2023 – the year of trying new things

Fancy a game of padel, anyone?

This year we are focussing on trying new things and having different experiences because if we have learnt anything these past few years, it’s that life is too short not to live it fully.

Have you heard people obsessing over their newfound passion for padel and noticing padel courts popping up all over the place? So did we, so we decided to try it and can confirm that it’s devilishly fun.

Padel is a mix between tennis and squash. It’s usually played in doubles on an enclosed court surrounded by walls of glass and metallic mash. The court is one-third of the size of a tennis court.

Padel is a sport which combines action with fun and social interaction. It’s a great sport for players of all ages and skills, as it is both quick and easy to pick up.

Padel is not as dominated by strength, technique and serve as it happens in tennis and therefore is an ideal game for men, women and people of all ages to play together.

The game is quick and easy to learn, making it a fun and addictive sport to play. The service is made underarm using a short, stringless racquet with an elastic surface with holes and a low-compression tennis ball.

Shots are played either before or after the ball bounces off the surrounding glass walls, adding a unique dimension to the sport over conventional tennis. The scoring and rules are very similar to tennis, with the biggest difference being that the serve in padel is underarm and that balls can be played off the glass walls, similarly to squash. The rules allow for the use of the back and sidewalls, which results in longer rallies than in a conventional tennis match. Points are won rather by strategy than by strength and power.

Not many sports allow people of all ages to play together, but the good news is that padel is one of them! It is truly a cross-generational game.

If you would like to explore padel further, we suggest identifying padel courts in your area and finding out how to book a court and rent a racquet.

Do you play padel? Or is there another sport or physical activity you have discovered? If so, we would love to hear your story so that we can share it with other clients. Please get in touch with Lyndsay@charteredwealth.co.za.