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Everything you need to start playing padel and pickleball in the UK.
Showing 12 of 177 guides
The world's largest indoor pickleball tournament drew 3,400+ players to NEC Birmingham on 11-16 August 2026. Full pro results, the records set, and what happens next.
16 min read
Britain's first-ever Premier Padel P1 ran 4-9 August at Olympia London. Coello & Tapia took the men's title, and 18-year-old Martina Calvo made history in the women's final.
17 min read

The best pickleball paddles for UK players in 2026 — 7 paddles compared from £20 starter models to £220 competition weapons. Selkirk, JOOLA, Head, Paddletek. Full buying guide for beginner, intermediate and tournament play.
23 min read

Racket or paddle? The official term is paddle — no governing body or brand says 'pickleball racket'. Here's where the misnomer comes from, why the sport says paddle, and how not to confuse it with a padel racket.
8 min read
Padel, padel tennis, paddle tennis, POP tennis, platform tennis, paddleball, pickleball — seven names, five different sports. What each one actually is, how the rules differ, and which one people in the UK mean.
8 min read
Yes — padel works with two players, and official singles courts exist. The singles court size, the rules, how 1v1 works on a normal doubles court, and the best two-player formats and drills.
7 min read
How UK padel competition actually works — LTA British Tour grades, club americanos and box leagues, Playtomic in-app tournaments, and exactly how to enter your first event without embarrassing yourself.
8 min read
Thinking about a pickleball ball machine in the UK? What they actually do for your game, the features that matter, why UK availability is thin, and the cheaper alternatives to try first.
8 min read
Padel was invented in 1969 in Acapulco, Mexico, by Enrique Corcuera — almost by accident. The full origin story: the walled garden court, the Marbella connection, Argentina's boom, and padel's late arrival in Britain.
8 min read
Pickleball was invented in summer 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, by three dads with bored kids. The full story — the improvised first game, the dog myth, and how it reached UK leisure centres.
9 min read
Northern Ireland's padel scene is growing faster than anywhere else in the UK per head — Padel 54, Powerhouse Padel, Belfast Boat Club and the Let's Go Padel network lead the way. Here's the honest picture.
6 min read
Where pickleball is actually played in Northern Ireland — ten verified venues across Belfast, Lisburn, Newtownards and Bangor, plus the Ulster Open at Belfast's Ozone complex. Here's the honest picture.
5 min read
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