Less than a decade ago, if you had invited friends to play padel, you likely would have had to explain what the sport even was first. Today, the picture is completely different. In Israel, new padel complexes open almost every month, evening waiting lists grow longer, and WhatsApp groups are filled with messages looking for a "fourth player" for a spontaneous game.
But anyone who thinks this is just another passing trend is missing the big picture.
Padel is one of the most prominent expressions of the revolution undergoing the fitness world in recent years. While in the past people chose physical activity mainly to run faster, lift more weight, or burn more calories, today more and more trainees are also looking for an experience, enjoyment, community, and social connections. In other words, they want to enjoy the journey, not just the result.
And this is precisely where padel manages to stand out.
According to data from the International Padel Federation, more than 35 million people currently play in over 150 countries. Worldwide, there are already over 77,000 courts and about 24,600 clubs operating, and the numbers continue to rise at an impressive rate. In fact, it is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.
In Israel, too, the trend is clear. Within a few short years, dozens of new complexes have opened, and many more are in the planning and construction stages. While at the beginning the sport was identified mainly with Dan Region, today padel courts can also be found in Jerusalem, Haifa, Beersheba, Sharon, and other localities across the country.
Why padel?
When examining the success of the sport through the world of innovation and wellness, one realizes it is no coincidence.
One of the biggest problems in the fitness world is consistency. Many start working out with enthusiasm, but within weeks or months, they stop. The reasons are familiar: The workouts are too hard, boring, lonely, or simply do not provide a sense of success.
Padel manages to solve almost all of these problems at once.
The court is smaller than a tennis court, the game is played in doubles, the ball stays in play longer thanks to the use of walls, and even those who have never held a racket manage to enjoy it right from the first session.
This quick sense of success is perhaps the greatest advantage of the sport. Instead of leaving the workout frustrated, most players finish their first game with a smile and a desire to schedule the next game.
But the real advantage is actually found outside the white lines of the court.
Unlike many sports, a padel game almost always continues even after the final whistle. Players sit down for coffee, a shared meal, or simply stay to chat. Thus, the court becomes a social meeting place no less than a training facility.
In a world where loneliness has become one of the most talked-about health issues, and we all spend long hours in front of screens, physical activity that also manages to connect people becomes particularly attractive.
Companies and organizations have also discovered this. In recent years, more and more workplaces choose padel as a team-building activity because it combines teamwork, communication, cooperation, and healthy competition without requiring prior experience or extraordinary fitness.
Padel does good for both body and mind
Beyond being an enjoyable game, padel provides an exceptionally effective physical workout. During an average one-hour game, players perform dozens of accelerations, stops, direction changes, and rotational movements, engaging almost all major muscle groups in the body.
The legs work nonstop to reach the ball, core muscles stabilize the body with every hit, and the shoulders, arms, and back participate in almost every play. The result is a workout that combines cardiovascular endurance, coordination, balance, agility, and explosive strength without trainees feeling like they are in a routine workout.
This is one reason why even people who dislike gyms manage to stick with padel over time. Instead of counting minutes on a treadmill or repetitions in the weight room, they simply enjoy the game, and physical activity becomes a natural product of the experience.
Beyond the physical impact, padel also offers significant mental benefits. Playing in pairs requires communication, joint decision-making, and cooperation. It generates social interaction, a sense of belonging, and sometimes new friendships as well.
In an era where teenagers and adults spend many hours in front of screens, any activity that manages to get people out of the house, bring them together, and encourage movement is considered to have genuine health value.
Why do teenagers fall in love with the sport?
The summer vacation changes teenagers' daily routine every year. School hours are replaced by free time, but often also by a significant increase in screen time.
This is where padel enters the frame. It combines almost everything teenagers are looking for: Competition, adrenaline, activity with friends, fast learning, and an opportunity to improve from game to game. There is no need for prior experience, and the feeling is that after just one session, one can integrate into the game and feel part of the experience.
Unlike sports that require months of training to truly enjoy, in padel, the learning curve is relatively short. Small successes early on instills confidence and increase the motivation to continue.
Parents can benefit too. Instead of more hours in front of the phone or computer, padel offers an activity that combines fitness, social interaction, and fun in one framework.
5 tips that will make you enjoy the game right from the start
1. Start with players at your level
One common mistake is to immediately join a game with experienced players. The skill gap can lead to frustration and ruin the enjoyment. It is better to start with friends of similar experience so that the game is more equal, there are more rallies, and you feel that you are truly making progress.
2. Spend a few minutes learning before stepping onto the court
There is no need for a long course. Watching a 15-minute tutorial video or a professional match will be enough to understand the court layout, serve rules, scoring system, and use of the walls. Prior familiarity with the rules will save confusion and allow you to enjoy yourself much more right in the first game.
3. Don't rush to buy equipment
One of padel's great advantages is that you can start with almost no investment. Most clubs offer rackets and balls for rent, so it is recommended to try a few games before deciding which racket suits your playing style.
4. Accuracy is more important than power
Many beginners try to hit every ball with all their force. In practice, good padel players win through control, patience, proper positioning, and teamwork. The more you learn to build the point rather than rush to finish it, the faster you will progress.
5. Don't skip the warmup
Sharp direction changes and short accelerations are an integral part of the game, but they can also strain ankles, knees, and shoulders. A dynamic five-to-ten-minute warmup before stepping onto the court, along with light stretching at the end of the game, can significantly reduce the risk of injury.
What do you need to get started?
One of padel's standout advantages is that you don't need to spend thousands of shekels to try it. Unlike other sports where buying equipment is almost a mandatory requirement, here you can arrive virtually empty-handed.
In most padel complexes in Israel, you can rent a racket and balls on-site, so the initial investment amounts mainly to the court rental fee.
For those who still want to equip themselves, it is worth knowing the basic gear:
Padel racket: Unlike a tennis racket, a padel racket is shorter, stringless, and made of a solid surface with holes. Beginners are advised to choose a round-shaped racket, which offers better control and a larger sweet spot.
Balls: They resemble tennis balls, but their air pressure is slightly lower. As a result, play is somewhat slower, allowing better control and longer rallies.
Shoes: It is recommended to use tennis or court shoes with good lateral support. Running shoes are unsuitable for play because they do not provide sufficient stability during side movements and sharp direction changes.
Game rules you should know
Although padel looks like tennis at first glance, several rules make it a completely different game.
The game is played in doubles on a court surrounded by glass walls and fences, with the walls being an integral part of play. After the ball hits the floor once, it can hit the wall and still remain in play, just as in squash.
The serve is also different. It is performed underhand after a single bounce of the ball, and the scoring is identical to tennis.
The combination of walls, a relatively small court, and doubles play creates a fast pace, many rallies, and very few dead moments. This is one reason why even spectators unfamiliar with the rules connect with the game after just a few minutes.
How much does it cost?
Contrary to what many think, padel does not have to be an expensive hobby. Renting a court for an hour usually costs between NIS 120 and NIS 200, while during peak hours and weekends the price can reach NIS 240 to NIS 300 per hour.
Since the game is played with four players, the actual cost is split among everyone and usually totals about NIS 30 to NIS 75 per person, depending on the time of the game and the facility.
Those without personal equipment can rent a racket and balls for an additional NIS 15 to NIS 25.
In most clubs, subscription plans, punch cards, and regular discounts can also be found, reducing the cost for those planning to play regularly.
For those taking their first steps in the sport, it is important to choose a club that offers not only a quality court, but also a supportive environment to help you get into the game smoothly.
The advantage for new players is the opportunity to integrate into an active community of players and easily find game partners: An element that has become an integral part of the sport's success.
Perhaps this is precisely why padel is growing at a dizzying pace worldwide. It is not trying to be yet another sport that measures achievements, times, or personal records. It offers a completely different experience.
For years, the fitness world focused on how many kilometers we ran, how much weight we lifted, or how many calories we burned. Today, more and more people are also looking for something that is hard to measure in numbers: Enjoyment, social interaction, a sense of belonging, and a real reason to return to training next week as well.
This is also why in recent years we see running clubs filling up, HYROX races becoming a global phenomenon, pickleball gaining momentum in the United States, and padel continuing to break popularity records in almost every country it reaches.
Ultimately, padel's success stems not just from the racket, the ball, or the glass-enclosed court. It stems from its ability to meet people's need to be active, but also to have fun; to compete, but also to laugh; to improve fitness, but also to meet new people.
And that is perhaps the greatest innovation in the fitness world over the past decade: The understanding that the best workout is not necessarily the one that burns the most calories, but the one that makes us want to return to it again and again.
The writer, Shai Elancry, Head of Fitness Innovation, Wellness, and Technology at Levinsky-Wingate Academic Center