Padel in a UK winter asks more of your clothes than a mild summer evening does. You arrive cold, you stand still more than you expect, and the ball plays slower. The LTA's own winter tips put clothing and footwear first on the list, which tells you how much it matters.
The most useful number in that LTA advice is 90. It recommends setting aside around 90 minutes for a one-hour session: roughly 15 minutes to warm up beforehand, the hour itself, then about 15 minutes afterwards to cool down. So a winter booking needs a 90-minute outfit plan, not a 60-minute one. That's how this page is laid out.
I play, and I make clothes, so this covers both: what to play in, and what to wear either side of it.
Read your booking before you pack
What you wear depends on the court more than the forecast. UK venues list courts as indoor, covered or outdoor, and some sites mix them. On Playtomic, Padel United Maldon labels Padel 1 to 3 as "roofed" and Padel 4 as "outdoor". Same club, same night, very different hour, depending on which court your group got.
So check the court label, not just the club name.
| Court type | What it feels like in winter | What to start in |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor | Cold when you walk in, warm after ten minutes | Tee plus one warm layer |
| Covered | Dry, but the air is still outside air | Tee, warm layer, hat for the warm-up |
| Outdoor | Cold, often wet, wind off the glass | Everything, plus a spare dry top |
A roof keeps rain off. It may not keep wind out, so if a club is new to you, ask how open the sides are. And when the weather turns properly grim, the LTA's suggestion is simple: book an indoor court instead.
Your 90-minute winter session, layer by layer
The LTA's rule for outdoor courts is to start with more layers, because it's easier to take one off when you're warm than to add one when you're cold. Here's how that maps onto the 90 minutes.
| When | What's happening | What you're wearing |
|---|---|---|
| Before the clock starts | Travel, car park, waiting for the court before yours | Hoodie or sweatshirt over your playing tee, joggers, beanie, thin gloves |
| Minutes 0 to 15 | Warm-up | Same, minus the gloves. Hoodie off when you feel hot, not before |
| Minutes 15 to 75 | The hour | Playing tee, warm layer within reach |
| Minutes 75 to 90 | Cool-down | Dry tee, then the hoodie straight back on |
| After | Bar, car, home | Full warm kit and dry socks |
Before the clock starts
You've probably come straight from work or the car, and your muscles haven't done much all day. Wear your warmest layer here: a heavyweight hoodie or a sweatshirt over a tee, and joggers rather than shorts.
This is the bit most people get wrong. They turn up dressed for the match, then spend the first twenty minutes stiff and miserable.
Minutes 0 to 15: warm up in the layer
The LTA says your muscles and joints are more vulnerable as the temperature drops, with a higher risk of strains and pulls. Its suggested warm-up is dynamic: leg swings, arm rotations, lunges and side shuffles, then a few minutes rallying, hitting off the glass, and practising overheads and volleys at the net.
There's one winter-specific extra worth knowing. The LTA points out that damp balls raise the risk of arm and wrist injuries, and suggests adding resistance band work for the wrist, elbow and shoulder. A band weighs nothing, so leave one in your bag from November.
Do all of this with the warm layer on. Take it off when you start to feel hot.
Minutes 15 to 75: the hour
Indoors, a tee is enough for most people once they're moving. Outdoors on a raw night, you might keep a light long-sleeve layer on. Shorts or joggers comes down to how cold your knees get. There's no right answer.
Our heavyweight tees are 100% cotton at 305 g/m². Be honest about what you want from a playing top. Heavy cotton feels warm and good in a cold hall. It isn't a technical fabric, and it will hold sweat. If you sweat a lot, that's what the spare top is for.
Keep the warm layer by the court door. Any time you stop for more than a minute or two, it goes back on.
Minutes 75 to 90: the cool-down most people skip
The LTA's 15 minutes after the hour are there to stop stiffness setting in once your body cools. It's also when you cool fastest: damp tee, no movement, cold air.
So change first, stretch second. Swap the damp tee for a dry one, put the hoodie on, then do your cool-down. The LTA suggests bringing a spare change of kit, such as a jumper or a t-shirt, in case of a sudden downpour, so you can get into dry, warm clothes after your hit. In winter I'd pack it every time, rain or not.
Hands and head
Your hands go first. Cold fingers mean less feel on the racket. A few things help:
- Thin gloves for the warm-up and the stops. Most people take them off to play. Keep them in your hoodie pocket so they're there at the next pause.
- A fresh overgrip. An old, damp grip is no fun on a wet night. Overgrips come in packs of 3 and 6, so keep spares in your bag.
- A beanie on the walk in and during the warm-up. Off when you're hot, back on the minute you stop. Our organic ribbed beanie is a good one to leave in your bag all winter. There's more in headwear if a beanie isn't your thing.
Feet and shoes
Two bits of LTA advice cover most of it. For damp conditions, check your padel shoe soles still have good tread and grip so you don't slip. For indoor courts, wear non-marking soles. On artificial turf, it recommends herringbone soles for grip.
Socks matter more in winter than people think. Cold, wet feet will end your evening early. Our grip socks are £14. Bring a dry pair for after.
How the cold changes the ball
Clothing is only half of it. According to the LTA, padel balls lose their bounce and get less lively in the cold, which slows rallies down. A smash that would normally fly high off the back glass won't rebound as much, so it's easier to retrieve. That's why you'll probably hit more bandejas than flat smashes in winter.
If you do go for a flat smash, the LTA describes what's often called a "winter smash" in Spain: aim deeper so the ball bounces past the service line and comes back faster and lower.
Wet glass changes things too. The ball can come off it quite differently, so the LTA suggests shots that don't rely on the glass and getting to the net more than usual.
Outdoor safety in the dark months
The LTA's common-sense rules for outdoor play:
- Check the court before you start and during the session. A surface can stay slippery after the rain has stopped, so check it has dried properly.
- Stop straight away if it starts to rain or snow, if someone slips, or if the surface becomes unsafe.
- If weather warnings are out, think about postponing.
- With short days, make sure there's enough light. Use the floodlights if there are any.
Winter-only additions to your bag
You know your normal kit. These are the extras that earn their place between November and February:
- Spare dry top
- Thin gloves
- Beanie
- Resistance band for the warm-up
- Fresh overgrip
- Dry socks
- Small towel for your hands and the grip
Playing indoors? You can usually lose the gloves and probably the beanie. Keep the rest.
Where Padelism fits
We make off-court padel clothing, so I'll be straight about it. Our stuff is built for the before and after, which in a 90-minute winter session is a third of the time.
The Mk1 Box Hoodie is 350 g/m² with a fleeced inside, an oversized boxy fit and a drop shoulder, so it goes over a tee easily and stays comfortable through warm-up stretches. I wouldn't play a full match in it. It's what goes on before and straight after. The Sunday Padel Club Hoodie is the same idea with a different design. Both are £75, so either one ships free in the UK on its own. Women's cropped hoodies are £70 in the women's collection. Prefer a crew neck? Look at sweatshirts.
The Heavyweight Fleece Joggers are £60 and they're the thing you pull on in the car park. Everything else is in bottoms.
The Mk1 is cut oversized, so check the size guide before you order, especially if you want room for another layer underneath.
FAQ
Can you play padel outdoors in winter in the UK? Yes. Start in extra layers, warm up properly, check the court for slippery patches, and stop if it rains, snows or someone slips.
How long should I warm up for padel in winter? The LTA suggests about 15 minutes, and setting aside around 90 minutes in total for a one-hour session so there's time for a 15-minute cool-down too.
Should I wear shorts or joggers for winter padel? Arrive and leave in joggers. Play in whatever lets you move freely. Indoors, most people end up in shorts once warm. Outdoors it depends how cold you run.
Is it OK to play padel in a hoodie? For the warm-up, yes. Most people get too hot to keep a heavy hoodie on for a whole match, so treat it as the layer you start and finish in.
Do I need different shoes for padel in winter? Not necessarily, but check the soles. You want good tread for damp outdoor courts and non-marking soles indoors.
Why do padel balls feel dead in the cold? The LTA says balls lose bounce in colder temperatures, so rallies slow down and smashes don't come back as far off the glass. Adjust your shots rather than hitting harder.
