Pickleball vs padel: the guide to 8 differences that matter

Updated on 11 September 2026.

This guide is written for the Koh Samui resident or expatriate choosing one racket sport to play all year round. You are not here for a holiday hit; you want something to do every week, without wrecking your knees or your budget. The two most tempting newcomers on the island are pickleball and padel, and they differ more than they look. This pickleball vs padel comparison walks you through the eight differences that matter, so you can pick the one you will still want to play in twelve months.

In this article

• Court size and walls
• Paddles and balls
• Rules in a nutshell
• Physical demands and joint impact
• Learning curve
• Social side and doubles culture
• Cost to play
• What we see on our pickleball courts
• Availability on Koh Samui
• The eight differences, quickly
• Who each sport suits
• Frequently asked questions

Pickleball vs padel at a glance

	Pickleball	Padel
Court	20 ft x 44 ft open court (6.10 m x 13.41 m)	10 m x 20 m enclosed court
Walls	None	Glass and mesh all around
Paddle	Solid, no strings	Solid, stringless, perforated
Ball	Light plastic ball with holes	Firmer ball, close to a tennis ball
Serve	Underhand	Underhand
Rallies	Short, quick hands	Long, ball rebounds off the walls
Joint impact	Lower	Moderate
Learning curve	Fastest of any racket sport	Fast, plus wall tactics
Format	Mostly doubles	Almost always doubles
Cost to play	Lower	Higher

Court size and walls

Pickleball is played on a small, open court. According to the LTA, a pickleball court is 44 feet long and 20 feet wide (13.41 m by 6.10 m), with a net across the middle and a 7-foot non-volley zone on each side. There are no walls, so the ball either comes back to you or it is gone.

Padel is played inside a larger, enclosed court. The International Padel Federation sets a padel court at 20 metres long and 10 metres wide, surrounded by glass and metal mesh walls. The walls are not out of bounds: you can play the ball off them, which keeps rallies alive far longer than on an open court.

The practical difference is space and weather. While pickleball fits on almost any flat surface, which is why clubs can offer it in more places, padel needs a purpose-built court with walls. That makes it slower and more expensive to install.

Paddles and balls

Both sports use a solid paddle with no strings, which is part of why they are gentler on the wrist and the wallet than tennis.

A pickleball paddle is a flat, smooth-faced bat, and the ball is a light plastic ball with holes in it. The perforated ball slows the game down, so it works on a small court.

A padel paddle is also solid, but shorter and thicker than a pickleball paddle, with a perforated surface. Padel uses a ball that looks like a tennis ball but is slightly smaller and less pressurised, so it does not fly as fast.

The feel is different. Pickleball gives a light, crisp contact; padel gives a heavier, more solid hit.

Rules in a nutshell

Pickleball is simple to learn. You serve underhand, the ball must bounce once on each side before anyone can volley, and you cannot hit a volley from inside the non-volley zone (the kitchen) near the net. Most people understand the basics within their first session.

Padel shares the underhand serve, but the walls change everything. The main padel differences come down to those walls: once the ball bounces, it is still in play if it comes off the glass, so you learn to read rebounds and use the walls like a teammate. It feels closer to squash than to a small tennis court.

If you want a game you can explain in one minute, pickleball wins. If you enjoy learning angles and wall play, padel rewards the extra effort.

Physical demands and joint impact

Pickleball is the gentlest racket sport on the body. The court is small, the ball is light and slow, and points are short, so you get a good sweat without heavy running. It is popular with people returning from injury and with players who want to stay active into their sixties and beyond.

Padel asks for more. The court is larger, rallies are longer because the walls keep the ball alive, and you sprint and change direction more often. The surface is softer than a hard tennis court, so it is still easier on the knees than tennis, but it is a more demanding workout than pickleball.

The honest summary: pickleball is easier on the joints, padel burns more energy.

Learning curve

Pickleball has the fastest learning curve of any racket sport. Most beginners hold a rally within an hour, and within a few sessions you are playing real games with real tactics.

Padel is also beginner-friendly, but the wall rebounds add a second layer to learn. You will rally quickly, yet reading the glass and positioning for wall shots takes longer to master.

Both sports are easier to start than tennis. The difference is that pickleball gets you to a fun, competitive level sooner, while padel keeps giving you new skills to learn for months.

Social side and doubles culture

Both sports are, in practice, doubles games, and both are strongly social. Pickleball is known for its open, mixed-age culture: strangers pair up for a game, levels mix, and it is common to play several short games with different partners in a single session.

Padel is almost always played as doubles because the court is built for four players, and its social life runs through regular foursomes. The community tends to grow through clubs and leagues.

If you want the easiest way to meet people on the island, both deliver. Pickleball is the quicker entry; padel builds tighter, more regular groups.

Cost to play

No price figures here: our current rates live on our prices page. In a pickleball vs padel comparison, cost is where pickleball pulls ahead for most residents.

Pickleball is the cheaper sport to take up. The paddles cost less, the balls are plastic and last, and because the court is a simple open surface, court fees tend to stay low. Padel costs more across the board: the rackets are pricier, the balls wear out faster, and a court with walls costs more to build and run, so court hire is usually higher.

On a budget, pickleball is the friendlier year-round commitment, and it is far easier to support as a monthly habit.

What we see on our pickleball courts

At Shi Shi Samui in Lamai, we run dedicated pickleball courts, and we watch the same story repeat itself most weeks. A resident arrives expecting a lighter version of tennis, and the first question we hear is almost always the same: do I need to be a member, or can I just try it once? We welcome day visitors as well as members, so a newcomer can simply book a court and see.

The people who keep coming back tend to be the ones nursing a sore knee or a full diary, the ones who want a proper workout without the pounding of a bigger court. Pickleball gives them that, and the doubles culture does the rest. It is why we believe pickleball, not padel, is the racket sport that fits most people living here.

Availability on Koh Samui

Availability often settles the argument before the rules do, and here the island has a clear favourite.

Pickleball has already arrived in Lamai. Shi Shi Samui runs dedicated pickleball courts that are open year-round to members and day visitors alike, so you can play the sport for real rather than just read about it. Padel is still the emerging option on Koh Samui, so if padel is your choice you should check what is currently open near you and how far you would have to travel.

If you want a racket sport you can play every week without leaving Lamai, pickleball is the practical answer today.

The eight differences, quickly

Here is the pickleball vs padel decision in eight quick points.

1. Court: pickleball is open, padel is walled.
2. Equipment: pickleball uses a light plastic ball, padel a firmer, tennis-like ball.
3. Rules: pickleball has the non-volley zone, padel lets you play off the walls.
4. Body: pickleball is easier on the joints, padel asks for more running.
5. Learning: pickleball rallies in an hour, padel adds wall tactics.
6. Social: both are doubles games, pickleball is the quicker entry.
7. Cost: pickleball is cheaper to take up and keep up.
8. Availability: pickleball is on dedicated courts in Lamai now, padel is still emerging.

Who each sport suits

Choose pickleball if you want a sport that is easy to start, gentle on the joints, cheap to keep up, and available on dedicated courts in Lamai right now. It suits residents and expats who want a regular, social game they can play for years without burning out or overspending.

Choose padel if you want more intensity, more running, and the tactical depth of wall play, and if you are happy to wait for the sport to build locally or to travel for a court. It suits players who already love squash or tennis and want a demanding doubles workout.

For most people living on Koh Samui, the pickleball vs padel question answers itself. Pickleball fits the island, the year-round climate and the social life. If that sounds like you, come and try the dedicated courts at Shi Shi Samui in Lamai, and take a look at our membership options.

Frequently asked questions

Is pickleball easier than padel?

Yes, in most ways. Pickleball has simpler rules, a smaller court and no wall rebounds to read, so a beginner rallies faster and feels competent sooner. Padel is still easy to start, but the glass walls add a tactical layer that takes longer to learn.

Why is pickleball more popular than padel?

In many markets, including North America and much of Asia, pickleball has spread faster because it is cheap and easy to install. An open court costs far less than a walled padel court, and the game is simple enough to learn in an afternoon. Nearly 50 million adult Americans have played pickleball, according to the Association of Pickleball Players. Padel is huge in Spain and growing across Europe and the Middle East, but padel's popularity is more concentrated than pickleball's.

Which is more popular in Europe, and which in Asia?

Padel dominates in Spain and is strong in Italy, Sweden and parts of the Middle East. Pickleball leads in North America and has grown quickly in Asia and Thailand, partly because a flat open court is easier to add to an existing club. On Koh Samui, pickleball has arrived first, with dedicated courts now open in Lamai.

Is pickleball easier on the knees than padel?

Yes. The pickleball court is smaller, the ball is lighter and points are shorter, so there is less sprinting and less hard change of direction. Padel is still gentler than tennis on a hard court, but its longer rallies and larger court make it the more demanding of the two on your joints.

Can I try pickleball in Lamai before committing?

Yes. Shi Shi Samui is open to day visitors as well as members, so you can come and try the dedicated courts in Lamai before you decide. Our membership rates are published on the prices page, and the team can talk you through what suits your schedule.

Photo: Mason Tuttle (Pexels). Photo: Roger Aribau Gisbert (Pexels).