A covered padel court at golden hour, a cream racket on a wooden bench in the foreground

Made for longrallies andone more game.

Two covered padel courts at Pontefract Squash and Leisure Club. Currently under construction.

Padel, played properly. Four players on a court walled in glass, a solid racket, an underarm serve and rallies that refuse to end. Two covered courts at Pontefract Squash Club, so the weather is mostly somebody else's problem.

Two cream padel rackets on the leather seat of a green vintage convertible

Two cream padel rackets on a wicker chair with a Pontefract Padel towel

Quick to learn. Slow to master. Which is most of the appeal.

The game

New to padel?Four thingsto know.

The rest you will pick up on court.

Cream padel rackets hanging on brass hooks beside a striped towel

No. 1 · Doubles

Always four players.

Two a side, close enough to talk tactics. Or anything else.

Padel balls and a perforated racket face on striped wicker

No. 2 · The serve

Underarm, after a bounce.

Drop it, hit it below the waist, diagonally into the box. That is the hard part done.

A black Labrador asleep outside the court fence beside a canvas bag and a padel racket

No. 3 · The walls

The glass is in play.

Let it bounce, let it come off the back wall, then play it. Rallies go on longer than you expect.

$A quilted Pontefract Padel racket cover on stone steps beside a canvas bag$

No. 4 · The score

Fifteen, thirty, forty, game.

Scored like tennis, so you already know it. Agreeing on it is another matter.

Two courts.Both covered.

Built at Pontefract Squash and Leisure Club, under a canopy. Rackets and balls behind the counter if you would rather not carry your own.

Court No. 1

The one nearest the club

CoveredDoubles

An empty padel court with rain on the glass and a warm sky breaking

Court No. 2

The one everyone wants

CoveredDoubles

Off theback wall.

Suede loafers and tennis socks under a teak bench with a cricket jumper

A woman with a dalmatian beside a vintage car and a Pontefract Padel tote

A folded striped towel and a white sock on a changing-room bench

A black Labrador asleep outside the court fence beside a canvas bag

$A quilted Pontefract Padel racket cover on stone steps beside a canvas bag$

Two cream rackets on a wicker chair with a Pontefract Padel towel

$A green painted Pontefract Padel sign on a stone gatepost$

Rackets on the seat of a vintage green convertible

The kit

A small set of club objects, made to be used rather than admired. Mostly. They live at the club, not in a shop.

$A canvas tote with green webbing handles and the Pontefract Padel logo, leaning on a vintage car$

Court Bag

Canvas · webbing

$A folded cream towel with a green stripe and the embroidered Pontefract Padel logo$

Club Towel

Terry · embroidered

$A cream cotton cap with the Pontefract Padel logo embroidered in green$

Club Cap

Cotton · six panel

$A quilted cream racket cover with green binding and the Pontefract Padel logo$

Racket Cover

Quilted · bound

Drag, or scroll sideways

Hands wrapping clay-coloured grip tape around a cream padel racket

$Pontefract Squash and Leisure Club$ Built with Pontefract Squash and Leisure Club

Play squash?You already know half of this.

Same idea, bigger racket, fewer bruises. The courts are going in at Pontefract Squash and Leisure Club, who have kept the town playing for years. We are building them together. Come and try the other game.

Visit Pontefract Squash Club

Currentlyunder construction.

Pontefract Padel is being built. The ground is dug, the walls are in and the concrete is going down.

StatusUnder construction

CourtsTwo, covered

OpeningDate to follow

No bookings yet. We will open the courts once the build is finished.

Find us atthe squash club.

$A green painted Pontefract Padel sign on a stone gatepost$

Where

Pontefract Squash and Leisure Club
Stuart Road, Pontefract
WF8 4PQ

$Pontefract Squash and Leisure Club$

The courts

CourtsTwo, covered

FormatDoubles

StatusUnder construction

OpeningDate to follow

What to bring

Rackets and balls are behind the counter if you would rather not carry your own.

Court shoesA jumperThree friendsThe dog