Padel Sport

Padel vs Tennis: Gear and Rules Differences Explained (India)

Court, racket, balls, shoes and rules — a clear comparison of padel and tennis for players in India deciding which to try.

Instasport Admin

• 3 min read
Babolat padel racket compared with tennis gear in India

Padel vs tennis: gear and rules differences explained

Padel is the fastest-growing racquet sport in the world and it is booming in India's metros, which means a lot of tennis players are curious about how different it really is. The short answer: padel shares tennis's scoring but almost nothing else. The court, the racket, the balls and the way points are played are all distinct. If you are deciding which to try or moving between the two, here is exactly how the gear and rules differ.

The court and the walls

A padel court is smaller than a tennis court, about 20m by 10m, and it is enclosed by glass and mesh walls. Those walls are the defining feature: after the ball bounces on the floor, it can rebound off the glass and stay in play, so rallies are longer and more tactical than in tennis. Padel is also played almost exclusively as doubles, which makes it social and easier to pick up. A tennis court, by contrast, is larger, open, and played as singles or doubles without any walls.

Rackets: the biggest gear difference

This is where your equipment really changes. A tennis racket has a long frame with strings. A padel racket has no strings at all: it is a solid, perforated bat, usually made of carbon fibre or fibreglass with a foam core, and it is much shorter at around 45 to 46cm. You cannot use one for the other sport. If you are starting padel, you need a dedicated padel racket; a forgiving round-shaped carbon padel racket is the easiest shape for beginners because it has a larger sweet spot.

  • Tennis racket: long, strung frame for power and spin on a big court.
  • Padel racket: short, stringless, perforated bat with a foam core.
  • Shape matters in padel: round = forgiving (beginners), teardrop/diamond = more power (advanced).

Balls, shoes and the rest of the kit

Padel balls look like tennis balls but are slightly less pressurised, so they bounce a little lower and slower, which suits the walled, tactical game. Footwear matters too: padel involves quick lateral movements on a specific surface, so proper padel shoes with the right grip and support help you move safely and protect your ankles. Tennis shoes are built for different court surfaces and movement patterns, so dedicated padel shoes are worth it once you play regularly.

The rules: what is the same and what is different

Scoring is the part padel borrows directly from tennis: points go 15, 30, 40, games and sets, and you win a set by reaching six games with a two-game lead. The big differences are the underarm serve (you must serve underhand, bouncing the ball first), the use of the walls during rallies, and the doubles-only format at every level. The smaller court, slower ball and longer rallies make padel famously easy to start and hard to master.

Which should you try?

If you want a social, doubles-based game that is quick to pick up and forgiving on the body, padel is a brilliant entry point and needs only a racket, balls and proper shoes to start. If you prefer the bigger court, the singles option and the full range of strokes and spin, tennis is the deeper individual challenge. Many players in India now happily play both.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I use a tennis racket to play padel?

No. A padel racket is completely different: it is short, stringless and perforated with a foam core, around 45 to 46cm long. A tennis racket is long and strung. You need a dedicated padel racket to play padel.

Is padel easier than tennis for beginners?

Generally yes. The smaller enclosed court, the slower less-pressurised ball, the doubles-only format and the use of walls make rallies longer and the game easier to pick up, which is a big part of padel's popularity.

Are padel and tennis scored the same way?

Scoring is the same: points go 15, 30, 40, then games and sets, and you win a set by reaching six games with a two-game lead. The key rule differences are padel's compulsory underarm serve, the use of the walls in rallies, and the doubles-only format.