The sport of padel (known as padel tennis in the UK and the USA) is a relatively unknown concept for many prospective beginners, not to mention parents of children that want to start playing. It is completely natural to wonder how safe is a sport played on a court surrounded by glass panels.
Padel, or padel tennis, is not a dangerous sport. There is no physical contact between players like in football or rugby. The glass walls are made from tempered safety glass that is incredibly strong and cannot shatter into tiny shards. You and your children can feel safe playing a game of padel.
In order to see exactly how safe the sport of padel is, I’ve laid out the safety features that have been built into the courts and game as well as the limited chances of getting relatively minor injuries. Let’s take a look.
How Safe Is The Sport Of Padel?
The safety of padel has been a topic that gives many parents cause for concern. Is this game too dangerous for kids? Does it put them at risk or leave them open to injury? The answer is no!
Padel is played with racquets and a lightweight ball. There’s no physical contact between players like in other sports such as football or rugby. With proper precautions in place, children can safely enjoy playing the game without worry of injury occurring.
So, when it comes to padel tennis and kids playing the game, there is no need for concern. The sport is an excellent way of getting children active in a relatively risk-free way!
How Safe Are The Glass Walls in Padel?
A freak accident occurred in 2018 in which a player crashed through the glass wall of a padel court. The incident raised concern for some parents, even though the player wasn’t very seriously injured, sustaining only superficial cuts.
The player, Paquito Navarro who went on to become the first Spanish player to top the world rankings, stated that padel isn’t a dangerous sport. He said, “I’ve spent my life on a court and this has never happened to me.” Learn more about Paquito in our article on the top male padel players.
Parents will be happy to know that padel courts are designed with glass walls that have undergone extensive testing. There is minimal risk of breakage. The walls are made of tempered glass, which means that even if a freak accident occurred, the glass would break in chunks rather than tiny shards.
What Are the Most Common Injuries in Padel?
It’s easy to avoid injury with some simple precautions. Don’t let the risk of an injury scare you away; accidents happen in any game, including this one!
As long as we take preventive measures beforehand, it’s not dangerous to play – but if there are injuries that occur, here are some of the more common ones:
- Tennis elbow
- Tennis toe
- Sprained ankle
- Lower back sprain
- Calf sprain
- Knee injuries
- Racquet injuries
Like any other sport, following safety guidelines will minimize your risk of getting hurt.
How Can I Avoid Injury?
One of the most important things to have is a wrist strap for your racquet. It’s crucial not only for you but also for your opponents. They can easily slip from sweaty hands – which could lead to unnecessary injury.
Here are some other ways to avoid injury:
- Ankle strengthening exercises
- Warming up
- Stretching – before and after
- Proper technique
- Good shoes
Proper footwear is also an essential ingredient, as sprained ankles are among the most common injuries in padel.
How Can I Prevent Tennis Elbow?
The most common type of injury in padel is something called “tennis elbow.” It is not a severe injury and is easily prevented. Poor technique isn’t always the cause.
When you use the forearm muscles too much over time, they get strained and irritated – this is what causes pain around your wrist or forearm.
If you’re looking to avoid tennis elbow, make sure that your technique is sound. You should never use the muscles in your forearm too much for extended periods of time – they’ll get strained and irritated!
One interesting factor that can cause you to overuse your forearm muscles is if your racket grip is too small. A friend of mine cleared up his tennis elbow by adding a $3 overgrip onto his racket. This might help you too so take a look at my article on overgrips for padel rackets here on World Padel Insider.
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