Most people pick up a padel racket, have a brilliant hour of hitting, and then wonder how on earth they actually get better. In fact, padel is one of the easiest racket sports to learn, and you can make real progress without spending much. Below is how I would go about it if I were starting again in Manchester today.
Start with the right YouTube channels
YouTube is the best free coaching resource going, but only if you follow people who actually know the game. A few channels are worth your time.
The Padel School is the one I point almost every beginner towards. The videos are clear, the coaching is proper, and they break down shots step by step rather than just showing off. Their tips playlists are a genuinely good place to spend a rainy Sunday.
Hello Padel is another solid pick, with plenty of drills, tactics and match analysis that suit players moving beyond the very early stages. The Padel Mentor is worth a follow too, with a focus on technique and the small habits that separate levels.
My advice is to pick one channel and work through it properly rather than hopping between twenty. Watch a video, go to the court, try the thing, then watch it again. You learn by copying, failing, and copying again.
Watch the pros play
Watching high-level padel teaches you the shape of the game in a way no tutorial can. You start to see where players stand, when they lob, and why they almost never smash flat off the back glass.
The main tour to follow is Premier Padel, now the top professional circuit after the World Padel Tour merged into it. Matches are streamed online and through the Premier Padel app, and there are usually free highlights doing the rounds too. Watch a full match rather than clips if you can. Notice how much they use the walls, how patient they are, and how the point often ends at the net.
Take at least one lesson
Free content is brilliant, but one hour with a good coach early on will save you months of bad habits. A coach can spot in thirty seconds that your grip is wrong or that you are standing too flat when the ball comes off the glass. That kind of feedback is hard to get from a screen.
You do not need a block of ten lessons. Even one or two sessions to sort your basics is money well spent. If you are not sure who to book, our coaches directory is a good starting point, and our simple improvement plan shows how lessons fit alongside everything else.
Play socials and mixed sessions
Padel is a doubles game, and the fastest way to improve is simply to play a lot with different people. Social sessions and mixers put you on court with players of varying levels, which forces you to adapt. You will learn more from a scrappy two-hour social than from an evening of watching videos.
Playing with people slightly better than you is ideal. You lose more, but you learn faster. Find your local sessions through our venues page and just turn up regularly. Consistency beats talent here.
Drill the basics on court
You do not need fancy drills to improve as a beginner. A few simple ones cover most of what matters.
The first is the controlled rally. Stand at the net with a partner and try to keep a soft, controlled volley going for as long as possible. No winners, no showing off, just clean contact. This builds the touch that padel is built on.
The second is the back-glass drill. Let the ball bounce, come off the back wall, and practise a calm return. Most beginners panic when the ball hits the glass. Get comfortable with it and you are already ahead of half the players you meet.
The third is the lob. The lob is one of the most useful shots in padel and one of the least practised. Work on lifting the ball over your opponents and landing it deep. If you want to go deeper on shot choice, our guide to padel shots explained covers the full toolkit, and once you have a partner you can work through some proper two-player drills.
Use apps for the boring bits
Apps will not teach you technique, but they are handy for the admin. Booking apps help you find courts and open slots, and matchmaking features help you fill a fourth. The Premier Padel app is the one for following the pro tour. Beyond that, our own tools and quizzes can help you test what you know and pick your gear, and the glossary is there for any term that trips you up.
Put it together
A plan for a new player looks like this. Watch one good channel each week and copy what you see. Watch one pro match a fortnight. Book one or two early lessons. Play socials as often as you can. Drill your volleys, your back glass and your lob. Do that for a couple of months and you will barely recognise your own game.
FAQ
Can I really learn padel from YouTube alone?
You can learn a lot, especially the basics of technique and tactics. But you will improve faster if you pair videos with actual court time and at least one lesson to catch any bad habits early.
Which YouTube channel is best for complete beginners?
The Padel School is the most beginner-friendly, with clear step-by-step videos. Hello Padel and The Padel Mentor are good next stops once you have the basics down.
Do I need to watch professional padel to get better?
It is not essential, but it helps. Watching Premier Padel matches shows you court positioning and shot selection in a way tutorials cannot, and you can copy patterns straight into your own game.
How often should I play to improve quickly?
Once a week keeps you ticking over. Twice a week or more is where beginners tend to make quick jumps, especially if you mix in social sessions with players of different levels.