Padel Beginner's Guide: Your First Month in Bangkok

Your first month of padel, planned

Quick take. Book a beginner class in week one, play relaxed games with other new players in week two, learn to let the ball come off the glass in week three, and join your first social Americano in week four. Four weeks, about 1,000 to 2,500 THB in court and lesson fees, and you will be playing proper games.

Padel is the easiest racket sport to start and one of the hardest to stop. The court is small, the serve is underarm and the walls keep the ball in play, so most people are rallying within half an hour. Bangkok now has close to twenty clubs, from Sukhumvit to Bang Na, and plenty of players who started exactly where you are.

Easy to start does not mean easy to master. Positioning, the walls and choosing the right shot take years, which is why people keep coming back. And because it is always doubles, you meet three new people every game: many players who came for the exercise stay for the friends.

If you are not sure what padel is yet, read What is padel? first. This guide is the next step: a simple four-week plan for your first month on court in Bangkok.

What you need (and what can wait)

• Racket. Ask the club about renting one for your first sessions. When you buy, choose a round racket: it is the most forgiving shape and the easiest to control. Our shop guide lists where to buy in Bangkok.
• Balls. Use padel balls, not tennis balls. They look the same but have a little less pressure, so they bounce lower and more predictably off the glass. Ask whether the club supplies them.
• Shoes. Tennis shoes with a good grip are fine to start. If you keep playing, padel shoes are made for the quick side-to-side steps and the sandy turf. Never running shoes: they slip.
• Clothes. Anything light and breathable that lets you lunge and swing. A cap for outdoor courts.
• Overgrip and wristband. Not needed for your first game, but in Bangkok's humidity they soon will be: a fresh overgrip stops the racket slipping in a sweaty hand. See our overgrip guide.

Week 1: take a beginner class

You can turn up with three friends and work it out, but one class saves you weeks of bad habits. Several Bangkok clubs run sessions made for people who have never played:

• No Drama Padel has a free First Timers Class, booked in Playtomic.
• Bel Club 22 runs a monthly Beginners Clinic with its resident coaches; ask the club for dates.
• Bangkok Padel has a club coach for beginners, with shared lessons from about 500 THB per person in a group of four.

Our coaching directory lists what every club offers and how to book. In the first class you will learn the grip, the ready position, the underarm serve and the basic forehand and backhand. Don't put pressure on yourself: everyone misses a lot in the first hour, and that is fine.

Week 2: play with other beginners

Now book a court with three people at your level. A whole court costs between about 800 and 1,840 THB an hour in Bangkok, so split four ways that is roughly 200 to 460 THB each. Off-peak hours (weekday daytime at most clubs) are cheaper and quieter. Our prices page compares every club.

Keep it relaxed: count points if you like, but focus on long rallies. Three things to practise:

1. Stay out of the corners. Stand a step or two in front of the back glass, not pressed against it.
2. Move as a pair. You and your partner go forward together and back together, like two people holding a rope.
3. Aim for the middle. A ball down the middle between your opponents is the safest shot in padel.

Not sure who to play with? Post in the Bangkok Padel Community Facebook group. Someone is always looking for a fourth player.

Week 3: let the glass help you

This is the week padel starts to feel different from tennis. The ball may bounce once on your side, hit the back or side glass, and still be played. Beginners panic and hit it too early. Instead:

• Let the ball bounce, turn your shoulder to the glass and wait for it to come off the wall.
• Hit it once it has come back to about waist height, gently, and aim high and deep.
• When you are not sure, lob. A high ball over the players at the net buys you time to get back into position.

Book a second lesson this week if you can: the back glass is the one skill everyone learns faster with a coach. Our guide to the back glass has a drill you can do with a friend.

Week 4: your first Americano

An Americano is a social mini-tournament where you change partners every round and every point counts for you. It is the fastest way to meet players at your level. Look for events marked "beginner" or with a low level range on the tournaments and events page, and read Americano vs Mexicano so you know the format.

Nobody minds a new player in a social Americano. Say it is your first one and you will get help with the scoring.

Bangkok things nobody tells beginners

• Heat is the real opponent. Book early morning or evening, choose an indoor or covered court in the hot months, and drink before you feel thirsty. Our heat guide has more.
• Rain is a booking question. Covered and indoor courts keep you playing in the rainy season; outdoor courts can close. The courts list shows each club's cover.
• There is no single booking app. Bangkok clubs use Playtomic, The Padel Society, the Kross and Sterling apps, MATCHi, Padel Mates and LINE. The courts list says which one each club uses.
• Learn the manners early. Wait for the returner before serving, call your own faults and roll the balls back. See padel etiquette.
• Do not buy expensive gear yet. A stiff pro racket is harder to control, not easier. Wait a month, then read our racket buying guide.

The month at a glance

Week	Goal	Rough cost per person
1	Beginner class: grip, serve, basic shots	Free to about 1,200 THB
2	Games with other beginners	About 200 to 460 THB per hour
3	Playing off the back glass, maybe a second lesson	About 200 to 1,200 THB
4	First social Americano	Varies by event

After a month you will know whether padel has got you. Most people find it has. Start with the beginner page, pick a club near you from the list of Bangkok courts, and join the Bangkok Padel Community on Facebook to find your first games.

Sources

• FIP Rules of Padel (International Padel Federation)
• No Drama Padel prices and classes
• Bel Club 22
• Bangkok Padel on MATCHi