Padel kit checklist for beginners: what you need to get started

Let's talk about your padel beginner starter kit: the essential gear you'll need for your first practice sessions and games.

Welcome to the world of padel - one of the fastest-growing sports in the world and in our opinion, the most fun, social and easy to pick up. As a new player, you'll be wondering what gear you actually need to start. 

We've been there ourselves as enthusiastic newbies, so we've come up with this guide to the equipment you really need. We'll start with priority purchases - the absolute essentials - and we'll move on to next steps, the gear you'll probably want to add or upgrade as your game develops.

Our guide includes some product recommendations for padel rackets, balls and shoes that our padel beginner customers have told us are great buys!

Focus on these three items first. They're what you'll really need to play your first few games.

1. Padel racket 

This is the most crucial piece of kit. As a padel beginner, you want a racket that's forgiving and easy to handle as you master the basic strokes and shots.

• Look for a round-shaped racket head. This shape offers the largest and most forgiving sweet spot (the area where the ball springs off best), which is crucial for consistency. Look for a low or medium-density core (sometimes called "soft") for more control and comfort.

• Budget tip: look for padel rackets described as "beginner," "control," or "easy play". There are many excellent options from leading brands in the entry-level price range, below £100.

2. Padel or tennis shoes 

Important safety tip alert! We strongly advise AGAINST wearing running trainers to play padel. Padel involves sharp, side-to-side movements, not just forward running. Running shoes aren't designed with the necessary lateral support for this. There's a greater risk of ankle injuries on court without lateral support.

• Look for shoes specifically designed for padel. They'll have a herringbone or "omni" tread pattern on the sole that provides excellent grip for stop-start movements on indoor or outdoor court surfaces, as well as that crucial lateral support.

• Budget tip: if you already own some quality tennis shoes for indoor or clay courts, or if you want your shoes to work for both padel and tennis, you could start off with these.

3. Padel balls 

Padel balls may look very similar to tennis balls, but they have slightly less pressure, which results in a lower bounce. Using tennis balls for padel is a no-no because the game will be too fast and unpredictable.

• Look for all-rounder padel balls: if the canister is labelled "padel balls" you're in the right place! Durable, entry-level balls from a quality brand are ideal for a padel beginner - there's no need to spend extra on premium balls at this stage.

• Budget tip: Good news: because padel courts are fully enclosed, you're less likely to lose balls than on the tennis court. A three-ball can will start you off just fine, but the price per ball drops if you go for a 12-ball can.

Impatient to get started? We've made life easy with these great deals on three padel essentials to get you onto the court ASAP. They're top quality products from trusted brands, and they're tried and tested by our padel crew. 

It doesn't take long to get hooked on padel! Once you've got into your stride, you'll be eager to shed your padel beginner status and kit yourself out as a committed player. As your game improves and you begin to know your strengths, you'll get the benefit from more technical and high-grade equipment to improve your comfort and performance.

1. Padel clothing

There may be an element of vanity to this one, as wearing branded padel clothing gives a signal that you're truly in the padel gang! Rationally, it's a good choice too: padel clothing is specifically designed for the agility and rapid movements of the game, so you'll maximise your comfort. You can even make like the pros: top players Lebron, Tapia and Coello have their own clothing ranges by Babolat, Nox and HEAD respectively.

• What to choose: our customers love T-shirts, shorts, skorts and hoodies from all the leading padel brands. 

• Top tip: a great pair of socks can make a huge difference to comfort in your padel shoes. Socks designed for padel players have well placed padding and seams that will keep you light on your feet through every match.

2. Padel racket bag 

Toting your gear to the court becomes much easier with a dedicated bag. 

• What to choose: a specialist padel bag is sized for your racket and may have a padded or thermal compartment to protect it. Look for extra pockets for shoes and other kit that you'll want to bring along.

• Top tip: a duffle style is easy to sling in the car boot. If you're walking or cycling to the courts, you may find a backpack style padel bag more practical.

3. Performance racket upgrade

As you move beyond the beginner stage, you'll have a much better idea of your style. Are you a defensive, control-focused player, or do you prefer to attack the net? You can choose your second racket to play to your strengths and develop your game in the direction you want.

• What to choose: a teardrop-shaped racket will give you a balance of power and control, a diamond shape is for maximum power. Different weights and core densities will fine-tune the feel.

• Top tip: If you can try out a few rackets of different styles before you buy, it will help you narrow down your choice. You could ask another player what they think of their racket: they might let you hit a few rallies with it to see if it suits you. Or come and see us in our Derby showroom to try rackets on our demo court!

The absolute basics are your padel racket, padel shoes and padel balls. Personally, we'd recommend buying a racket head cover or a padel bag to go along with your core kit. Go on, treat yourself!

Here at pdhsports.com, we're all padel players at different levels and we love to share our experience and pragmatic advice - always tailored to your budget and level of play. Just ask by email, phone or on socials if you need help with your choices. We genuinely love helping people get started and trust us, no question is a stupid one!

Trying before buying is a great idea if possible. Come on over to our Derby showroom to try out padel beginner rackets and other equipment on our purpose-built padel demo court before you make a purchase.