Padel for squash players
Your footwork transfers. Your swing does not. What to change before your first session.
Most people trying padel in Finchley are doing it because the squash courts here are members-only and the padel courts are not. If you already play squash you will be competitive faster than a complete beginner — and you will also make four specific mistakes that a beginner never makes.
The four corrections
| What squash taught you | What padel needs | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Long swing, loose wrist, head speed from the lever | Short, compact, firm-wristed punch | A 45 cm foam bat has no strings to hold the ball and no lever to whip. Full swing sends it over the back glass. |
| Hit hard, hit low, kill the rally | Hit slow, hit high, wait for the error | Padel rallies are won by patience and position. Power is the beginner’s trap. |
| Ball off the front wall is the rally | Ball off your own back glass is the rally | You let the ball pass, bounce, come off the glass, and hit it back over the net. This is the single hardest thing to unlearn. |
| Own the T, take the middle | Move as a pair, hold the net together | Drifting to the middle alone leaves your partner’s tramline open. |
The glass point is worth dwelling on. In squash the wall is the target. In padel the wall is behind you and is a second chance — the ball bounces on your side, rebounds off the glass, and you play it on the way out. Every squash player’s instinct is to take it early and jam themselves against the back wall. Let it come to you.
Grip and racket
Continental grip, the same one you use for a squash volley, works fine. Do not switch to a tennis forehand grip.
On the bat itself: start round-shaped with a soft core. Round bats have the sweet spot in the centre and the largest margin for error. Diamond shapes concentrate the mass high for power and punish anything off-centre, which is exactly the wrong trade when your swing is still calibrated for a strung racket. Borrow two or three different bats at a mix-in before you buy anything.
The wrist cord is not optional — it is in the rules, and on a court with three other people it is there for a reason.
Scoring
Tennis scoring: 15, 30, 40, deuce, games, sets. Serves are underarm, below the waist, after bouncing the ball on the ground, hit diagonally. No second-serve equivalent to squash’s let-and-stroke system; padel has lets on the serve only.
Squash players usually lose track of the score for the first fortnight. Nothing to do about it except play.
Physical differences
Padel is the lighter load. Shorter sprints, longer rallies, a partner covering half the court. Most squash players over about 40 find it the more sustainable weekly game, and plenty run both — squash indoors through winter, padel outdoors in summer.
The one thing that gets worse: shoulder. Overhead smashes and the bandeja put the arm in positions squash rarely does. Warm the shoulder properly.
Where to play locally
The nearest courts to the Finchley squash clubs:
| Venue | Area | Courts | Indoor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Padel Tree Finchley | N12, Summers Lane | 5 | No |
| PADELHUB North London | Whetstone, N20 | not published | Yes |
| The 108 | Brent Cross Town, NW2 | 6 | Yes |
| Georgians Padel | Crouch End, N8 | 3 | No |
Full listings with prices, booking platforms and sources are on the padel courts page. Work out your share of a court with the cost calculator.
Finding three other people
This is the real barrier, not technique. Padel is doubles only, so a booking needs four. Padel Tree Finchley runs a WhatsApp community, weekly mix-ins and beginner socials; going to a mix-in before booking with friends is the fastest way to absorb the swing correction without wasting a court.
Common questions
Will I be good at padel if I play squash?
You will move well and read the ball early. Your swing will be wrong for the first few sessions — too long, too wristy, too hard. Most squash players are competitive within three or four outings.
Do I need a different grip for padel?
No. The continental grip you use for squash volleys is the standard padel grip. Avoid switching to a tennis forehand grip.
What padel racket should a squash player buy first?
Round shape, soft core. The centred sweet spot and larger margin for error suit a swing that is still calibrated for strings. Diamond shapes punish off-centre contact.
Can I use squash shoes for padel?
Indoor padel, usually yes. Outdoor artificial grass courts chew up gum soles and give poor grip — a padel or clay-court outsole is the right tool for the outdoor courts at Finchley and Arkley.