Game, Set… Padel!

By Everybody Health & Leisure

Comedian and keen player Jason Manford, Andy Murray, David Beckham and just about every Real Housewife from Beverly Hills to New York have been swept up in padel fever. Now Holmes Chapel is joining that glossy, sporty club with brand new courts at Everybody Health and Leisure (Holmes Chapel Community Centre).

I’ll admit it, despite my 48 years on this planet, I’d only really heard of padel in recent years. You may have just spluttered into your tea, but I’m certain I’m not alone in once thinking “padel” was a typo. Like most modern trends, it found me via Instagram: athletic types in sunglasses smashing balls off glass walls in slow motion. Then I spotted something far more local, neat, enclosed courts being built at the Community Centre. Suddenly, this wasn’t a fad. Holmes Chapel was officially in the game.

So what is padel? Think of it as tennis and squash having a very sociable, slightly mischievous baby. It’s played in doubles on a smaller 10 x 20 metre court, enclosed with glass walls that are very much part of play. The beauty of it? You don’t need to be super sporty to enjoy it. It works for beginners, seasoned players, teenagers, parents and grandparents alike.

The sport began in 1962 in Acapulco, Mexico, when Enrique Corcuera adapted a home court by adding walls and a net. It took off in Spain in the 1970s and has since grown into one of the fastest-growing sports in Europe, fast, tactical and, frankly, addictive.

The rules feel reassuringly familiar if you’ve ever watched tennis. It’s two versus two, serves are underarm (good news for shoulders), scoring runs 15, 30, 40, game, but the twist is the walls. After the ball bounces on your side, it can hit the glass behind you and still be returned. At first it feels like chaos; very quickly, it feels like genius.

Rallies last longer, points become mini tactical puzzles, and even beginners get those “did we just do that?” moments early on. Because it’s doubles, it’s hugely social, teamwork, quick chats between points, and the occasional dramatic apology when you both go for the same ball.

It’s also kinder to the body than many sports. You move, react and sweat, but without relentless pounding. No wonder it’s proving popular across generations.

If you’d like to try it, courts can be booked via the Playtomic app, with Everybody members receiving discounted rates. Intro sessions and social games are available through the Playtomic academy, with more advanced coaching coming later this year. Rackets can be borrowed from reception and balls purchased on site, so no need to arrive looking like a pro.

Holmes Chapel, we’ve arrived. For more information visit everybody.org.uk. To book, head to playtomic.com.