing back onto the court, so they're not an easy hit hit like in tennis.
The serve is then performed with a completely different dynamic, with a stroke that goes from the bottom to the top, which makes it more docile and which hardly gives a point.
Other differences have already been stated above, closing the circle on the main ones rules differences between padel and tennis. If you want to know in detail the padel rules you can read this guide, now let's move on to the equipment.
Differences Padel and Tennis rackets
If you've ever seen a padel and a tennis racket in person, then you won't have much doubt about the differences between the two.
The tennis one is pretty simple, with a frame around it and braided ropes in the center, without great possibilities for variation.
The padel ones, on the other hand, are squat, with holes on the surface and with different shapes that can be applied to obtain different balances.
A padel racket is more “sophisticated” than a tennis racket, with a core that can be EVA rubber or FOAM.
The price of the same is then usually higher, with the top models that can exceed 300 euros.
In short, the tools used for these two sports really have nothing to do with each other, apart from the fact that they are defined as rackets. best padel rackets ever or le best for beginners, you can find them here.
Differences between Padel and Tennis Balls
Contrary to what one might think, the difference between tennis balls and padel is very minimal.
The rackets, the court and the rules differ greatly but, despite this, the balls are practically identical.
Since we have already talked extensively about the topic in the article on padel balls, we leave you the link and wish you a good read.
If you are looking for men's clothing, woman, accessories for the padel or the best Men's shoes or from woman, you can read our articles.
Conclusions
Now you know what are the main differences between tennis and padel, we are sure that some you would not have expected.
Although they are two cousin sports, there are many divergent points that separate these two worlds, which is more than fair in reality.
If padel had been a minimal variation of tennis, it could never have won so many admirers, as it was unable to arouse interest.