Padel Tennis Mania
Is this niche racket sport a passing fad or a potential long term obsession?
Over the last six months, like most Miami Beach residents, I’ve faced a life changing question: Should I get into Padel Tennis?
First, for the uninitiated, Padel is a racquet sport that combines elements of tennis and squash. It’s played on a smaller, enclosed court surrounded by glass walls and wire mesh, which players can hit the ball off. The sport is played in doubles and the scoring is similar to regular tennis.
Padel has become ubiquitous for a certain social class. Gstaad Guy and Gianluca Vacchi regularly play on social media. Near my Brooklyn apartment a high end Padel club has taken over an alley once known as a dumping ground for dead hookers.
This racket sport has a relatively short history going back to the mid-20th century in Mexico. It was invented in 1969 by Enrique Corcuera, who was inspired by his childhood experiences playing tennis to create a game that would be more accessible and enjoyable. Padel gained popularity in Mexico and later spread to Spain. In the 1970s, it expanded throughout Europe and eventually made its way to the States.
In Miami, Reserve is the hoity toity spot for Padel. Anyone can play, but you have to be a member to hang out and enjoy the waterside social scene. My motorcycle buddies are pushing me to start playing at Reserve, even to the point of sending unsolicited instructor recommendations.
If you want something a little more low key try Ultra, a club in a quickly gentrifying slice of Little Haiti. Ultra crucially has outdoor and indoor courts as well as an affluent millennial atmosphere. A friend was running a food truck there (a real cliche) so I decided to stop by and check out the action. What I saw is what I expected, a crew of walking meme tech employees. For a game that was supposed to be more inclusive, not that many women or older people seemed to be participating.
That’s not to say it didn’t look like fun.
At this point I was Padel curious but still hesitant. On one hand my tennis serve is finally getting on point so why abandon it for what may be a fly by night trend? Also, I’m an inveterate contrarian so I loathe to do anything just because other people are doing it. It’s the cliche question your mom asked you, would you jump off a cliff if everyone else did it?
The thing is, people often follow each other for a reason and it doesn’t make them wrong. Being a contrarian is its own sort of pose, as French philosopher Rene Girard wrote “Passive, submissive imitation does exist, but hatred of conformity and extreme individualism are no less imitative.” Said in a less pretentious way, maybe I should just get over myself and try it, what’s the real downside?
I got my opportunity over the Summer in Helsinki. The gym that I temporarily joined had a Padel tennis court attached. It was very Miami, a workout area and terrace along the water, even though the Baltic Sea is a far cry from Biscayne Bay.
The woman in charge of the court, in the best possible way, could be described as a hobbit. She stood at most five feet tall and was almost equally round with circular Harry Potter glasses. Despite the limitations of her stature she moved with alarming alacrity on the court, and scoffed openly at lesser men who were unable to make their shots.
My crew for this outing was a good cross section of the general public. My girlfriend, her cousin, and her dad’s Harley riding friend made us a foursome. I was the only person with racket sports experience.
For the first half an hour it was a bit of a mess. Wiffed balls and difficulty serving made the game frustrating. Fortunately the Finns are known for their patience and after 30 minutes everyone was having fun. Because of my tennis experience I was the best but the others picked it up quickly. I think that’s the best part of Padel, the learning curve is not as steep as you might expect and it’s enjoyable for all ages and genders.
At the end everyone was more tired than they expected. Despite the cool Scandinavian temperatures I was sweating heavily. After an hour I got the hang of hitting the ball off the walls and the others could continue a rally consistently. It was honestly getting exciting and I was looking to play again.
In Finland I really liked the relaxed and inclusive atmosphere of the sport, a far cry from the pretentious vibe back in the States. Maybe I am being too harsh though, and should give it a try at home.
What do you guys think, should I get into padel or wait for the trend to pass? Let me know in the comments!