If you've played tennis for years, you've probably had the same conversation on repeat: padel's like tennis but smaller, right? Sort of. The scoring is nearly identical. Almost everything else isn't. Here's what actually changes when you swap a tennis racket for a padel bat, and where to try both around Manchester before you decide.
The court: smaller, walled in, always doubles
A tennis court is 23.77m long. A padel court is 20m long and just 10m wide, roughly a third of the space, and it's enclosed. Glass at the back, mesh higher up. That changes the game completely, because the ball can come off the walls and stay in play, so points last longer and there's less ground to cover between shots.
Padel is almost always doubles. A singles format does exist on a narrower court, but it is rare and you will hardly ever see it in Manchester, which is part of why it feels social from your first session. Tennis can go either way, but a lot of casual tennis ends up singles, which is a much lonelier way to spend a Tuesday evening.
Scoring: nearly the same, one big difference
Game, set, match, 15-30-40, all carried over from tennis. If you can keep score in tennis you already know padel scoring. Our rules and scoring guide covers the fine print.
The real difference is the serve. In padel it's underarm, hit at or below waist height off a bounce. There's no booming first serve to hide a weak groundstroke behind, which flattens the gap between a decent club player and a genuine beginner far quicker than tennis ever does.
Equipment: no strings, no tension, less to think about
Padel bats (some call them rackets, some palas) are solid, perforated and stringless. No restringing, no tension arguments, nothing to snap mid-match. They're cheaper to start with too. A beginner set costs a fraction of a decent tennis racket, and you don't need to know your head size from your grip size to make a sensible choice. If you're weighing up a first bat, our guide to choosing your first padel racquet keeps it simple.
Why Manchester players are actually switching
Three reasons come up again and again around the city's clubs.
It's faster to feel competent. The walls forgive mistakes. A shot that would sail long on a tennis court often comes back into play off the glass, so new players rally properly within a session or two instead of spending a month just keeping the ball in.
It's built for mates, not rivals. Because it's always doubles, standing closer to your partner and opponents, padel has a chattier, more social feel. Plenty of people who found tennis solitary or intimidating take to it fast for exactly this reason.
Manchester's supply has caught up. A few years ago there was nowhere to play. Now there's Pure Padel in Cheetham Hill, The Pollen Club on Deansgate, The Padel Club at Trafford City, Powerleague in Ardwick, Soul Padel in Stockport and plenty more. Booking a weeknight court is no longer the battle it once was. See what's near you on our venues page.
Where to try both in Manchester
Want to compare the two properly rather than take our word for it? A couple of Manchester clubs let you do both on one site:
- David Lloyd Trafford City has 8 indoor and 4 outdoor tennis courts plus 3 outdoor padel courts, membership required.
- The Northern Lawn Tennis Club in West Didsbury is a long-established tennis club that added padel in recent years, handy if you already play tennis there.
Play an hour of each back to back and the differences above stop being theory.
Which should you actually pick?
If you love covering a full tennis court, using the serve as a weapon, and playing singles, tennis still does something padel can't. If you want to turn up after work, rally properly within ten minutes and leave having actually spoken to the other three people on court, padel is winning that argument for a lot of Manchester players right now.
Plenty end up doing both. They don't really compete for the same slot in your week. Tennis on a Saturday morning and padel on a Wednesday night sit together just fine. New to padel? Our getting started guide is the place to begin.
FAQs
Is padel easier to learn than tennis?
For most beginners, yes. The smaller court, underarm serve and forgiving walls mean you can rally properly in your first session, which takes tennis beginners much longer.
Can I use my tennis skills in padel?
Some transfer. Footwork, hand-eye coordination and reading spin all help. The serve and the use of the walls are different enough that you're still learning a genuinely new skill.
Is padel cheaper than tennis?
Generally yes for equipment, since a beginner bat costs less than a decent tennis racket and needs no restringing. Court hire varies by venue, so check current Manchester rates before assuming either is cheaper to play regularly.
Do you always need four players for padel?
Yes, padel is played as doubles, two against two. Turn up alone and most Manchester venues and social sessions will pair you up.
Can I play both padel and tennis at the same club in Manchester?
At a few, yes. David Lloyd Trafford City and The Northern in West Didsbury both offer tennis and padel on one site, so you can try each without joining somewhere new.