Padelful Vocab: Learning the Basic Padel Tennis Terminology

If you’re new to padel tennis, you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the new terms and phrases being thrown around by other players. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! In this article, we’ll go over some of the most common padel tennis terminology to help you feel more confident on the court.

The Basic Padel Tennis Court Terminology

The padel tennis court is smaller than a regular tennis court and features walls surrounding the perimeter. Here are some of the basic terms you should know:

Service Box

The area on each side of the net where the server stands to serve the ball.

Baseline

The line at the back of the court that marks the boundary of the playing area.

Side Walls

The walls on both sides of the court that players can use to hit the ball off of.

Back Walls

The walls at the back of the court that players can use to hit the ball off of. These are also sometimes referred to as the “bouncing boards”.

The Basic Padel Tennis Stroke Terminology

Now that you know the basic court terminology, let’s go over some of the most common strokes used in padel tennis:

Forehand

A stroke where the player hits the ball with their dominant hand across their body.

Backhand

A stroke where the player hits the ball with their non-dominant hand across their body.

Volley

A stroke where the player hits the ball before it bounces on the court.

Smash

A powerful overhead shot usually used to end a rally.

The Basic Padel Tennis Scoring Terminology

Padel tennis scoring follows a similar system to regular tennis, but there are a few differences. Here are some of the key terms to know:

Point

The basic unit of scoring in padel tennis.

Game

A collection of points that is won when a player reaches a predetermined number of points.

Set

A collection of games that is won when a player reaches a predetermined number of games.

Tiebreak

A special scoring system used when the score in a set is tied at 6-6.

Conclusion

Learning padel tennis terminology can seem intimidating at first, but with a bit of practice, it will become second nature. Remember to keep these basic terms in mind the next time you hit the court and you’ll be ahead of the curve. Happy playing!