If you already play pickleball, padel will feel familiar within the first few rallies — and different in a way most players end up liking. Both are doubles-first, social, easy to pick up. The biggest difference is the court itself: padel is played inside glass walls, and the ball stays live off every surface. That single difference changes the whole rhythm of the game.
Pickleball is faster to learn in your first ten minutes. Padel is harder to put down after your first hour.
In This Article
Key Takeaways
Long Island players gravitate toward both sports for similar reasons:
If you've made the jump from tennis to pickleball already, you've done the hard part. Padel is a smaller jump from here.
This is where it gets interesting for players looking for something new.
The court. Padel courts are enclosed by glass and mesh walls. The ball can be played off the glass — which means points that look dead are often very much alive. Pickleball courts are open, with no walls in play.
The ball. Padel uses a low-compression ball, similar to a depressurized tennis ball. It's quieter and slower off the paddle than a pickleball, but the glass walls add speed and unpredictability back into the game.
The pace of a rally. Because the walls keep the ball in play, padel rallies tend to run longer than pickleball rallies. Points are won through positioning and angles off the glass, not just power.
The strategy. Padel rewards patience and court geometry — using the walls to set up a winning shot. Pickleball rewards quick hands at the net (the "kitchen") and dinking rallies.
| Padel | Pickleball | |
|---|---|---|
| Court | Enclosed glass and mesh walls | Open court, no walls in play |
| Ball | Low-compression, paddle ball | Perforated plastic ball |
| Format | Doubles (standard) | Singles or doubles |
| Rally length | Longer — walls keep points alive | Shorter — points end faster |
| Learning curve | Easy first session, deep strategy over time | Very easy first session |
| Where to play on Long Island | Roslyn Padel, Christopher Morley Park | Various local parks and clubs |
The skills carry over more than people expect:
The main adjustment is using the walls. Most players who try it once stop thinking of the glass as an obstacle and start thinking of it as a tool — usually by the end of their first session.
Roslyn Padel has 4 courts inside Christopher Morley Park at 500 Searingtown Rd N, Roslyn, NY — a short drive from Great Neck, Manhasset, Port Washington, and the rest of Nassau County. For pickleball players curious about padel, two low-pressure ways to start:
Members get 20% off both, along with court time and private lessons, as part of the $750 / 3-month founding membership starting July 1st.
Ready to try padel?
Four courts, open play, and clinics for every level — inside Christopher Morley Park.
Not at the start. Padel's underhand serve and basic rules are easy to pick up in a single session — most beginners are rallying within the first 20 minutes. Where padel adds depth is in using the glass walls, which takes a few sessions to feel natural.
No. Padel paddles are a different shape and size, with a perforated face and no strings. Roslyn Padel's clinics and open play sessions are set up for players who don't yet own padel equipment.
It's growing quickly, but dedicated courts have been hard to find locally. Roslyn Padel, opening at Christopher Morley Park in Roslyn, NY, is one of the first clubs on Long Island built specifically for padel — with 4 courts for open play, clinics, and private lessons.
No. Open play sessions are designed for players to show up solo or in pairs and get matched into doubles games on court.