It’s renowned as one of the fastest growing sports in the world – with its appeal being put down to it being fast-paced, accessible and highly sociable.

A mix between tennis and squash, padel tennis is already a hit on the continent but is now taking the UK by storm with people of all ages flocking to give it a go. Reporter Ben Austin went courtside to get a slice of the action.

Now I am the first to admit I’m no good at tennis.

Put a cricket bat in my hands or a football at my feet and I am more than content but there’s something about racket sports I just haven’t been able to get to grips with.

I can never get the serve or the power right, my backhand is non-existent and to top it off there is a person in a highchair shouting Deuce all the time – it’s like I’m being watched by a toddler.

However, I was keen to give a new version of the sport a go having heard it’s a more accessible avenue into racket sports.

What’s behind the “Mexican tennis” craze?

Padel tennis is among the fastest-growing sports in the UK, a trend evident her in Kent.

In fact, it’s so popular some of the oldest clubs in the country have reportedly had to introduce waiting lists due to soaring demand.

A combination of both squash and tennis, the sport can trace its origins to 1969 when Mexican businessman Enrique Corcuera set up the first-ever padel court at his holiday home in Acapulco.

In 1974, Alfonso de Hohenlohe, a Spanish entrepreneur and friend of Enrique played the game while visiting and enjoyed it so much he brought it back to the Costa Del Sol.

Since then, it has grown in popularity, gaining its first international federation in 1991 and first world tournament a year later.

The first courts in Kent started springing up a few years back and there are now alone, there are four spread across the county: Holiday Extras in Hythe, Sundridge Park in Bromley, Wye Tennis Club near Ashford, and the latest Tonbridge Golf Course in Tonbridge.

There are also plans to build new complexes for Padel in Whitstable, Chatham, and Deal and in September, another proposal was approved to build two courts at Marden Sports club in Tonbridge.

But it’s the town’s other court mentioned above, at the golf course, where I was to be introduced to the hot new craze.

When I visited Tonbridge Golf Course the courts had only been open for around six months.

Owner James Jones gave me an insight into his thought plan when adopting the new sport.

“Part of the plan was to offer the community more chances to exercise, wellbeing that sort of thing, he explained.

“In Portugal, in Spain, it's massive and the after-court is really big as well sitting outside in the sun having a couple of beers and proseccos.”

But there was no time to daydream about the weather as he then kindly whisked myself and my friend Louis – who was to be the Borg to my McEnroe – to go and give it a go.

James handed us each a racket, and a couple of balls and explained the basics of the game.

The court itself is a condensed version of what you would see on your TV screens at Wimbledon with the main difference being the wall of plexiglass surrounding the pitch.

Like tennis, the ball must be served from the opposite side of the court and bounced in the service box before returned.

The ball cannot bounce twice and if it does not hit the ground before hitting any wall, it would be deemed as out.

However, if the ball hits the ground, it can be returned off one of the surrounding walls, much like how it works in squash. A point will only be earned if the ball bounces off the ground twice.

It took me and Louis a little work getting used to the new elements of the game, but it wasn’t long until we started getting a rally together and were confident to begin a match.

The game is scored identical to tennis as well starting at zero or “love” and ending with the winner gaining a two-point lead.

And I was pleased to find it was a lot of fun.

The smaller court and heavier ball meant we weren’t constantly chasing around for a loose shot but could still tactically aim for the corners.

The walls also added an interesting element allowing the ball to bounce back and hit it on the rebound, plus it made you feel almost professional when you successfully pulled it off.

But the greatest thing was the tempo.

If someone slammed the ball back, instead of having to walk half of a park to retrieve the ball, inevitably stolen by a dog walking by, it instead remained in the court.

Having the back wall too meant shots that were normally power slams in normal tennis could now be rallied back making the original shot not as effective.

Overall, despite only playing for about half an hour we both put in a shift and had a good game and one I would definitely go back and play again – even though I lost.

While there we were keen to chat to a few others who were playing on the court adjacent to get their thoughts.

Gatwick Airport worker Rob James, and train driver Paul Sturtivant, explained how they first got into the sport.

Rob said: “As you get a bit older you do look at sports to try and keep yourself active.

“We found as a group this was a good way to keep our fitness levels up.

“I can see it being the fastest-growing sport. I first played it in Lanzarote, and this hadn’t been built then.

“But out there I was thinking this is awesome and when it got built here, I thought perfect.”

Paul agreed, adding: “It came on as a lot of us play golf here, we saw this being built, inquired about it and when it was ready were like ‘let’s give it a go’.

“None of us played tennis but in the summer now we come up here quite a bit.

“There were only three spaces when we booked which was surprising being winter but they have a Facebook page and WhatsApp group so if you’re on your own and fancy a game, you can sign up and find someone.”

How much does it cost to play?

At Tonbridge Golf Course, court hire is £20 at off-peak hours on weekdays, and £25 at evenings or weekends.

This is per session and not per person so if a group of four goes, you could split the costs.

Each session is an hour on the amateur court with the match court being an hour and a half.

And while there isn’t a difference, the competitive court is reserved more for those more experienced in the game and who wish to play an official match with friends which usually lasts longer than an hour.

This court is a little extra with it being £30 off-peak and £35 at evenings and weekends but for those just looking to give the sport a try they can keep to the amateur court.

If you don’t have equipment, you can hire a racket for £2.50, and for £5 you will be given a sleeve of three balls that you be able to keep.

So what’s the final verdict?

Fast-paced, accessible and social. These are just some of the words being used to describe Padel.

But for those who are still on the fence, I would say certainly go give it a go.

The game can also be adapted to your experience in the sport and just how competitive you want to be.

Put simply, it’s easy to get to grips with, and in no time you’ll be bouncing the ball off walls and making your own racket.