Everyone at the barbecue has an opinion. One mate swears by padel. Another won't shut up about pickleball. You nod along and quietly wonder if they're the same thing.
They're not. Padel and pickleball are both small-court, social, doubles-friendly racquet sports, and both are taking over Australian suburbs. But they play very differently, use very different balls, cost different amounts and suit different people. This is the full padel vs pickleball breakdown, written for Australians who just want to know which one to try first.
Padel vs pickleball at a glance
| Padel | Pickleball | |
|---|---|---|
| Court size | 20m x 10m, enclosed by glass and mesh walls | 13.4m x 6.1m, open court, no walls |
| Players | Almost always doubles | Singles or doubles |
| Gear | Solid, perforated foam racket with no strings | Solid paddle with no holes and no strings |
| Ball | Pressurised felt ball, like a slightly softer tennis ball | Hard plastic ball with holes |
| Serve | Underarm, after a bounce | Underarm |
| Scoring | Tennis scoring (15, 30, 40, game) | Games usually to 11, win by 2 |
| Walls in play? | Yes, after the ball bounces | No |
| Signature rule | Ball must hit the ground before the walls | No volleying from the kitchen |
| Learning curve | Easy to start, the walls take a while to master | Very easy to start, the soft game takes a while to master |
| Typical cost to play | Higher: court hire at private clubs | Lower: lots of council and leisure centre courts |
Where each sport came from
Padel was born in Mexico in 1969, when Enrique Corcuera walled in a small court at his holiday house. It spread to Spain and Argentina, where it became enormous, and it's now governed internationally by the International Padel Federation (FIP), with a professional circuit called Premier Padel.
Pickleball started in 1965 on Bainbridge Island near Seattle, when three dads improvised a game for bored kids using ping-pong paddles, a perforated plastic ball and a badminton court. It stayed a niche backyard game for decades, then exploded in the US and has since taken off here. The first known game in Australia was in 2010.
So padel is the slightly older, Spanish-speaking cousin with a gym membership. Pickleball is the friendly American one who brings snacks.
The court: glass box vs open slab
A padel court is 20 metres long and 10 metres wide, roughly 25% smaller than a tennis court, and fully enclosed. Glass walls at each end, mesh fencing down the sides. The ball can bounce off the walls after it hits the ground, which means rallies go on much longer than you'd expect and nobody spends half the session chasing balls into the car park.
A pickleball court is smaller again, about 13.4 by 6.1 metres, the same footprint as a badminton court, and completely open. There's a 2.13 metre no-volley zone on each side of the net. Everyone calls it the kitchen. You can't hit the ball out of the air while standing in it, and that one rule is what makes pickleball a game of patience and soft touch rather than pure power.
What that means in practice:
- Padel needs a purpose-built court. The glass and mesh enclosure is expensive, so courts are mostly at dedicated private clubs.
- Pickleball can go almost anywhere. Councils are painting lines on basketball courts, tennis courts and leisure centre floors all over the country. Four pickleball courts fit on one tennis court.
The gear: rackets vs paddles
Padel rackets are solid, stringless and full of holes, with a foam or rubber core, a carbon or fibreglass face and a wrist strap. They're heavier than a pickleball paddle, usually around 340 to 380 grams. They come in three shapes (round, teardrop and diamond) that trade control for power. If you're shopping for your first one, our beginner's guide to choosing a padel racket will save you some money.
Pickleball paddles are lighter, flat-faced and solid with no holes. They're usually made from a polymer honeycomb core with a fibreglass, carbon or composite face. A decent starter paddle costs a lot less than a good padel racket, which is part of why pickleball is so easy to try.
Shoes matter for both. Padel courts are usually artificial grass with sand, so padel shoes have a herringbone or omni sole. Pickleball is played on hard courts or gym floors, so a good court shoe with lateral support works best. Running shoes are a bad idea for either. They're built to go forward, not sideways.
The balls: this is where it gets personal
Padel and pickleball balls have absolutely nothing in common.
Padel balls look like tennis balls but carry less internal pressure (around 11 psi compared to about 14 psi for a tennis ball), so they bounce lower and play slower. They're pressurised in a sealed can, and the moment you crack that seal they start going soft. Not all at once. Just a little worse every session until you're playing with something that has all the life of a wet sock. More on that in padel balls vs tennis balls.
Pickleballs are hard plastic with between 26 and 40 holes. Indoor balls are softer with fewer, bigger holes. Outdoor balls are harder with more, smaller holes so the wind doesn't push them around. They don't lose pressure, they lose shape. Then one day they crack mid rally. We've written a whole guide on indoor vs outdoor pickleball balls if you need to pick a side.
Can you swap them? No. A pickleball on a padel court would bounce like a startled cat off the glass, and a padel ball on a pickleball court would sit up so slowly you could read a book between shots.
Either way, your balls have a shelf life. Most people play with them well past it. Here's how long padel and pickleball balls actually last.
The rules, in plain English
Padel
- Doubles, two vs two.
- Serve underarm after bouncing the ball, diagonally into the opponent's service box.
- The ball must bounce on the ground before it touches a wall on the receiving side. After that, the walls are in play.
- You can play the ball off your own walls to get it back over.
- Tennis scoring: 15, 30, 40, game, six games to a set.
Full rundown in our padel rules for beginners.
Pickleball
- Singles or doubles, with doubles the most common.
- Serve underarm, diagonally, landing beyond the kitchen.
- The two-bounce rule: the return of serve has to bounce, and so does the shot after that. Then you can volley.
- No volleying while standing in the kitchen.
- Games usually go to 11, win by 2.
How they play: what it actually feels like
Padel feels like a mix of tennis and squash. The ball is quicker than a pickleball, the walls keep points alive, and the best rallies are long, tactical and a bit ridiculous. Lobs are a big part of the game. So is the smash, which at a high level can be hit so hard it bounces out of the court entirely. You'll move more and sweat more.
Pickleball feels like a mix of tennis, badminton and table tennis. Points often start fast and then turn into a soft battle at the net, where everyone is dinking the ball into the kitchen and waiting for someone to pop one up. It rewards patience, touch and quick hands more than fitness or power.
Which is easier to learn?
Pickleball, by a nose. Most people are rallying within their first session. The court is small, the ball is slow, and the underarm serve means nobody gets embarrassed in the first five minutes.
Padel is also very beginner-friendly, especially if you've ever held a tennis racquet. The walls are the learning curve. Your first few sessions will involve a lot of turning around to watch the ball come off the glass and then swinging at where it used to be. Give it three or four sessions and it clicks.
Which is the better workout?
Padel, generally. Bigger court, faster ball, longer rallies and a lot of short sprints, lunges and overheads. An hour of padel doubles is a proper sweat.
Pickleball is lighter on the body, which is exactly why people love it. Less running, less impact, and you can play for a couple of hours without needing a lie down. Competitive pickleball still gets quick, but the floor is lower.
Coming from tennis?
You'll pick up both fast, but they'll both mess with you a little.
- In padel, your instinct will be to hit everything early and hard. Let the ball come off the glass instead, shorten your swing and get to the net. Your tennis volleys will be gold.
- In pickleball, your instinct will be to drive every ball. You'll win some points and then get picked apart by someone's grandmother dinking it softly into the kitchen. Learn the soft game early.
Tennis players usually find padel feels more familiar, because the ball, the scoring and a lot of the strokes carry over.
Which costs more?
Padel usually costs more per session. Courts are expensive to build, so they're mostly at private clubs, and court hire tends to sit higher than pickleball. A good racket also costs more than a good paddle.
Pickleball has far more free and cheap options, including council courts in parks, leisure centres and community halls. Plenty of venues hire paddles and balls cheaply too.
Both sports burn through balls, and that's where most people quietly overspend: buying one can at a time at the club counter, usually at full price, usually because they forgot.
Which is more popular in Australia?
Pickleball has the numbers. Pickleball Australia now represents more than 27,000 members across 410-plus affiliated clubs and venues, and courts are popping up in parks, leisure centres and converted warehouses. The 2025 Australian Pickleball Championships drew a record 1,235 players.
Padel has the momentum in the cities, with new dedicated clubs opening in Sydney and Melbourne at a steady clip and more announced in Brisbane, Perth and beyond. We dig into the why in why everyone in Australia is suddenly playing pickleball.
So which one should you try?
Try padel if:
- You've played tennis or squash before
- You want a proper workout
- You like a fast game with long rallies
- You like the idea of hitting a ball off a glass wall like you meant to
Try pickleball if:
- You want the easiest possible start
- You're playing with a mixed group of ages and abilities
- You want a cheap hit at a local park
- You like strategy and touch more than power
Or play both. Plenty of people do. Same Saturday, different balls.
Padel vs pickleball FAQs
Is padel harder than pickleball?
Padel is a little harder to get comfortable with because of the walls, and it's more physically demanding. Pickleball is easier to start but has a surprisingly deep soft game at higher levels.
Can you play pickleball on a padel court?
Not properly. The padel court is the wrong size and the walls change everything. Some multi-sport venues have both, side by side.
Can you play padel or pickleball on a tennis court?
Pickleball, yes. You can fit up to four pickleball courts on one tennis court with temporary lines and nets. Padel, no. It needs its own enclosed court.
Is padel or pickleball better for older players?
Pickleball is usually the easier fit. It's lower impact, involves less running and is very social. Plenty of older players love padel too, especially former tennis players.
What about padel vs tennis vs pickleball?
Tennis is the biggest court, fastest ball and hardest to learn. Padel sits in the middle: smaller court, walls, tennis scoring. Pickleball is the smallest court and easiest start. If you're choosing between all three as a beginner, padel and pickleball will both get you rallying faster than tennis.
Where to play
Ready to give one a go? We've put together local guides with addresses, courts and maps:
Padel
- Where to play padel in Sydney
- Where to play padel in Melbourne
- Where to play padel on the Gold Coast
- Where to play padel in Perth
- Where to play padel in Albury Wodonga
Pickleball
- Where to play pickleball in Sydney
- Where to play pickleball in Melbourne
- Where to play pickleball in Brisbane
- Where to play pickleball on the Gold Coast
- Where to play pickleball in Perth
- Where to play pickleball in Albury Wodonga
Whichever you pick, sort your balls out
Padel or pickleball, the ball is the one bit of kit that goes off. We send fresh padel balls and pickleballs to your door on a schedule you set once, so you never turn up to the court with a dead one again. Skip a month, pause for winter, cancel in two clicks. Your balls, handled.