Paddle Sport vs Padel: Let's find out the differences

If you are passionate about racket sports, you have surely heard of the Paddle Sports and Padel.

While both games are very similar and are often confused with each other, there are some key differences between the two.

In this article, we'll explore the distinctive features of both games and provide useful information to help you decide which racket sport is best suited for your needs.

Read on to find out everything you need to know about Paddle Tennis and Padel.

Paddle rules

The pop tennis, originally known as paddle tennis, was invented by the American Reverend Frank Peter Beal in the late 19th century and gained increasing popularity in the United States during the 20th century. This sporting discipline has the characteristic of easily capturing those who start practicing it, thanks to the simplicity of execution that allows anyone to practice it.

Even just a few hours of play can be enough to have fun without the stress of learning. Kent Seton, a well-known tennis player and tennis pop, says that pop tennis can be played better and longer than tennis in a person's lifetime.

Unlike padel, for example, with which it has more similarities, pop tennis requires few preparatory lessons to be able to play with a certain ease, and it doesn't even require being in shape. Pop tennis is the quintessential family sport, in which children, youth, adults and seniors can participate on equal terms. Furthermore, one of the details that make pop tennis even more fun is that each person adopts their own style of play.

The simplest formula to define this suggestive playful-sporting denomination could be based on its condition shortened version of tennispracticed in one reduced size track (15 mx 7 m) and with solid rackets, similar to those of padel rackets. The rackets have a much thinner profile, around 25-30 mm, and are very similar to those designed by the Drop Shot company to practice the “beach tennis“.

The ball is characterized by having less pressure and, consequently, less liveliness than that used in the padel. The net is noticeably lower, which conditions the service that must be done under the belt.

The points are usually shorter than in padel and the game takes place more close to the net. The required fitness is less important because there is less space to cover on the court, which requires less running and put less strain on the upper body. All these factors give pop tennis the characteristic of being more accessible to play than padel.

Practicing pop tennis can also be useful for children as a learning platform to introduce them to padel or tennis, as they acquire skill and consistency in hitting the ball and volleyingas well as the ability to develop game strategies and compete. Plus, pop tennis can be a fun way to stay fit and socialize with friends or family.

If you want to know more about rules of pop tennis, on shoes to use or on others sports similar to tennis, I leave you these articles.

Padel rules

The padel it is one of the most practiced sports in the world, especially in Spain and Latin America. It is a very fun and addictive game in which you use a racket and a ball and is played on a fenced court. In this sport, the goal is to make the ball pass over the net and drop it into the opponent's field, without the opponent being able to return it.

One of the main features of padel is the scoring system, which is similar to that of tennis. Best of 3 sets are played, and each set is divided into games following the score of 15, 30, 40, plus. Also, after every 3 games you change sides.

During the game, the ball can be hit without distinction by any player in any area of the field. However, sometimes less experienced players try to convince their partner not to play in their half of the field.

For a ball to be considered fair, must hit the ground before hitting the walls and/or fence after bouncing off the floor, except on serve. During the point, the ball can hit walls and fence. The player can hit the ball with or without a bounce, but cannot bounce it more than once before hitting it.

The service is one of the most important rules of padel. The serve is considered good if the ball bounces inside the corresponding square after being hit by the player serving. As in tennis, the service must be cross, i.e. the player who serves from the right half of his field must direct it towards the square to the left of the opponent's field.

Unlike tennis, in padel the ball is not tossed over the head to serve. The server drops the ball to one side of the body and hits it without the racket exceeding waist height at the moment of impact. The serve generates a foul when the ball hits the side fence. The serve can be directed to any area of the opponent's court (diagonally), but can never hit the side fence after the rebound. At every point played on serve, we have two opportunities to put the ball into play.

If the ball touches the net and goes beyond the opponent's court after the serve, several situations can arise. If the ball touches the net and does not rebound in the corresponding square, it will still be considered a foul. If the ball bounces once and does not touch the side fence, the serve is good. If the ball bounces twice and touches the side fence, the serve is good. If the ball bounces once and touches the side fence, the serve is considered a foul.

Previously we talked about the padel in the following links: padel rules, how to play padel.

If you want to know more about best padel rackets or the clothing ideal to play, we leave you our guides.

Conclusions

In conclusion, both padel and pop tennis are fun and addictive games which are gaining more and more popularity in Italy. The padel, in particular, has had great success in recent years, attracting more and more fans thanks to its simple rules and versatility.

However, we must not forget the importance of discovering and promoting other games as well, such as pop tennis, which could prove to be just as interesting and engaging for racket enthusiasts.

We are certain that, over time, pop tennis could find more and more space and appreciation in the Italian sports scene, and we hope that racket enthusiasts are ready to welcome it with open arms.

For this reason, we invite everyone to try both games, discovering the differences and peculiarities that make them unique and fun, to choose the one that best suits your tastes and needs.